An Exploration of Adverse Experiences in Mindfulness Meditation

Abstract

Although the benefits of mindfulness continue to be affirmed by empirical evidence, an emerging area of research has begun to document its potential for eliciting adverse psychological and physical effects. However, the psychological, social, cultural, and historical variables that give rise to these experiences and the individualâ s ability to successfully integrate them remain unclear. The present study addressed this increasingly relevant gap in the literature by conducting exploratory in-depth inter-views with eight participants who experienced adverse events brought on by their engagement in mindfulness. The interviews explored, 1) participantsâ experience of adverse events, 2) the contextual factors surrounding these experiences, and 3) how they coped with these experiences. The data was analyzed using a grounded theory approach to explore the common themes that arise from these participantsâ experiences. The findings provide a better understanding of experiences of distress precipitated by mindfulness meditative practices and how counsellors can support practitioners in coping with adverse events.