Meditation is a very useful technique if used correctly and to the right degree, but it is not
Many people feel that meditation has saved their livesAnd it makes sense: the modern world is bombarding them with permanent stimuli that cause both brutal stress and a loss of connection to their own emotions. In that sense, meditation is a bridge to yourself. Towards harmony and silence to see things in a healthier way. Under the influence of these people, many others also embrace meditation. But we are collide with a reality no one could have ever imagined: meditation can also make your life worse
Well, I keep thinking that meditation will solve all my problems, I said already 🤚🏼 😂
– pera (@elisa_pera) February 11, 2021
And no, they are not some isolated cases. According to a 2019 study that echoes the BBC this post25% of the regular meditators have suffered from side effectsin sessions and after sessions. These include panic attacks and depression, as well as a feeling of distress dissociationThe reason is that the same mechanisms that provide benefits to the brain represent a double-edged sword when activated too often or with great intensity. It all depends on the nature of each person. There are no universal recipes.
One such mechanism is emotional regulation. As stated by the BBC, mindfulness strategies like conscious breathing or body scanning have consequences in “the cortex of the insula, an area involved in bodily perception and emotion.” This increases our ability to connect with our emotions, but crossing the right connection can cause us to become overly aware. In the words of Willoughby Britton, a psychiatrist at Brown University, “It’s like someone turned up the volume and the intensity of all your emotions was stronger
How is it possible that #Alertness – something that seems so beneficial to so many people – has such disturbing effects for some? https://t.co/UlujGUKHk6
– BBC News Mundo (@bbcmundo) February 9, 2021
This explains that about 14% of people who meditate regularly suffer from panic attacks. We are much more sensitive. But this tremendous emotional sensitivity to our lives is just as negative as the total emotional apathy that another of the magical mechanisms of meditation can cause us: the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. “In the right amount, it can result in better focus and less emotional reactivity, but when pushed beyond optimal levels can soothe all emotions, both negative and positiveThey say from the BBC.
In fact, up to 8% of the participants in the above study claimed to have experienced some sort of dissociation. Again in Britton’s words, “We’ve had an overwhelming number of people contacting the lab and saying, ‘I can’t feel anything, I don’t feel love for my familyFinally, and aside from emotional regulation, meditation can also help increase attention. But “when practiced too much, it can cause anxiety, panic and insomnia.” What Quantities Are Good For Us Like everything in life, too much or malpractice ultimately harms everything.