When Meditation Goes Wrong

Meditation can go wrong for several reasons, including confusion about the process. You might find yourself distracted by a distraction or experiencing a psychotic break. If one of these things happens, you should seek help immediately. There are several ways to fix these issues. The most important thing to remember is to never give up on the process.

Distractions

Distractions occur when we are not in the present moment. We get caught up in the thoughts that keep running through our minds. It’s natural to have distractions, but if you’re practicing meditation, you can learn how to handle them. The first step is to accept that they are there. You can then change your response to them.

The second step is to notice them. When you observe distractions, try to get back to your primary focus – your breathing. This process can be challenging and requires a certain amount of patience. If you can stick with it, distractions will fade away. But remember that they will occur, even when you’re trying to focus on your breath.

Distractions are natural, especially if you have been practicing mindfulness meditation for a long time. Even the slightest distraction can take you out of the meditation zone. Often, we don’t even realize we’ve been distracted. It’s just that our mind is in the habit of doing something else.

A common distraction that can interfere with meditation is the most recent thought. The mind tends to focus on the most recent thought when we’re sitting, so a movie we’ve recently seen can pop up in our minds, or a check on our bank account shows an unexpectedly high balance. As a result, the mind becomes preoccupied with the latest thoughts and wants to fix them.

When meditating, it’s important to recognize these distractions as valuable windows into how the mind works. Using them as windows into how our brain works, distractions can help us learn more about ourselves and how to handle them for the rest of our lives.

Manic episodes

Several factors could trigger a mania episode. For example, if you practice meditation for a prolonged period, your mood might be impacted by stress. Alternatively, you may suffer from hypomania, a milder form of mania. This type of mania does not involve losing touch with reality but can lead to bad decisions. If it persists, it could develop into a full-blown mania, which could result in a depressive episode.

Regardless of the cause, the process of meditation can help with bipolar disorder. Among the benefits is that it can be a helpful tool in predicting mood swings and identifying false thoughts. However, it is not advisable to begin meditation if you are suffering from a manic episode. If your moods are unstable, it is best to get professional help.

During a manic episode, people experience over-excited feelings. They are prone to reckless behavior and may engage in sexual activities that are not safe. They may also lose their sense of self and become aggressive. Sometimes, people even start hearing voices. Manic episodes are not pleasant and may make you feel very irritable.

While meditation can have benefits, it may also lead to undesirable side effects. For example, meditation may lead to hallucinations and sensory dysfunction. It can also lead to the exacerbation of certain neurological disorders and may lead to epileptic attacks. Therefore, there are many side effects of meditation, and it is vital to be aware of the risks involved.

Psychotic breaks

While meditation can be a powerful tool for self-regulation, some people find that the practice can lead to psychotic breaks. These episodes can be unpleasant and even life-threatening. While the stories of such breaks have long circulated in the meditative community, there are also isolated reports of meditation-induced psychosis published in academic journals. Some of these reports describe patients with a pre-existing psychotic disorder, while others describe a brief psychotic reaction in people without a history of psychiatric problems.

While psychosis is generally considered a mental illness, it can also be a symptom of substance abuse or a degenerative neurological condition. Psychotic episodes are characterized by intense feelings of fear, paranoia, and sometimes suicidal thoughts. Psychotic episodes are often caused by a lack of sleep, and fasting can make psychosis worse.

In Megan Vogt’s case, she had attended a 10-day meditation retreat with the hope that she could see her future. Friends on the West Coast had told her about its benefits, and she thought that meditating would open up her mind. Unfortunately, the experience was much more challenging than she had expected. On day seven of the retreat, Megan was unable to remember who she was or why she had gone to the retreat. Nevertheless, she went on to meditate for three more days.

Changing sense of self

One common outcome of meditation is a change in one’s sense of self. But the nature of such changes is not fully understood. One qualitative study of meditation-related challenges identified six discrete changes in sense of self, which could be positive or negative, enhancing or impairing.

The most common change in sense of self was a change in the boundaries between the self and others and a change in how the self sees itself about the world. Many practitioners reported experiencing permeability with the world around them, while others described a sense of expansion that extended outside the body. A change in sense of self was associated with a variety of affective responses, including feelings of loss of ownership over thoughts.

In addition to affecting a person’s sense of self, meditation can also impact social interactions. A 2017 study of meditators found that half of the participants experienced social impairment and struggled to integrate back into society. In some cases, this social impairment was severe enough to affect the participants’ occupations.