Meditation and psychosis. The comparison of the current knowledge in the light of scientific evidence and the experience of an Eastern meditation teacher.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare existing scientific knowledge on the relationship between meditation and psychosis with the experiences of Eastern meditation teacher Osho Rajneesh.
Results Summary
The study found that meditation-induced psychotic episodes are linked to excessively long practice, lack of supervision, and incorrect attitudes toward meditation. Risk factors include coexisting conditions like fasting, sleep deprivation, and psychiatric history.
Population
Patients with reported cases of meditation-related psychosis (not in clinical conditions).
Effective Dosage
Not Assessed
Duration
Not Assessed
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
meditation techniques | increase | mental health | patients | - | positive influence | #1 |
meditation practices | decrease | mental health | patients | - | negative influence | #2 |
meditation | increase | psychotic episode | patients | - | risk was associated | #3 |
fasting | increase | meditation-induced psychotic episodes | - | - | frequent presence | #4 |
sleep deprivation | increase | meditation-induced psychotic episodes | - | - | frequent presence | #5 |
positive psychiatric history | increase | meditation-induced psychotic episodes | - | - | frequent presence | #6 |
excessively long practice | increase | psychotic episode | patients | - | risk was associated | #7 |
lack of adequate supervision | increase | psychotic episode | patients | - | risk was associated | #8 |
specific traits of the practitioner's attitude | increase | psychosis | - | - | risk factors of the development | #9 |
incorrect understanding of meditation as a task to perform | increase | psychosis | - | - | risk factors of the development | #10 |
The aim of the study was to compare the current knowledge on the relationship between the use of meditation techniques and the occurrence of psychosis with the experience of an Eastern meditation teacher, Osho Rajneesh. While searching the PubMed database using the keywords "meditation AND psychosis" 72 research articles were obtained, of which only 17 fully corresponded to the assumptions of the work. They included the case reports of the patients, as well as meta-analyses, and review articles related to both the positive and negative influence of meditation practices on mental health. Additionally, the information contained in 3 books was used. The etiology of meditation-induced psychotic episodes is not clear given the frequent presence of many coexisting factors including fasting, sleep deprivation, or a positive psychiatric history, as well as the limitation of the methodology. In the analyzed studies, only patients who did not meditate in clinical conditions were reported. The analysis of these cases indicates that the risk of a psychotic episode was associated with excessively long practice and lack of adequate supervision. The comparison of current scientific knowledge with the experience of the Eastern meditation teacher made it possible to draw attention to rarely described in literature risk factors of the development of psychosis, which include "specific traits" of the practitioner's attitude. One of its fundamental elements is an incorrect understanding of meditation as a task to perform, instead of an open, passive, and accepting attitude of observing the external and internal world.