You download a mindfulness app. The goal is simple: less stress, more focus. You breathe in, you breathe out.
But instead of calm, you feel a sharp spike of anxiety. Or perhaps a disturbing, long-forgotten memory resurfaces.
It feels wrong. Meditation is supposed to be universally safe, right?
A new comprehensive review of existing research suggests this assumption is flawed. By synthesizing data from dozens of studies, researchers are painting a more complete picture .
They find that the potential harms of meditation have been “largely overlooked”.
Key Points
- Adverse effects (AEs) from meditation are surprisingly common; studies show 25% to over 80% of users report some negative experiences.
- Common AEs include anxiety, depression, dissociation (feeling disconnected), and the re-experiencing of past trauma.
- While most AEs are temporary discomfort, a significant minority (3-37%) report functional impairment, like difficulty working.
- A smaller group (3-14%) reports lasting harm from the practice.
- Experts are calling for better screening, instructor training, and informed consent to ensure users know the risks, not just the benefits.
How Common is a “Bad” Experience?
The numbers are much higher than most people assume.
The review found that many studies don’t even monitor for adverse effects (AEs). Or they only report severe outcomes like hospitalization, which skews the data.
When researchers do ask, the figures jump.
Studies report that 25% to 87% of meditators experience some kind of adverse effect.
These aren’t just minor distractions. Common AEs include anxiety, depression, dissociation, and even psychotic symptoms.
Discomfort vs. Genuine Harm
But isn’t meditation supposed to be challenging?
Yes. Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) deliberately ask you to work with difficult thoughts and emotions.
This discomfort can be part of the therapeutic process. It’s like exposure therapy for a phobia—it feels bad in the short term to achieve long-term benefits.
Spiritual traditions also frame challenging experiences as part of the growth process.
But the authors note there is a blurry line between “progress or pathology”.
The review highlights a crucial difference: temporary discomfort versus lasting harm.
One study found 87% of people felt momentary anxiety during meditation. But 25% had sustained AEs that bled into their daily lives after the practice.
The real concern is “functional impairment”.
This means AEs that negatively impact your work, your relationships, or your decision-making.
Across studies, 3-37% of participants report this level of impairment.
A smaller, but still significant, group of 3-14% report lasting bad effects.
The takeaway is stark: AEs are common, and while lasting harm is rare, it is “not zero”.
Why Does This Happen?
The review identifies several potential risk factors.
Intensive meditation retreats are a common predictor. These involve long, frequent sessions, reduced sleep, and social isolation.
Pre-existing mental health conditions are another risk.
Many people turn to meditation specifically to help their mental health. This means they are often starting from a highly distressed state.
However, the authors caution that causality is unclear. Some studies found no link between a prior mental health diagnosis and the risk of AEs.
The context of meditation has also fundamentally changed.
Historically, it was a spiritual practice for healthy people. It came with built-in safeguards: a personal teacher, ethical commitments, and a supportive community.
Today, it’s often a self-help tool, used in isolation via an app. That app doesn’t know if you’re experiencing dissociation or a panic attack.
The Path Forward: A “Safety First” Approach
The researchers are not saying “stop meditating.”
They are calling for a more responsible and evidence-based implementation.
The single most important recommendation is informed consent.
Providers have an ethical imperative to inform participants about the risks, not just the benefits. Patients need this information to make a real choice.
This includes discussing the required “dose.”
Recent estimates suggest meaningful benefits may require 35-80 minutes of practice daily.
A 10-minute app session may offer little benefit while still carrying risks.
Clinicians must get better at screening patients beforehand. They need to actively monitor for AEs during treatment.
And instructors must be competent to manage challenges when they arise. Resources like the “Meditation Safety Toolbox” are available to help providers do this.
Why it matters
Mindfulness has been marketed as a universal cure-all. It’s pushed by corporations, schools, and health clinics.
But this research confirms it is not a harmless vitamin. It is a powerful psychological intervention, and like any intervention, it can have powerful side effects.
This work forces us to treat it with the respect it deserves.
For the average person, it means being a savvy consumer. If a practice or an app consistently makes you feel worse, listen to that feeling. It might not just be “part of the process.”
For clinicians, it’s a clear call to action. Their first duty is to “do no harm”. That starts by admitting that “serenity” isn’t the only possible outcome.
Reference
Matko, K., & Van Dam, N. T. (2025). Beyond Serenity: Adverse Effects of Meditation and Mindfulness in Clinical Practice. Current Opinion in Psychology, 102197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102197
