The Teacher Matters: The Role and Impact of Meditation Teachers in the Trajectories of Western Buddhist Meditators Experiencing Meditation-Related Challenges
Nicholas K. Canby, Jared R. Lindahl, David J. Cooper, N. J. Joseph, Roman Palitsky, Willoughby B. Britton
Contemporary Buddhism April 22, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/14639947.2025.2485677 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed-methods study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 101 |
| Population | Western meditation practitioners and experts (teachers and clinicians) from various Buddhist lineages |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Aesthetics Psychotherapist Archaeology |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | The impact of meditation teachers on practitioners navigating challenges ranged from highly beneficial to highly detrimental, with key beneficial factors including access to well-qualified teachers and psychology-informed guidance. |
Abstract
Although meditation is often treated as an individual practice, meditation teachers can play an important role. Drawing on the mixed-methods dataset of the Varieties of Contemplative Experience project, this paper examines the role of meditation teachers and their impacts on Western practitioners who are navigating meditation-related challenges. Quantitative and qualitative results from 68 meditation practitioners and 33 experts (teachers and clinicians) from a range of Buddhist lineages indicate that the impact of teachers on practitioners navigating challenges ranged from highly beneficial to highly detrimental. Key characteristics in beneficial student-teacher relationships included having access to and receiving appropriate guidance from a well-qualified teacher, as well as having a teacher whose approach to working with challenges was informed by training in psychology or mental health. Other factors described as unhelpful or leading to additional distress included a lack of availability or teacher access; limited student tracking or disclosure; invalidating, unsupportive, victim-blaming, or scripted teacher responses; a lack of perceived teacher expertise; or mismatched interpersonal or cultural dynamics. These findings also illustrate various ways in which the psychologization of Buddhist meditation in the West influences student-teacher relationships and establishes certain expectations that are made particularly apparent in the context of meditation-related challenges.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... | 2017 | Qualitative study with mixed-methods | |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Anger regulation in traumatized Cambodian refugees: the perspectives of Buddhist monks. Buddhist Cambodian monks in Massachusetts | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 6 |
| The Lived Experiences of Experienced Vipassana Mahasi Meditators: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators | 2018 | Qualitative study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- “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
- Governing AI at the clinical threshold: a grounded theory framework for responsible AI deployment in mindfulness-based mental health Ai & Society August 29, 2026
- Adverse Experiences in Brief Meditation Practices: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mental Health September 14, 2026
Cites 11
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- Training Teachers to Deliver Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Learning from the UK Experience Mindfulness April 26, 2010
- Prevalence of meditation-related adverse effects in a population-based sample in the United States Psychotherapy Research June 2, 2021
- “Like a Vibration Cascading through the Body”: Energy-Like Somatic Experiences Reported by Western Buddhist Meditators Religions November 24, 2021
- Incidence and Predictors of Meditation-Related Unusual Experiences and Adverse Effects in a Representative Sample of Meditators in the United States Clinical Psychological Science January 6, 2025
and 6 more in the library