2022
2021
by David Kortava April 2021
Lost in thought: The psychological risks of meditation
David Kortava investigates the story of a young woman who became psychotic after a Vipassana retreat
February 4th 2021 by David Robson BBC News
How too much mindfulness can spike anxiety
Stress, anxiety, productivity: mindfulness is often touted as a solution to nearly everything. But research shows that you can actually take meditation too far.
2019
10 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement
Stephanie Domet
January 15, 2018
There's a balancing of gender power happening across the professional worldโincluding the mindfulness world. Ten leaders in the field share how they claim their power and bring the diversity of their experiences in the mindfulness movement to bear in the work.
If Meditation Is Not Your Thing, Try a Walk in the Woods๏ปฟ
Karin Klein
July 12 2018
Hiking is a near-perfect combination of elements known to relax us, raise our alertness, elevate our self-esteem, and physically prepare us for true rest afterward.
2018
The Other Side Of Paradise: How I Left A Buddhist Retreat In Handcuffs
Michael Holden
December 26, 2018
Michael Holden went to a Buddhist retreat to find himself. Now he's off his meditation
The Dark Side of Mindfulness
Eve Simmons
December 8, 2018
It's supposed to be calming. But there's growing evidence the fashionable therapy can be harmful
Meditation Is a Powerful Mental Toolโand For Some People It Goes Terribly Wrong
Shayla Love
November 18, 2018
"I just felt shattered. I had a job, a wife, and two beautiful children, and yet I felt that I would never experience joy again.โ
Is Silent Retreat Good For Everyone?
Josh Korda
October 31, 2018
Extended contemplative practice can activate buried trauma.
Overcoming Obstacles to Mindfulness Practice
Ratnadevi
October 31, 2018
Ratnadevi is a mindfulness teacher, trainer and retreat leader based in Scotland. She is a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order and wrote an arts-based PhD thesis looking at the place of ritual for Buddhists practising in the modern world.
Lost in Oblivion โ An Exploration of Adverse Meditation Experiences
Jonny Say, The Mindfulness Circle
September 23, 2018
A in-depth investigation and blog
"Nothing Bad Can Happen": What Happens When Meditation Goes Wrong
Jo Lauder
July 12, 2018
Yoga Journal: The Dark Side of Meditation
Jessica Downey
April 16, 2018
The Trauma Dharma
The First Do No Harm training program by Drs. Britton and Lindahl aims to make meditation safer, in part by recognizing its pitfalls.
Bad Science?
Many of the studies touting meditation and mindfulness benefits are not methodologically sound.
By Matthew Abrahams
APR 10, 2018
2017
'She didn't know what was real'
Did a 10-day meditation retreat trigger woman's suicide?
New Data on the Adverse Effects of Meditation and Mindfulness
Study reports on the less-examined findings of difficult and painful meditation-related experiences
2015
Can mindfulness meditation have negative side effects?
CBC radio interview with Miguel Farias
June 12, 2015
A scientist claims the negative side effects of meditation are under reported.
MEDITATION IS TOUTED AS A CURE FOR MENTAL INSTABILITY BUT CAN IT ACTUALLY BE BAD FOR YOU?
Miguel Farias
May 21, 2015
If it's so powerful, might meditation also do harm to sensitive souls? Researching a mass murder, Dr Miguel Farias discovered that, far from bringing inner peace, it can leave devotees in pieces
2014
Meditation Nation
APR 25, 2014
How convincing is the science driving the popularity of mindfulness meditation? A Brown University researcher has some surprising answers.
The Messy Truth About Mindfulness
BY STEPHANY TLALKA
JULY 15, 2014
"Confusion about mindfulness is warranted." Researcher and mindfulness practitioner Willoughby Britton discusses some of the excitement and pitfalls of mindfulness' rise to popularity.
The Dark Knight of the Soul
TOMAS ROCHA
JUN 25, 2014
For some, meditation has become more curse than cure. Willoughby Britton wants to know why.
Mindfulness therapy comes at a high price for some, say experts
Robert Booth
August 2014
Much-hyped therapy can reduce relapses into depression โ but it can have troubling side effects