Meditation-Induced Psychosis: Trigger and Recurrence
Sulochana Joshi, Anusha Manandhar, Pawan Sharma
Case Reports in Psychiatry August 13, 2021 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6615451 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 33-year-old male patient |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Psychosis Psychotherapist Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key findings | Meditation can precipitate acute and transient psychosis in a susceptible individual. |
Abstract
Meditation is regarded as a self-regulation approach to manage emotions. Meditation has a beneficial effect on mental health. Different kinds of meditation are practiced in many religions and cultures for the general wellbeing of an individual. However, meditation-related experiences and negative effects of meditation are not uncommon. Meditation-induced psychosis has been reported in the past. Here, we present a case of a 33-year-old male patient who developed acute and transient psychosis twice after meditation and discuss the role of meditation as a precipitating factor to psychosis.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain sources of EEG gamma frequency during volitionally meditation-induced, altered states of consciousness, and experience of the self Advanced meditator | 2001 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Mindfulness Meditation for Alcohol Relapse Prevention: A Feasibility Pilot Study Adult alcohol-dependent graduates of an intensive outpatient program | 2008 | Prospective case series | n = 19 |
| How does it feel to lack a sense of boundaries? A case study of a long-term mindfulness meditator. A single long-term mindfulness practitioner (S) with 40 years of practice in... | 2015 | Qualitative case study | n = 1 |
| Loving‐kindness meditation to enhance recovery from negative symptoms of schizophrenia Individuals suffering from schizophrenia-spectrum disorders with persistent negative... | 2009 | Case study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Problem Gambling A female problem gambler | 2011 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- “I was trying to save the world”: delusion-like ideation and associated impacts reported by Western practitioners of Buddhist meditation Frontiers in Psychology October 24, 2025
- Meditation and psychosis. The comparison of the current knowledge in the light of scientific evidence and the experience of an Eastern meditation teacher Psychiatria Polska September 30, 2023
- Meditation as a Bioactive Intervention: Molecular and Neurophysiological Mechanisms Revealed by Connectivity Mapping bioRxiv December 29, 2025
- Meditation-A Slippery Slope for Psychosis: A Case Series With Review of Evidence. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease August 1, 2023
- Case report on transcendental meditation (TM) Journal of Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry 2023
Cites 5
- The meeting of meditative disciplines and western psychology: A mutually enriching dialogue. American Psychologist 2006
- Meditation and psychosis. A trigger or a cure? Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy September 27, 2015
- Meditation-induced psychosis: a narrative review and individual patient data analysis Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine October 31, 2019
- Hemodynamic responses on prefrontal cortex related to meditation and attentional task. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience February 17, 2015
- Neurobiology of spirituality. Mens Sana Monographs 2008