The Adverse Effects of Meditation-Interventions and Mind–Body Practices: a Systematic Review

Taylor, Greenberry B.; Vasquez, Taylor S.; Kastrinos, Amanda; Fisher, Carla L.; Puig, Ana; Bylund, Carma L.

doi:10.1007/s12671-022-01915-6

Cited by 40Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsReligion, Spirituality, and PsychologyComplementary and Alternative Medicine Studies

The Adverse Effects of Meditation-Interventions and Mind–Body Practices: a Systematic Review

Taylor, Greenberry B., Vasquez, Taylor S., Kastrinos, Amanda, Fisher, Carla L., Puig, Ana, Bylund, Carma L.·2022·Mindfulness

DOI 10.1007/s12671-022-01915-6

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MRAEs with varying degrees of duration and impairment have been documented in the context of MBPs and in non-clinical settings.
“Though widely underreported and insufficiently monitored in meditation research [17, 18], MRAEs with varying degrees of duration and impairment have been documented in the context of MBPs [18–22] and in non-clinical settings [23–26].”
From Childhood trauma and subclinical PTSD symptoms predict adverse effects and worse outcomes across two mindfulness-based programs for active depression (2025) · cites this paper as [22]

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“(2018) highlighted in their systematic review that fewer than one in five RCTs mentioned monitoring AEs and only a limited number of trials provided a description of, or methods for, collecting AEs.”
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“This review complements and builds on Farias et al.’s (2020) systematic review, which focused exclusively on meditation adverse events, or MIs, giving us a broader understanding of AEs related to a MBPs.”
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Background
Altered States of Consciousness are Prevalent and Insufficiently Supported Clinically: A Population Survey
Wright, M., Galante, J., Corneille, J. S., Grabovac, A. D., Ingram, D. M., & Sacchet, M. D. (2024) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-024-02356-z · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“…have revealed the total prevalence of adverse events in studies of meditation practice to be 8.3% (Farias et al., 2020) and found that nearly all studies of meditation interventions or mind-body practices report some form of mental distress and less commonly somatic distress (Taylor et al., 2022).”
Influential
Mindfulness in education: Critical debates and pragmatic considerations
Lee, W. W. K., McCaw, C. T., & Dam, N. T. V. (2024) · British Educational Research Journal · doi:10.1002/berj.3998 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Childhood trauma and subclinical PTSD symptoms predict adverse effects and worse outcomes across two mindfulness-based programs for active depression
Canby, N. K., Cosby, E. A., Palitsky, R., Kaplan, D. M., Lee, J., Mahdavi, G., Lopez, A. A., Goldman, R. E., Eichel, K., Lindahl, J. R., et al. (2025) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0318499 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Practicing Mindfulness through mHealth Applications: Emerging Adults’ Health-Enhancing and Inhibiting Experiences
Taylor, G., Bylund, C. L., Kastrinos, A. L., Alpert, J. M., Puig, A., Krajewski, J., Sharma, B., & Fisher, C. L. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19052619 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-citation
Fears and Resistances to Mindfulness: Development of a Self-Report Scale
Gilbert, P., Basran, J. K., Plowright, P., Matos, M., Kirby, J. N., & Petrocchi, N. (2023) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-023-02171-y · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“…are also increasing concerns with the potential problems noted above with mindfulness and its potential to have distressing effects (Shapiro, 1992; Farias & Wikholm, 2015; Lindahl et al., 2017; Cebolla et al., 2017; Aizik-Reebs et al., 2021; Baer et al., 2019; for a review see Taylor et al., 2022).”
Background
Mindfulness may be associated with less prosocial engagement among high intelligence individuals
Guo, Q., Li, S., Liang, J., Yu, X., & Lv, Y. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-31039-3 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Beyond serenity: Adverse effects of meditation and mindfulness in clinical practice
Matko, K., & Dam, N. T. V. (2025) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102197 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Risk Factors for Emergence of Sudden Unusual Mental or Somatic Experiences and Subsequent Suffering
Wright, M., Cha, V. L., Streifert, M. R., Ingram, D. M., & Sacchet, M. D. (2025) · Clinical Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/21677026251330250 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“One review found the incidence of adverse events to be 8.3% in meditation studies (Farias et al., 2020), and another found that some mental distress is reported in almost all studies of meditation or mindfulness interventions (Taylor et al., 2022).”
Influential
Design Preferences, Routines, and Well-Being of Older Adults Using Voice-Guided Digital Mindfulness: Qualitative Interview Study
