Meditation is widely promoted as a pathway to calm, clarity, and emotional well-being. But a growing body of research is revealing a more nuanced picture: nearly 60 percent of meditators report experiencing at least one adverse side effect from their practice. The findings, drawn from a large-scale survey of U.S. meditators, challenge the assumption that meditation is universally benign and raise important questions about how these practices are taught and supervised.
The research does not suggest that meditation is harmful — the benefits remain well-documented. But it does suggest that practitioners, teachers, and therapists need a more honest framework for understanding what meditation can do, including its less comfortable effects.
What the Research Found
The study, led by researchers at Brown University and published in late 2025, surveyed a large sample of American meditators about their experiences with adverse or unexpected effects. The results were revealing: roughly 60 percent reported at least one side effect, ranging from mild discomfort to more significant disruptions.
The most commonly reported side effects included increased anxiety, re-experiencing of traumatic memories, dissociation or feelings of unreality, sleep disturbances, and in some cases, functional impairment — difficulty performing daily tasks or maintaining relationships during periods of intensive practice. A smaller but notable percentage reported effects severe enough to require professional support.
Importantly, the researchers found that adverse effects were more common among people who practiced intensively — longer sessions, more frequent practice, or participation in silent retreats. This suggests a dose-response relationship: the more you meditate, the more likely you are to encounter challenging experiences.
Why This Happens
Meditation, at its core, involves turning attention inward. For many practitioners, this process is calming and restorative. But for others — particularly those with unresolved trauma, anxiety disorders, or a tendency toward dissociation — sustained inward attention can surface material that the mind has been actively avoiding. The stillness that meditation creates can feel threatening rather than peaceful when the inner landscape contains pain that has not been processed.
This aligns with what contemplative traditions have long acknowledged. Classical yoga texts describe stages of practice that include discomfort, emotional upheaval, and psychological turbulence before deeper states of equanimity emerge. The difference is that traditional frameworks provided context and guidance for these experiences, whereas modern secular meditation programs often present practice as uniformly pleasant.
Research on breathwork and altered states has similarly found that practices designed to shift consciousness can produce unexpected and sometimes destabilizing effects. The mechanism is comparable: when you change how the brain processes information — whether through breath, stillness, or focused attention — the results are not always predictable.
What This Means for Practitioners
If you have experienced anxiety, emotional flooding, or dissociation during meditation, this research confirms that you are not alone and that your experience is not a sign of failure. These responses are common and often reflect the practice working as intended — bringing unconscious material to the surface for processing.
However, the key distinction is between discomfort that leads to growth and distress that causes harm. If meditation is consistently increasing your anxiety rather than reducing it, or if you are experiencing persistent dissociation, it may be worth modifying your approach. Shorter sessions, guided rather than silent practice, or movement-based practices like yoga asana may offer a gentler entry point. Yoga Nidra, which maintains a state of relaxed awareness without the sustained concentration of seated meditation, is one alternative worth exploring.
What This Means for Teachers
For yoga and meditation teachers, this research underscores the importance of informed consent and trauma-sensitive instruction. Students should know that meditation can surface difficult emotions and that this is a normal part of the process — not a reason to push harder or a sign that something is wrong.
Teachers should also be equipped to recognize when a student is moving from productive challenge into genuine distress, and to offer modifications accordingly. This is particularly important in retreat settings, where intensive practice and reduced external stimulation can amplify both positive and adverse effects. The growing integration of yoga and meditation into mental health care makes this responsibility even more pressing.
Key Takeaways
Nearly 60 percent of meditators in a large U.S. survey reported at least one adverse side effect. Common side effects include increased anxiety, dissociation, sleep disruption, and re-experiencing of traumatic memories. Adverse effects are more common with intensive practice, such as long sessions and silent retreats. Meditation remains beneficial for most people, but honest communication about potential challenges is essential. Teachers should be trained to recognize distress and offer modifications, especially in retreat settings. If your current practice consistently worsens anxiety or triggers dissociation, gentler alternatives like Yoga Nidra or movement-based practices may be more appropriate.
