The Side Effects of Meditation

Meditation was originally a practice of many Eastern religions, but has grown in popularity in the Western parts of the world in more recent years. Adding meditation to your routine brings many positive physical, mental and spiritual benefits. Knowing possible side effects that can result from continual or prolonged meditative practice, however, also is beneficial.

Spiritual Purpose

Meditation has various spiritual purposes. Meditation brings about mindful awareness, which is the ability to perceive experiences in real-time as they happen. Many Eastern philosophies hold that the mind attaches itself to things that may have already happened in the past. Meditation helps to release emotions from past events and to focus the mind on the present. This type of meditative practice is common is Buddhism. Meditation can also help with relaxation, releasing stress, improving concentration, gaining insight or improving self-discipline. Meditation is common in Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism and Sikhism. There are also many types of meditation. Meditation can involve movement such as yoga, laying quietly with the eyes closed or speaking a series of mantras.

Health Effects

Meditation is sometimes used for healing purposes. It is becoming more common in medicine as a way to reduce pain and stress. Many studies have been measuring the effects of meditation on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Biofeedback machines or software programs measure the amount of control a person has over their breathing or heart rate as they are performing meditation. Many diseases can be linked to stress; therefore, reducing stress can increase overall health. In Hinduism, it is believed that there are seven main energy centers called the chakras in the body. Meditation is used to open and release blockages that are believed to be linked to disease. Each of the energy chakras in the body is also believed to relate to the health of various aspects of the body. The chakras are used in Ayurveda medicine for healing in India, as well.

Compassion

The University of Wisconsin did a study relating to the use of meditation to cultivate compassion. In the study, both novices and experts were to meditate into the loving-kindness-compassion state. Sounds of distress were presented to the subjects to test their brain responses. Greater brain response was found in those who reported more intense meditation and in those with a higher degree of training in meditation. The study showed that compassion, kindness and awareness of other people's mental states could be cultivated through meditation.

Adverse Effects

Long periods of meditation or meditation that has been done improperly may lead to negative psychological or physical effects. Psychosis, dissociation and uncomfortable sensations are all possible side effects of meditation. Meditation often helps to release emotions. If powerful emotions are released, it could cause psychological effects. Some individuals also may experience depression, panic, anxiety or confusion. A study at Stanford Research Institute in the 70s found that adverse effects such as antisocial behavior, confusion, depression, anxiety, frustration, emotional stability, tension, restlessness and procrastination correlated with the amount of time spent in transcendental meditation. Warnings persist through religious and literary texts that meditation is not an easy path, but rather one with many challenges.

Solutions

The author of "The Book of Meditation," Patricia Carrington, Ph.D., has suggested techniques for dealing with the possible side effects related to meditation. If a physical pain occurs during meditation, she suggests focusing the mind on the pain as if it is a mantra, without fighting or trying to get rid of the pain. This technique may help the pain dissolve, without exerting any force of will. She also suggests letting emotional side effects such as crying play out until they have subsided or breathing deeply during anxiety. Breathing is commonly used in meditation. Techniques for breathing during meditation, such as the Taoist breathing exercises or breathing exercise performed during yoga, are available.

References

• Bipolar News
• Study at University of Wisconsin
• Managing Tension Release During Meditation

Resources

• Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation