Defining and measuring meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs
Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science May 18, 2021 Willoughby B. Britton, Jared R. Lindahl, David J. C. Cooper et al.
In a sample of 96 participants in an 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program, 83% reported at least one meditation-related side effect when assessed with the Meditation Experiences Interview. Negative-valence effects or negative impacts on functioning occurred in 58% and 37% of participants, respectively. Lasting bad effects, experienced by 6% to 14% of the sample, were linked to signs of dysregulated arousal such as hyperarousal and dissociation. The findings suggest that meditation practice in mindfulness-based programs is associated with transient distress and negative impacts at rates similar to those seen with other psychological treatments.