Meditation potentially capable of increasing susceptibility to epilepsy - a follow-up hypothesis.
Harinder Jaseja
Medical Hypotheses 2006 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2005.11.043 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that meditation may predispose individuals to epilepsy through EEG hypersynchrony and coherence and increased brain glutamate and serotonin, citing a study in which 221 meditators showed significantly more complex partial epileptic-like signs and experiences than 860 non-meditators, which that researcher attributed to "cognitive kindling." |
Abstract
In an earlier article entitled "Meditation may predispose to epilepsy: an insight into the alteration in brain environment induced by meditation" published in Medical Hypotheses 2005:64(3):464-7, the author has hypothesized that meditation exerts predisposing influence on epileptogenesis. The hypothesis is based on certain EEG changes and electrographic features (namely hypersynchrony and coherence of EEG activity) and increase in chemical transmitters (namely glutamate and serotonin) in the brain during the course and attainment of meditation. This paper aims to further strengthen the hypothesized predisposing influence of meditation on epilepsy by providing stronger evidences and with more elaboration. Studies on meditators have reported various adverse outcomes and one such study has indeed revealed significantly higher incidence of complex partial epileptic-like signs and experiences in a large number (n = 221) of meditators compared to non-meditators (controls n = 860), the researcher claiming "cognitive kindling" by meditation to be the underlying basis. These studies thus do highlight and underscore the strong influence of meditation in increasing susceptibility to epilepsy.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- Unwanted effects: Is there a negative side of meditation? A multicentre survey PLoS One September 5, 2017
- Mindfulness meditation increases interictal epileptiform discharges in meditation-naïve surgical epilepsy patients. Epilepsia June 16, 2026
- The Use of MBSR in Old Age GeroPsych September 1, 2025
- Cortical and autonomic responses during staged Taoist meditation: two distinct meditation strategies bioRxiv Preprint Server November 8, 2021
- Effect of meditation on intracerebral EEG in a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy: A case report. Explore November 24, 2020
and 7 more in the library
Cites 6
- DOI-Induced Activation of the Cortex: Dependence on 5-HT2AHeteroceptors on Thalamocortical Glutamatergic Neurons Journal of Neuroscience December 1, 2000
- The Role of Kv1.2-Containing Potassium Channels in Serotonin-Induced Glutamate Release from Thalamocortical Terminals in Rat Frontal Cortex Journal of Neuroscience December 15, 2001
- Psychiatric Problems Precipitated by Transcendental Meditation Psychological Reports October 1, 1976
- Sleep During Transcendental Meditation Science January 23, 1976
- Transcendental Meditation and general meditation are associated with enhanced complex partial epileptic-like signs: evidence for "cognitive" kindling? Perceptual and Motor Skills February 1, 1993
and 1 more in the library