What Are Adverse Events in Mindfulness Meditation?
Global Advances in Health and Medicine January 1, 2022 D. Binda, C. Greco, Natalia E. Morone
Mindfulness meditation has become widely used for stress, depression, substance abuse, and chronic pain, but reports have raised concerns about adverse events such as anxiety, pain, and even psychosis. This viewpoint argues that common emotional or physical reactions during meditation are not true adverse events but expected parts of the process. More severe outcomes like psychosis are confounded by factors such as practice intensity, psychological stressors, and psychiatric history. Programs like MBSR and MBCT are shorter and less intense, designed to avoid inducing pain or panic. The authors urge consistent use of a definition of adverse events limited to severe outcomes or hospitalization.