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The Dark Side of Dharma: Why Have Adverse Effects of Meditation Been Ignored in Contemporary Western Secular Contexts?

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Anna Lutkajtis at The University of Sydney
Anna Lutkajtis
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Abstract

In contemporary Western society, meditation techniques that were previously taught within the context of Eastern religious traditions are now increasingly being practiced in secular settings. While the boundary between the secular and the religious is blurred, popular meditation techniques such as Transcendental Meditation, vipassana, and mindfulness are generally promoted as being derived from Eastern religions, but inherently non-religious, aligned with Western psychology, and suitable for a general audience. Over approximately forty years, thousands of research studies suggest that there are many psychological and physiological benefits associated with these forms of meditation; however, a small but growing literature indicates there could also be adverse effects. In Eastern religious traditions, difficulties associated with meditation are acknowledged, and are usually understood to be milestones on the path to enlightenment, the result of improper practice, or due to individual differences. However, in a Western secular context, negative effects associated with meditation have largely been overlooked. This article argues that this is in part due to the fact that in contemporary Western society the goal of meditation has shifted from enlightenment to symptom relief and personal transformation, leading to the assumption that meditation is harmless and 'good for everyone'.
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JASR 31.2 (2018): 192-217 JASR (print) ISSN 2047-704X
http://doi.org.10.1558/jasr.37053 JASR (online) ISSN 2047-7058
© Equinox Publishing Ltd, 415 The Workstation, 15 Paternoster Row, Sheffield, S1 2BX.
The Dark Side of Dharma:
Why Have Adverse Effects of Meditation Been
Ignored in Contemporary Western Secular Contexts?
Anna Lutkajtis
University of Sydney
Abstract
In contemporary Western society, meditation techniques that were
previously taught within the context of Eastern religious traditions are now
increasingly being practiced in secular settings. While the boundary
between the secular and the religious is blurred, popular meditation tech-
niques such as Transcendental Meditation,
vipassana
, and mindfulness are
generally promoted as being derived from Eastern religions, but inherently
non-religious, aligned with Western psychology, and suitable for a general
audience. Over approximately forty years, thousands of research studies
suggest that there are many psychological and physiological benefits
associated with these forms of meditation; however, a small but growing
literature indicates there could also be adverse effects. In Eastern religious
traditions, difficulties associated with meditation are acknowledged, and
are usually understood to be milestones on the path to enlightenment, the
result of improper practice, or due to individual differences. However, in a
Western secular context, negative effects associated with meditation have
largely been overlooked. This article argues that this is in part due to the
fact that in contemporary Western society the goal of meditation has shifted
from enlightenment to symptom relief and personal transformation, leading
to the assumption that meditation is harmless and ‘good for everyone’.
Keywords
Meditation, psychology, Buddhism, mindfulness.
... wholly on the present moment-meditation practice has been found to have positive effects on mental and physical health (Arias et al., 2006;Grossman et al., 2004;Hofmann et al., 2010;Lutkajtis, 2019a). With respect to mental health, positive effects have been observed mainly for reducing symptoms of stress and depression, although benefits for anxiety have been observed when meditation or mindfulness are practiced in conjunction with other treatment approaches (Saeed et al., 2019). ...
... In suggesting that some people might not experience parasympathetic dominance during meditation, the meditation paradox is consistent with the observation by some reviewers that theoretical perspectives on the health benefits of meditation lack clarity with respect to possible adverse effects of meditation practice (Lauricella, 2014). A recent narrative critique of literature on the health benefits of meditation emphasizes that only a small number of studies have explored adverse effects, largely due to a broader motivation in the media and the scientific community to present meditation as a 'simple' side-effect-free solution to various health problems (Lutkajtis, 2019a). Similarly, systematic reviews indicate that few trials of mindfulness-based therapies track adverse effects (Wong et al., 2018), partly because there are currently no requirements to report them or guidelines for doing so (Farias et al., 2020). ...
... Extending on dominant reviews in the area, our findings showed that activation of the sympathetic nervous system can be present not only in Vajrayana types of meditation (Kozhevnikov, 2019) but also in Samadhi meditation, which is the basic technique underlying mindfulness practice (Nilsson & Kazemi, 2016). Additionally, our study shows that, despite the parasympathetic system's general activation during Samadhi meditation, sympathetic nervous system activation and associated adverse physical symptoms can occur in some individuals (Farmer et al., 2015;Lutkajtis, 2019a;). This finding echoes Britton et al.'s (2014) observation in a narrative multidisciplinary review that meditation is a complex phenomenon that can elicit both parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system activation-hypoarousal and hyperarousal-depending on dose, expertise, and individual factors. ...
