Incidence and Predictors of Meditation-Related Unusual Experiences and Adverse Effects in a Representative Sample of Meditators in the United States
Nicholas T. van Dam, Jessica Targett, Jonathan N. Davies, Alex Burger, Julieta Galante
Clinical Psychological Science January 6, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/21677026241298269 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional, population-based survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 886 |
| Population | U.S. adults approximately representative of population age, gender, and race/ethnicity, stratified by lifetime meditation experience and type |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Clinical psychology Population Adverse effect Psychoticism Incidence geometry Personality Environmental health |
| Citations | 14 |
| Key findings | Psychological distress, psychoticism, unusual beliefs, and meditation-retreat participation were positively associated with unusual experiences and adverse effects from meditation. |
Abstract
Estimates suggest that meditation use is comparable to mental-health-service access in the United States. Understanding meditation-related adverse effects (AEs) is therefore critical. We aimed to (a) estimate the incidence of meditation-related unusual experiences and AEs using different methods and (b) identify sociodemographic and health-related characteristics predicting their incidence. We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based survey of 886 U.S. adults (approximately representing population age, gender, and race/ethnicity) stratified by lifetime meditation experience and type. Of the participants, 96.6% reported an unusual experience, 58.4% reported an AE (Inventory of Meditation Experiences), 78.3% endorsed one or more items on the Meditation-Related Adverse Effects Scale, 31.4% endorsed experiencing a challenging/difficult/distressing experience, and 9.1% reported functional impairment because of AEs. In a robust multiple regression, psychological distress, psychoticism, unusual beliefs, and meditation-retreat participation were positively associated with unusual experiences and AEs. It is essential that (a) potential meditators are informed about possible experiences, (b) providers consider risk factors, and (c) AEs are routinely and actively monitored.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- Beyond serenity: Adverse effects of meditation and mindfulness in clinical practice. Current Opinion in Psychology February 1, 2026
- Prevalence and predictors of meditation use in Australia and New Zealand: results from a nationally representative survey. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies December 4, 2025
- Bridging the Soteriological-Secular Divide: A 9-Month Online Tibetan Mind-Body Practice Program Enhances Eudaimonic Well-Being and Non-Dual Awareness Mindfulness November 19, 2025
- “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
- The Teacher Matters: The Role and Impact of Meditation Teachers in the Trajectories of Western Buddhist Meditators Experiencing Meditation-Related Challenges Contemporary Buddhism April 22, 2025
and 11 more in the library
Cites 24
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- Constructing drug effects: A history of set and setting Drug Science, Policy and Law 2017
- Unwanted effects: Is there a negative side of meditation? A multicentre survey PLoS One September 5, 2017
and 19 more in the library