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Re:Not everyone should meditate by iaw on Wednesday March 02, 2022 @08:08PM (#30535798)
Meditation can cause severe psychotic episodes in some people [1]. The author may not present the best evidence but meditation is dangerous for some percentage of the population's mental health.

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17848828/#:~:text=Conclusion....

Re:Not everyone should meditate by skmurphy on Wednesday March 02, 2022 @09:50PM (#30536529)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17848828/ documents a single case.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31668156/ is a survey of 19 studies that identified 28 cases. Conclusion: "Of the 28 cases reported, 14 patients had certain precipitating factors like insomnia, lack of food intake, history of mental illness, stress, and psychoactive substance use."

Given the millions who meditate I think risk is less than a range of ordinary daily activities we engage in that can entail a life changing injury: crossing the street, diving into a pool to swim, and eating peanut butter (aflatoxin risk) to name three. The suggestion to consult a mental health professional, in the absence of any prior psychological issues that were significant, seems to me to be a waste of time and money.

Re:Not everyone should meditate by galangalalgol on Wednesday March 02, 2022 @08:31PM (#30535967)
Is there any way to know in advance if you are at risk? It seems to be beneficial for many as well right?
Re:Not everyone should meditate by skmurphy on Thursday March 03, 2022 @02:53AM (#30538302)
Based on the documented cases of psychotic break and the number of people who meditate, the odds are approximately a million to one in your favor of getting some benefit out of mediation vs. a psychotic break.
Re:Not everyone should meditate by iaw on Friday March 11, 2022 @08:13PM (#30648043)
From what I've read, psychotic episodes were preceded by exceedingly long meditation sessions. Essentially, don't meditate for more than an hour a day and you should be okay, the psychotic breaks have a higher tendency to happen at meditation 'retreats' where they do like 8 hours a day of meditation.