Can meditation be bad for you?

For many years, meditation was presented as a universal solution for a wide range of psychological and physical issues, from managing work-related stress to healing from trauma and alleviating chronic pain. Medical professionals, wellness influencers and even major corporations have presented meditation as an essential component of mental well-being. However, more people are sharing personal experiences of having negative reactions to meditation. A doctor who used meditation to manage his stress initially experienced a sense of calmness, but over time, he became withdrawn, emotionally numb, and began experiencing depression, hallucinations and panic attacks. Other users experience loss of touch with reality and difficulties in performing regular tasks.
Mindfulness is a type of Buddhist-based meditation in which you focus on being aware of what you’re sensing, thinking and feeling in the present moment. It has been featured in several Hollywood movies, such as “Eat, Play, and Love”, in which the protagonist, Julia Roberts, plays the role of a middle-aged woman who lost her purpose in life after her divorce and found her soul by travelling to Italy, India and Indonesia. While in India, she joins a religious society and practices yoga and meditation every single day. The American psychologist and author Daniel Goleman dedicated a huge part of his personal and professional life to studying the lifestyle of Buddhist monks who are masters of meditation and mindfulness. His books and lectures played a significant part in promoting it to western societies.
Recent evidence suggests that those who advocate for the use of meditation often fail to acknowledge its potential downsides. The meditation market size was valued at $5,295.07 million in 2023 and is expected to reach $20,532.44 million by 2031. This financial growth led some critics to label it “capitalist spirituality”, which is a modified version of a deeply rooted spiritual tradition, stripped of context and marketed irresponsibly
There are several smartphone applications that offer quick, accessible meditation routines. Headspace alone has over three million users and is valued at more than £25 million. These apps promise calm, clarity and improved mental health, yet few provide clear warnings about potential negative effects such as increased anxiety or emotional detachment. This raises a serious ethical issue: should developers of meditation platforms bear responsibility for informing users about potential psychological risks? In my opinion, the short answer is yes. Just like medications come with a leaflet explaining the potential side effects and how to manage them, the same should be provided by meditation apps so users are well informed about what to expect.
While meditation can be profoundly helpful for many, it is not a one-size-fits-all remedy. As with any psychological intervention, individual responses vary, and users deserve transparency about possible side effects. Greater awareness, more research and ethical accountability are essential as meditation continues to expand in popularity. It's time we view mindfulness not only as a path to healing but also with the caution it rightly deserves.