Mindfulness Teacher Trainees' Experiences (MTTE): An investigation of intense experiences in mindfulness-based interventions.
PloS one January 1, 2024 Erik Jönhagen, Tim Wood, Maria Niemi et al. 5 citations
Mindfulness practice can produce intense experiences that for some individuals resemble psychotic-like experiences, according to a qualitative study of 13 mindfulness teacher trainees. Over four months, participants submitted fortnightly meditation reports. Most practitioners frequently described intense experiences during meditation, and in some cases these experiences were similar to psychotic-like experiences. The findings suggest that adverse effects, including intense and potentially psychosis-like experiences, can occur as a natural part of mindfulness practice, raising concerns for both clinical and non-clinical settings.