The mind’s abyss: Exploring the adverse effects of distinct forms of meditation
Academia Mental Health and Well-Being April 14, 2025 Bence Szaszkó, Ulrich S. Tran
Meditation, used therapeutically for mental health, can also cause adverse effects (AEs). This review examines AEs from focused attention, open monitoring, and loving-kindness/compassion meditation, linking them to brain mechanisms. AEs range from heightened psychiatric symptoms, driven by insular cortex activity, to ego dissolution from default mode network deactivation, causing depersonalization. AEs are more common with experience, though experienced meditators show better emotional regulation. Guidance is advised for novices and vulnerable groups.