Review flags meditation adverse effects
A new review on meditation‑related psychological adverse effects (MRPAEs) highlights that harms are multidimensional and depend on dose, context, and individual vulnerability — a cautionary counterpoint to mindfulness hype. The analysis was circulated and discussed by Harvard’s Matthew Sacchet. (x.com)
An unreviewed draft titled "Meditation‑related psychological adverse effects" by Oliver A. Hugemark, Vanessa R. Naughton, Karen Vasquez‑Avila, Nicholas K. Canby, Terje Sparby and Matthew D. Sacchet was posted as OSF version 1.0 and dated February 20, 2026. (meditation.mgh.harvard.edu)) The paper explicitly focuses on MRPAEs in advanced and intensive meditation contexts and states it synthesizes theoretical frameworks, practitioner/practice/relationship/environmental risk factors and distinctions between meditative development and psychopathology. (meditation.mgh.harvard.edu)) Authors emphasize "substantial heterogeneity" in terminology and assessment that produces wide variance in reported prevalence across studies, noting low estimates in some trials and much higher figures in population‑level surveys. (meditation.mgh.harvard.edu)) The review highlights dose and context as modifiers of harm, and cites evidence that intensive or prolonged practice and recent psychological distress are associated with higher incidence of challenging or adverse experiences. (meditation.mgh.harvard.edu)) Recommended actions in the draft include standardized definitions for MRPAEs, routine harms‑monitoring in trials and programs, and targeted research on protective factors and screening protocols to distinguish transient challenge from clinically significant harm. (meditation.mgh.harvard.edu)) The Meditation Research Program at Mass General/Harvard lists the OSF preprint among Sacchet's 2026 outputs and situates the review within a broader "third wave" research agenda that pairs investigation of transformative growth with systematic study of challenging effects. (meditation.mgh.harvard.edu))