McCarren, L., & Kuoppamäki, S. (2025) · JMIR Human Factors · doi:10.2196/67533 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“Among mindfulness app users, reported effects included reduced self-efficacy, lower mood, increased frustration, and inability to control thoughts caused by the lack of supervision associated with self-guided digital mindfulness [33].”
Enablers and Barriers of Online Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Informal Carers: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review
Mudiyanselage, C. A. K. R. A., Ewens, B. A., Smyth, A. M., Dickson, J. M., & Ang, S. G. M. (2024) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-024-02365-y · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“Similarly, the broader literature has also identified negative effects of the training as a barrier for MBI support (Britton et al., 2021; Taylor et al., 2022).”
Effectiveness of mindfulness and qigong training for self-healing in patients with Hwabyung and depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial
Yoon, S.-I., Park, H.-Y., Park, C., Pyun, J., Yoo, J.-H., Song, G.-J., Lee, H. W., Chung, S.-Y., & Kim, J. W. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1508937 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Differential relationship between meditation methods and psychotic-like and mystical experiences
Palmer, T. N., Kadri, K., Fakra, É., Scholl, J., & Fouragnan, E. F. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0309357 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“However, criticisms have been raised that potential negative side-effects have been overlooked [4–6].”
Transcendental Meditation for Women Affected by Domestic Violence: A Pilot Randomised, Controlled Trial
Leach, M., & Lorenzon, H. (2023) · Journal of Family Violence · doi:10.1007/s10896-023-00561-3 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“…of psychosomatic adverse effects are not uncommon with psychological and meditative therapies (Muschalla et al., 2020; Schermuly-Haupt et al., 2018; Taylor et al., 2022), reporting of adverse events to psychological therapies (including TM) is largely inadequate (Condon et al., 2021; Hayes &…”
Leveraging meditation research for the study of psychedelic-related adverse effects
Palitsky, R., Canby, N. K., Dam, N. T. V., Levin-Aspenson, H. F., Kaplan, D. M., Maples‐Keller, J. L., Raison, C. L., Grant, G. H., Dunlop, B. W., & Britton, W. B. (2024) · International Review of Psychiatry · doi:10.1080/09540261.2024.2420745 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“…in epidemiological research (Goldberg et al., 2021), analyses of participant AEs in studies of meditation programs (AizikReebs et al., 2021; Baer et al., 2021; Britton et al., 2021; Hirshberg et al., 2022), and literature reviews (Lambert et al., 2023; Sharma et al., 2022; Taylor et al., 2022).”
Is it Ethically Wrong to Integrate Mindfulness into Public Health?
Farias, M. (2024) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-024-02362-1 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“…episodes, have consistently been shown to happen relatively frequently (ranging from 8 to 22 %), to sometimes have long-term consequences, and to occur to individuals who have no past mental health history (Farias et al., 2020; Lindahl et al., 2017; Pauly et al., 2022; Taylor et al., 2022).”
“I was trying to save the world”: delusion-like ideation and associated impacts reported by Western practitioners of Buddhist meditation
Solomonova, E., Lindahl, J. R., Gold, I., Cooper, D. J., Little, C., Arteca, D., Cao, C., & Britton, W. B. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1644684 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Are secular mindfulness informed approaches to workplace wellbeing ethical? A second-generation mindfulness perspective on coaching psychology practice
Baguley, S. (2025) · International Coaching Psychology Review · doi:10.53841/bpsicpr.2025.20.1.78 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Embracing Mindfulness During Interpersonal Conflict
Lee, L. W. Y., Snell, R. S., Lei, H. W. L., & Wu, C. X. (2026) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-026-02810-0 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Analytical meditation improves physiological well-being in expert practitioners: a study on central and peripheral neurophysiological correlatesPreprint
Callara, A. L., Azarabad, M. H., Sebastiani, L., Sherab, N., Khechok, J., Tsering, J., Thakchoe, J., Soepa, J., Vanello, N., Scilingo, E. P., et al. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.64898/2025.12.08.692357 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“…and cognitive perspective, regular meditation practice is linked to tangible improvements in managing stress 3 and anxiety 4 , fostering emotional regulation 5 , and sharpening cognitive capacities such as attention 6 and self-awareness 7 , although adverse effects are also reported 8 .”
Facilitating Meditation Practice in the Higher Education Classroom: A Conceptual Framework
Haberlin, S. (2023) · College Teaching · doi:10.1080/87567555.2023.2296081
“While college-based meditation studies report few, if any, adverse effects among students, individuals experiencing negative experiences have been documented (e.g., Taylor et al., 2022).”
Learning to Attenuate Myself: A Predictive Processing Account of the Body-Scan MeditationPreprint
