The paper you've linked to (https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617709589) points out methodological flaws in meditation-related research, ambiguities in the meaning of "mindfulness" etc.; it doesn't set out to prove that meditation doesn't 'work' (in the sense that it causes no effects).
In fact the paper acknowledges instances of meditation-induced adverse effects; if meditation didn't do anything at all, why would anyone experience even adverse effects? Clearly meditation does have effects.
Re:Not everyone should meditate
by JacobThreeThree on Friday March 04, 2022 @12:56PM
(#30558037)
If the definitions of the key terms and concepts in meditation is ambiguous, the body of scientific evidence of meditation doing anything is not particularly convincing.
What evidence have you seen? Every research paper in the first page of this search is evidence that it works.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=mindfulness+meditation
It seems to be a staple for therapists and psychologists to improve emotional intelligence. It gives you clarity about what you're feeling, why you're feeling it, and what you're going to feel soon. From there it can be used for a whole host of other maladies: addictions, anxiety, depression, etc.
I think there's a lot we don't know about human psychology, the brain and self-help practices, but I haven't seen convincing evidence that meditation works.
This 2017 publication sums it up nicely: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1745691617709589