The risks of meditation: a psychoanalytic perspective combining existing research
John Wepner, MA
Abstract
Meditation in the West is often described as “always beneficial,” whether used personally to relax or professionally in mindfulness-based treatment approaches. This poster explores the lesser-known psychological risks of meditation, using existing research about meditation’s adverse effects along with contemporary psychoanalytic concepts. The psychological dangers of meditation include how the body may become dysregulated in hyper and hypo arousal levels; and how meditation may unintentionally invoke a dissociative process to protect the meditator from experiencing aloneness and inner absence. Dissociation is explored primarily through meditation-related adverse effects and body-mind dissociation. The meditation style discussed is referred to as “open-monitoring” is most similar to “just sitting” in Zen Buddhism. It is when one sits still for long periods with eyes closed, without distraction or guidance, while noticing overall experiential awareness. The risks of this type of meditation can be closely associated with dissociation.
Keywords: meditation, aloneness, dissociation, absence
Meditation in the West is often described as “always beneficial,” whether used personally to relax or professionally in mindfulness-based treatment approaches. This poster explores the lesser-known psychological risks of meditation, using existing research about meditation’s adverse effects along with contemporary psychoanalytic concepts. The psychological dangers of meditation include how the body may become dysregulated in hyper and hypo arousal levels; and how meditation may unintentionally invoke a dissociative process to protect the meditator from experiencing aloneness and inner absence. Dissociation is explored primarily through meditation-related adverse effects and body-mind dissociation. The meditation style discussed is referred to as “open-monitoring” is most similar to “just sitting” in Zen Buddhism. It is when one sits still for long periods with eyes closed, without distraction or guidance, while noticing overall experiential awareness. The risks of this type of meditation can be closely associated with dissociation.
Keywords: meditation, aloneness, dissociation, absence
References
Bollas, C. (2019). Forces of Destiny, psychoanalysis and human idiom. New York: Routledge.
Britton, W. (2019). Can mindfulness be too much of a good thing? The value of a middle way. Current Opinion in Psychology, Volume 28, 2019, Pages 159-165, ISSN 2352-250X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.011.
Britton, W., Lindahl, J., Cahn, B., Davis, J., & Goldman, R. (2014). Awakening is not a metaphor: the effects of Buddhist meditation practices on basic wakefulness. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1307, 64–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12279.
Britton, W. B., Lindahl, J. R., Cooper, D. J., Canby, N. K., & Palitsky, R. (2021). Defining and Measuring Meditation-Related Adverse Effects in Mindfulness-Based Programs. Clinical Psychological Science, 9(6), 1185–1204. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702621996340
Cornell, W. (2019). Self-examination in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. New York: Routledge.
Cullen, B., Eichel, K., Lindahl, J., Rahrig, H., Kini, N., Flahive, J., & Britton, W. (2021). The contributions of focused attention and open monitoring in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for affective disturbances: A 3-armed randomized dismantling trial. PLOS ONE 16(1): e0244838. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244838
Ghent, E. (1990). Masochism, Submission, Surrender. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 26:1, 108-136, DOI: 10.1080/00107530.1990.10746643
Goldberg SB, Lam SU, Britton WB, Davidson RJ (2021). Prevalence of meditation-related adverse effects in a population-based sample in the United States. Psychother Res. 2022 Mar;32(3):291-305. doi: 10.1080/10503307.2021.1933646
Gurevich, H. (2008). The language of absence. Int J Psychoanal. 2008 Jun;89(3):561-78. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-8315.2008.00056.x. PMID: 18558956.
Kortava, D. (2021). Lost in Thought, the psychological risks of meditation. Harper’s Magazine. Retrieved from: https://harpers.org/archive/2021/04/lost-in-thought-psychological-risks-of-meditation/
Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the tiger: healing trauma. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books.
Lindahl, J., & Britton, W. (2019). ‘I Have This Feeling of Not Really Being Here’ Buddhist meditation and changes in sense of self. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 26, No. 7–8, 2019, pp. 157–183. Retrieved from https://www.brown.edu/research/labs/britton/publications
Lindahl, J., Cooper, J., Fisher, N., Kirmayer, L., Britton, W. (2020). Progress or pathology? Differential diagnosis and intervention criteria for meditation-related challenges: Perspectives from Buddhist Meditation Teachers and Practitioners. Front Psychol. 2020 Jul 29;11:1905. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01905
Lindahl, J., Fisher, N., Cooper, D., Rosen, R., & Britton, W. (2017). The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists. PLOS ONE 12(5): e0176239. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176239
Lohani, M., McElvaine, K., Payne, B., Mitcheom, K., & Britton, W. (2020). A longitudinal training study to delineate the specific causal effects of open monitoring versus focused attention techniques on emotional health. Complement Ther Med. 2020 Sep;53:102525. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102525
Lombardi, R. (2016). Formless Infinity: clinical explorations of Matte Blanco and Bion. New York: Routledge.