Adverse Effects of Meditation: Autonomic Nervous System Activation and Individual Nauseous Responses During Samadhi Meditation in the Czech Republic
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
  • J RELIG HEALTH
Buddhist meditation practices, including Samadhi meditation, which forms the basis for mindfulness practice, are broadly promoted as pathways to wellbeing, but evidence of their adverse effects is emerging. In a single-group observational study with assessments of autonomic system before, during, and after Samadhi meditation, we explore the relationship between post-meditation nausea symptoms and the degree of change in autonomic system activity during meditation as compared to before and after in 57 university students (42 women; mean age = 22.6) without any previous experience in meditation or yoga practices. We hypothesize that nauseous feelings in meditation are connected to a rapid increase of activity in the sympathetic nervous system, as indicated by decreased heart-rate variability (HRV). We additionally explore links between meditation-induced nausea and two markers of parasympathetic activity: increased HRV and vasovagal syncope. Engaging in meditation and increased nausea during meditation were both associated with increased markers of HRV parasympathetic activity, but 12 individuals with markedly higher nausea demonstrated increased HRV markers of sympathetic activity during meditation. Vasovagal syncope was observed but found to be unrelated to nausea levels. Drivers of adverse effects of meditation in some individuals require further investigation.
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... Potentially distressing somatic and psychological experiences have been historically overlooked in MBI research, 44 which might result from participants not sharing these experiences with services and in research that is not asking the necessary questions. 45 However, qualitative research into the experience of interventions can be helpful in exploring the nuance and diversity of aversive or distressing experiences, as well as positive experiences and beneficial outcomes. ...
... The participants' experiences reflected the distress sometimes encountered in meditative practice, 45 where practice confronts participants with adverse attachment experiences 41 and previous traumas. 44 However, the participants described a recognised phenomenon; that it can be necessary to attend to their pain and suffering before they can nurture self-compassion. 38 This corresponds to a theorised process whereby the participant nurtures an 'open monitoring' of experiences so that they can begin to be compassionate towards the self. ...
Experience of compassion-based practice in mindfulness for health for individuals with persistent pain
Article
  • Feb 2024
Purpose of the Study Research indicates that acquiring compassion is an integral part to positive outcomes to Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI), yet there is both theoretic and empirical literature suggesting that people with persistent pain are more likely to experience challenges and distress when engaging compassion-based practices. Mindfulness for Health is a standardised MBI for people with persistent pain and health conditions. This study sought to explore the positive, neutral and difficult experiences of compassion-based practice and meditation for participants in Mindfulness for Health to further understand implications and risks for participants of MBI’s. Method and Design A qualitative design using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was applied to explore how participants understood of the experience of compassion-based practice and the meaning they gave to it. Eight participants who had completed the Mindfulness for Health from four separate groups were interviewed about their experience. Results Five master themes were identified ‘turning away from self-with-pain’, ‘self-with-pain experienced as shameful’, ‘facilitating change’, ‘turning towards self-with-pain’, and ‘accepting self’. Participants identified both perceived positive changes and difficult emotional experiences during the meditation practice, which they related to the context of compassion in their past and present life. Conclusions Developing compassion is an important part of Mindfulness for Health, which is salient for participants as both a challenging and potentially valuable experience. Acquisition of mindfulness skills, supporting group dynamics and modelling compassion are understood as helpful in overcoming personal barriers and challenging experiences. Further research is needed to understand processes involved and explore the experience of non-completers.
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... However, a subset of meditators experience AEs that vary in characteristics, duration, and symp tom severity (Farias et al., 2020). Such challenges are well recognized in several religious traditions that incorporate meditation, such as Buddhism (e.g., rlung syndrome, J. Lindahl, 2017;Samuel, 2019), but until recently scientific studies of meditation have not tended to address the occurrence of AEs (Lutkajtis, 2019). This is beginning to change. ...
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... Specifically, there are studies that showed negative or mixed effects from mindfulness, e.g., a study that showed a positive correlation between mindfulness and musculoskeletal disorders and one that showed a negative correlation between mindfulness and performance [65,66]. This is related to the "dark side" aspect that has recently been reported in the field of mindfulness studies, and it is an area that requires more research [67,68]. Lee et al. [69] examined the impact of mindfulness on the relation between musculoskeletal disorders and stress. ...