Becattini, V. (2024) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/6mu85
Adverse Effects of Meditation: Autonomic Nervous System Activation and Individual Nauseous Responses During Samadhi Meditation in the Czech Republic
Kotherová, S., Cigán, J., Štěpánková, L., Vyskočilová, M., Littnerová, S., Ejova, A., & Sepši, M. (2024) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-024-02024-5
A mixed method feasibility and acceptability study of a flexible intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy for patients with cancer
Bourgognon, F., Béchet, D., Huin‐Schohn, C., Strelow, A., Demarche, L., Guillou, M., Adam, V. S., Fall, E., & Omorou, A. Y. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1409308
Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement With an American College Rugby Team: A Consensual Qualitative Research Study
Minkler, T. O., Hut, M., Glass, C. R., Thomas, H. M., Weppner, C. H., & Flannery, C. B. (2025) · The Sport Psychologist · doi:10.1123/tsp.2023-0149
Introductory experiences and expectations of mobile-based meditation: An interpretative phenomenological analysis
Shebl, S. (2025) · Psychotherapy Section Review · doi:10.53841/bpspsr.2025.1.71.30
Neurodiversity
Waite-Jones, J. M., & Rodriguez, A. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-88177-0_8 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Co-design of an Online Mindfulness Program for Informal Carers of People Living With Dementia: A Qualitative Study of Co-designers’ Experience
Mudiyanselage, C. A. K. R. A., Ang, S. G. M., Smyth, A. M., Dickson, J. M., & Ewens, B. A. (2025) · Dementia · doi:10.1177/14713012251364092
“However, adherence and retention in MBI programs have been shown to be poor due to the intensity of the program and need to participate in training.”
Influential
Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Patients with Anxiety in Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Reangsing, C., Punsuwun, S., & Wongsuraprakit, S. (2025) · Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1089/jicm.2024.0943
“70,71 74 Interestingly, no primary researchers reported the adverse effects during mindfulness practice.”
Biopolitics of Techno-Mindfulness: Anthropological Reflections on the Issue of Modern App-Based Training of Focused Attention
Divino, F. (2025) · Humans · doi:10.3390/humans5040027
“…given rise to the literature on MRAEs (Mindfulness-Related Adverse Events) (Aizik-Reebs et al., 2021), which acknowledges the possibility of negative or undesirable effects of mind-fulness (Farias et al., 2020; Lambert et al., 2023; Taylor et al., 2022; Goldberg et al., 2022; Britton et al., 2021).”
From Stress Reduction to Contemplative Cultivation: a Mixed-Methods Study of Meditation Motives, Challenges and Risks in Hong Kong
Gearin, A. K., Suen, C. W. M., & Ng, F. K. Y. (2025) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-025-02690-w
“…global evidence of meditation involving psychological risks and potential harms (Cebolla et al., 2017; Farias et al., 2020; Schlosser et al., 2019; Taylor et al., 2022), in our sample 63% of people perceived meditation as risk-free, while one in five reported having felt worse after meditating at…”
Recommendations for adapting an online mindfulness program for people living with spinal cord injury: results from a pilot online survey with an integrated knowledge translation approach
Senthilnathan, V., Simpson, R., Jaglal, S. B., Craven, B. C., Fetterly, M.-J., Allin, S. J., Webster, F., Hearn, J. H., Luong, D., & Munce, S. E. (2026) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09638288.2025.2612456
“Some individuals may experience pain when practicing mindfulness as the increased awareness may emphasize pain [76,77], which was also described in some of the qualitative responses from survey respondents.”
A mechanism-based digital intervention for alexithymia: Design, development, and validation of a multi-modal approach
Wang, W., Xu, Y.-M., & Pan, D. (2026) · Digital Health · doi:10.1177/20552076261438682 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Prévenir la Dépression par la Méditation Déconstructive Bouddhiste : le rôle du Soi Décentré dans l'abaissement des Schémas Dépressogènes et de la Menace Identitaire
Stinus, C. (2024) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/3dc311bdzd9d5z4f77zb502z150c3762d5b8
How did we get here? Evolutionary, psychological, and cultural challenges in cultivating contemplative practices
Khoury, B. (2026) · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · doi:10.1057/s41599-026-07426-2
More Than Just Tea and Sympathy: A Classical Mindfulness-Informed Philosophy for Higher Education Coaching Practice
Baguley, S. (2026) · Philosophy of Coaching An International Journal · doi:10.22316/poc/11.1.10
Mindfulness and Informed Consent: Navigating Ethical Complexity Across Contexts
Berryman, K., Barclay, L., Hassed, C. S., & Hohwy, J. (2026) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-026-02939-y
Протокол самопомощи. Учебно-практическое пособие
Литаш-Сорокина, Е. А. (2026) · doi:10.61726/2661.2026.61.71.001
Adverse Experiences in Brief Meditation Practices: Randomized Controlled Trial
Simonsson, O., Jiwani, Z., Ruiz, M., Narayanan, J., Osika, W., Hirshberg, M. J., & Goldberg, S. B. (2026) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/95628

