Meditation is a very useful technique if applied correctly and to the right extent, but it is not the case
Many people feel this meditation saved their lives. And it makes sense: the modern world bombards them with permanent stimuli that cause both brutal stress and a loss of connection with their own emotions. In this sense, meditation is a bridge to oneself. Towards harmony and peace from which to see things in a healthier way. Influenced by these people, many others also embrace meditation. But we are colliding with a reality that no one would have ever imagined: meditation can make your life worse.
Well, I cling to the thought that meditation will solve all my problems, I already said 🤚🏼 😂
– pera (@elisa_pera) February 11, 2021
And no, there aren’t a few isolated cases. According to a 2019 survey, which the BBC echoes this post, “25% of regular meditators have experienced adverse events“in sessions and after sessions. These include panic attacks and depression, as well as a restless feeling of dissociation. The reason is that the same mechanisms that provide benefits to the brain are a double-edged sword when activated too frequently or with high intensity. It all depends on the nature of each person. There are no universal recipes.
One of these mechanisms is emotional regulation. As stated by the BBC, such attention strategies conscious breathing or body scanning have effects in “the cortex of the island, a region that is involved in body perception and emotion.” This improves our ability to connect with our emotions, but overcoming the sweet spot of the connection can cause us to become overly conscious. In the words of Willoughby Britton, a teaching psychiatrist at Brown University, “it’s like someone has increased the volume and the intensity of all your emotions was stronger“.
How is it possible that #mental health -something so beneficial for so many people- do they have such disturbing effects for some? https://t.co/UlujGUKHk6
– BBC News World (@bbcmundo) February 9, 2021
This explains why about 14% of people who meditate regularly suffer from panic attacks. We are much more sensitive. But this enormous emotional susceptibility to our lives is as negative as the complete emotional apathy that another magical mechanism of meditation can cause: activating the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. “The right amount can result in better concentration and less emotional reactivity, but when pushed beyond optimal levels it can alleviate all emotions, both negative and positive“It is said by the BBC.
In fact, up to 8% of the participants in the aforementioned research claimed to have experienced some sort of dissociation. Again, in Britton’s words, “I’ve had an overwhelming number of people contact the lab and say, ‘I can’t feel anything, I don’t feel any love for my familyFinally, and beyond emotional regulation, meditation can also help increase attention. However, “when practiced too much it can cause anxiety, panic and insomnia.” harmful.