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... Buddhist sources contain vivid descriptions of these effects and offer explanations to help practitioners understand and address them (Buddhaghosa, 2020;Sayadaw, 1991). Difficulties encountered on the path of enlightenment, which are believed to stem from individual differences or improper meditation practices, are widely recognized and sometimes considered inevitable milestones for progress (Lutkajtis, 2018;. The Dharmatrāta Meditation Scripture from the fifth century CE suggests that improper meditation practice can lead to a confused and unstable mind (Chan, 2013). ...
Depersonalization, Meditation, and the Experience of (No-)Self
Article
  • Jun 2024
  • J CONSCIOUSNESS STUD
This paper aims to contribute to an integrated understanding of what goes missing in adverse meditation experiences and in cases of depersonalization disorder. Depersonalization disorder is characterized by distressing alterations in, and sometimes the complete disappearance of, the 'I'-sense. This paper examines the nature of the 'I'-sense and what it means to lose it from a Buddhist perspective. We argue for a nihilist position that the loss of the sense of self arises from misidentifications of the psychophysical complex with non-self elements, such as memories, thoughts, or body movements. Drawing from meditation experiences and depersonalization symptoms, we propose that the sense of self is not a static entity given in experience but fluctuates between various senses of self (and no-self) depending on circumstances. This pluralistic understanding of the various senses of self offers a more nuanced understanding of symptoms in depersonalization disorder and adverse effects of meditation practices.
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... While contemplative traditions are often explicit about the possibility of negative effects from EP, numerous studies examining the effects of contemplative practices have been criticized for adopting methodologies prone to report positively biased results (Lutkajtis, 2018;Van Dam et al., 2018). However, in recent times, an increasing number of studies have attempted to actively assess adverse side effects from mindfulness-based interventions. ...
Altered States of Consciousness are Prevalent and Insufficiently Supported Clinically: A Population Survey
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2024
  • Mindfulness
Objectives Adoption of potentially consciousness-altering practices may be leading to a rise in emergent phenomena (EP): sudden unusual mental or somatic experiences often interpreted as spiritual, mystical, energetic, or magical in nature. It is unclear how frequently these altered states of consciousness occur and what the clinical implications may be. Anecdotal accounts and prior literature suggest that EP may be common, under-reported, and followed by either positive or negative changes to well-being. We sought to supplement prior evidence on the prevalence and effects of EP among general populations with large-scale quantitative measurements. Method We measured the prevalence of EP, while not on mind-altering substances, through completion of online surveys by representative samples from three international communities (n = 3135). The communities sampled were UK Qualtrics online panelists, US-based MTurk workers, and the readers of a popular rationalist blog. Samples were broadly representative of underlying populations. Results Forty-five percent of participants reported experiencing non-pharmacologically induced EP at least once in their lives, including derealization (17%), unitive experiences (15%), ecstatic thrills (15%), vivid perceptions (11%), changes in perceived size (10%), bodily heat or electricity (9%), out-of-body experiences (8%), and perception of non-physical lights (5%). Respondents reported a mix of positive and negative well-being outcomes following EP, with 13% claiming moderate or greater suffering and 1.1% claiming life-threatening suffering. Of those who experienced suffering, 63% did not seek help. Conclusions EP are widespread among the studied populations with potential for both positive and negative outcomes, the latter of which do not appear to be adequately addressed through recourse to clinical practice.
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Dialogo 2022.8.2
Book
Full-text available
  • Jun 2022
MOTIVATION: Whatever we approach the subject of ‘health’ – in every sense, physical, mental, spiritual, religious, or holistic - society has always been the perfect environment for them to grow, flourish and refine their tendencies. Today, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis and global upheaval while after the Covid-19 pandemic, the health problem discovers new values, confronts the previous ones, and challenges them to exceed their limits and status, but especially to find new boundaries for them to achieve new levels in what is known today as ‘human’. It seems, day by day, that paradigms of what was implied to be ‘safe’ and ‘secure’ regarding ‘health’, are not so [anymore] and people cannot agree with the current paradigms of ‘health’ or at least the directions they head. Thus, in search of more than one-sided understanding of ‘health’, we strive to enrich the comprehension of the term itself in every direction a definition was ever built upon philosophy and practices, and to offer in return a holistic approach for healing and providing aids to health intimately interconnected with the person it concerns, rather than apart from it. Due to the strong interconnections between health and sustainable development, coordination and partnerships across sectors are crucial to ensure harmonized and effective efforts.
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