Lombardi, R. (2017). Body-mind dissociation in psychoanalysis: development after Bion. New York: Routledge.
McWilliams, N. (2011). Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, 2nd edition. New York: The Guildford Press.
Stern, D. B. (2019) The Infinity of the Unsaid. New York: Routledge.
Treleaven, D. (2018). Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: practices for safe and transformative healing. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc.
Winnicott, D. W. (1988). Human Nature. New York: Routledge.
Winnicott, D. W. (2005). Playing and Reality (2nd ed.). London: Routledge Classics
Bollas, C. (2019). Forces of Destiny, psychoanalysis and human idiom. New York: Routledge.
Britton, W. (2019). Can mindfulness be too much of a good thing? The value of a middle way. Current Opinion in Psychology, Volume 28, 2019, Pages 159-165, ISSN 2352-250X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.011.
Britton, W., Lindahl, J., Cahn, B., Davis, J., & Goldman, R. (2014). Awakening is not a metaphor: the effects of Buddhist meditation practices on basic wakefulness. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1307, 64–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12279.
Britton, W. B., Lindahl, J. R., Cooper, D. J., Canby, N. K., & Palitsky, R. (2021). Defining and Measuring Meditation-Related Adverse Effects in Mindfulness-Based Programs. Clinical Psychological Science, 9(6), 1185–1204. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702621996340
Cornell, W. (2019). Self-examination in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. New York: Routledge.
Cullen, B., Eichel, K., Lindahl, J., Rahrig, H., Kini, N., Flahive, J., & Britton, W. (2021). The contributions of focused attention and open monitoring in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for affective disturbances: A 3-armed randomized dismantling trial. PLOS ONE 16(1): e0244838. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244838
Ghent, E. (1990). Masochism, Submission, Surrender. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 26:1, 108-136, DOI: 10.1080/00107530.1990.10746643
Goldberg SB, Lam SU, Britton WB, Davidson RJ (2021). Prevalence of meditation-related adverse effects in a population-based sample in the United States. Psychother Res. 2022 Mar;32(3):291-305. doi: 10.1080/10503307.2021.1933646
Gurevich, H. (2008). The language of absence. Int J Psychoanal. 2008 Jun;89(3):561-78. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-8315.2008.00056.x. PMID: 18558956.
Kortava, D. (2021). Lost in Thought, the psychological risks of meditation. Harper’s Magazine. Retrieved from: https://harpers.org/archive/2021/04/lost-in-thought-psychological-risks-of-meditation/
Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the tiger: healing trauma. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books.
Lindahl, J., & Britton, W. (2019). ‘I Have This Feeling of Not Really Being Here’ Buddhist meditation and changes in sense of self. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 26, No. 7–8, 2019, pp. 157–183. Retrieved from https://www.brown.edu/research/labs/britton/publications
Lindahl, J., Cooper, J., Fisher, N., Kirmayer, L., Britton, W. (2020). Progress or pathology? Differential diagnosis and intervention criteria for meditation-related challenges: Perspectives from Buddhist Meditation Teachers and Practitioners. Front Psychol. 2020 Jul 29;11:1905. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01905
Lindahl, J., Fisher, N., Cooper, D., Rosen, R., & Britton, W. (2017). The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists. PLOS ONE 12(5): e0176239. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176239
Lohani, M., McElvaine, K., Payne, B., Mitcheom, K., & Britton, W. (2020). A longitudinal training study to delineate the specific causal effects of open monitoring versus focused attention techniques on emotional health. Complement Ther Med. 2020 Sep;53:102525. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102525
Lombardi, R. (2016). Formless Infinity: clinical explorations of Matte Blanco and Bion. New York: Routledge.
Lombardi, R. (2017). Body-mind dissociation in psychoanalysis: development after Bion. New York: Routledge.
McWilliams, N. (2011). Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, 2nd edition. New York: The Guildford Press.
Stern, D. B. (2019) The Infinity of the Unsaid. New York: Routledge.
Treleaven, D. (2018). Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: practices for safe and transformative healing. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc.
Winnicott, D. W. (1988). Human Nature. New York: Routledge.
Winnicott, D. W. (2005). Playing and Reality (2nd ed.). London: Routledge Classics