New Study Claims Meditation & Mindfulness Can Cause Stress

Up until now, we've all heard that meditation and mindfulness can aid in stress reduction and generally have a 'zen effect' on an individual, but what if that's not the whole truth?

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While many of us struggle to achieve even five minutes of silence in a day, new research has claimed that practicing meditation can actually prove to be counter-productive.

Also Read: I Tried Meditation For The First Time In My Life & This Is How It Made All The Difference

A study from Brown University in the US has highlighted the challenging experiences meditation can bring about. The study of 100 people found 12 per cent encountered a difficult meditation experience ¨C such as hallucination, panic, crying, paranoia, or grief ¨C in the first 10 days of practice, 29 per cent did within their first year of meditating, and 45 per cent within one to 10 years.

According to reports, the aim of the study is not to discourage people from meditating, but to highlight the negative experiences of meditation which is yet to be normalised.

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The study claims 'even though existing research suggests that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can help with sleep disorders, reducing stress-symptoms, and even curtailing addiction, experts worry about the lack of rigorous evidence on the subject, alongside inconsistent definitions of mindfulness.'

Also Read: If You Can't Find Time For Meditation, Here Are Some Other Ways You Can Practice Mindfulness

According to another study published in New Scientist, 8 per cent of people who try meditation experience an unwanted effect.

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¡°People have experienced anything from an increase in anxiety up to panic attacks,¡± says Farias Miguel Farias at Coventry University in the UK, one of the researchers behind the work.

So if you¡¯ve tried meditation in an attempt to deal with anxiety or depression, and you find that it¡¯s making things worse, it's better to take a step back. Opting for a guided meditation might help stave off the negative effects.

Also Read: Just 15 Minutes Of Meditation A Day Can Alter Your Genes And Reduce Your Blood Pressure