Spirituality and Health

Risks and Negative Effects of Meditation

Meditation is primarily known for its positive effects on health. It is only in recent years that potential risks and negative effects have increasingly become the focus of research. The working group has carried out a research project on this topic that deals with the following questions:

  • What difficult, challenging or unpleasant experiences can be triggered by the regular practice of meditation?
  • How are these experiences interpreted by those affected?
  • What measures are helpful in dealing with such experiences?
  • What factors contribute to the occurrence of such experiences?

As part of the project, over 100 people (meditators, teachers, therapists) were interviewed about their experiences. A questionnaire was developed on the basis of the interview data, which is now used in the counseling at IGPP to record the phenomena and the stress associated with them.

The results of the project were reported on in numerous presentations and interviews.

Meditation: spiritual experiences and risks
Funding period: 2016-2019

Dipl.-Psych. Michael Tremmel was also supported by preparatory and follow-up scholarships from IGPP.

Cooperations

Project Team

Publications

Lindahl, J. R., Fisher, N. E., Cooper, D. J., Rosen, R. K., & Britton, W. B. (2017). The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists. PLOS ONE12(5), e0176239. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176239

Tremmel, M., & Ott, U. (2017). Negative Wirkungen von Meditation. In L. Hofmann & P. Heise (Hrsg.), Spiritualität und spirituelle Krisen. Handbuch zu Theorie, Forschung und Praxis (S. 233–243). Schattauer.

Ott, U., Tremmel, M., & von Hohnhorst, F. (2024). Risiken von Meditationspraxis: Eine Übersicht über aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse. Zeitschrift Bewusstseinswissenschaften. Transpersonale Psychologie und Psychotherapie30(2), 24–32.