Meditation-related psychological adverse effects, challenging, unpleasant, and negative experiences: Toward the safe dissemination and practice of advanced meditation
PsyArXiv March 8, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/2cgs3_v2
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAdvanced meditation practices can lead to psychological adverse effects, including challenging, unpleasant, and negative experiences. The authors argue for recognizing these potential harms to ensure safe dissemination and practice. They review existing evidence on such experiences, emphasizing the need for better understanding, screening, and support for practitioners. The paper calls for integrating awareness of adverse effects into meditation research, teaching, and clinical applications to mitigate risks and promote safety.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Advanced meditation can produce psychological adverse effects that require attention for safe practice and dissemination. |
Abstract
Meditation-related psychological adverse effects, challenging, unpleasant, and negative experiences: Toward the safe dissemination and practice of advanced meditation