Adverse events in meditation practices and meditation‐based therapies: a systematic review
Farias, M., Maraldi, E., Wallenkampf, K. C., & Lucchetti, G. (2020) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/acps.13225 · Cited by 262 · see citing works
Defining and Measuring Meditation-Related Adverse Effects in Mindfulness-Based Programs
Britton, W. B., Lindahl, J. R., Cooper, D. J., Canby, N. K., & Palitsky, R. (2021) · Clinical Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/2167702621996340 · Cited by 278 · see citing works
A Scoping Review of Meditation-Related Adverse Effects in Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Conceptualisations, Prevalence, and MechanismsPreprint
Raj, H. P. (2026) · doi:10.17605/osf.io/7yp49
Beyond serenity: Adverse effects of meditation and mindfulness in clinical practice
Matko, K., & Dam, N. T. V. (2025) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102197 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Adverse Experiences in Brief Meditation Practices: Randomized Controlled Trial
Simonsson, O., Jiwani, Z., Ruiz, M., Narayanan, J., Osika, W., Hirshberg, M. J., & Goldberg, S. B. (2026) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/95628

Authors: Taylor, G. B., Vasquez, T. S., Kastrinos, A., Fisher, C. L., Puig, A., & Bylund, C. L.
Affiliations: Flagler College (US)
University of Florida (US)
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US)
Corresponding author: Taylor, Greenberry B.
ORCID: Taylor, Greenberry B.
Vasquez, Taylor S.
Kastrinos, Amanda
Fisher, Carla L.
Puig, Ana
Bylund, Carma L.
Venue: Mindfulness
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2022-06-06
Volume: 13
Issue: 8
Pages: 1839-1856
ISSN: 1868-8527 (ISSN-L)
1868-8535
DOI: 10.1007/s12671-022-01915-6
OpenAlex: W4281615629
Semantic Scholar: a16da6ef5c47e0c84bed2565098a6dd26625b4e1
Cited by: 40
References: 91
Citations by year: 2026: 8 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 1
FWCI: 1.33
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
www.springer.com/tdm (vor)
Locations: Mindfulness (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies
Keywords: meditation intervention, mind-body practices, adverse effects, psychological distress, anxiety, somatic distress, sleep disorders, face-to-face intervention, meditation apps

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