Clinical & Academic Research

Scientific studies and peer-reviewed research on meditation and mental health effects for readers seeking evidence-based information.

Meditation-Induced Psychosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

This page provides a synopsis of “Meditation-Induced Psychosis” by H.J.H. Kuijpers, F.M.M.A. van der Heijden, S. Tuinier and W.M.A. Verhoeven. The paper was published in Psychopathology in 2007 and combines a case report with a review of previously reported psychotic states associated with meditation.

About the paper

The authors begin by noting that meditation is widely practised as a method of psychological self-regulation, including for stress reduction and emotion management. They also point out that comparatively little was known about adverse events associated with meditation at the time of publication.

The paper describes a male patient who developed an acute and transient psychotic episode following meditation. The authors diagnosed the episode as an acute polymorphic psychotic disorder. They then reviewed reports of psychotic states associated with meditation using searches of PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO.

Key points from the paper

• A clinical case is presented: The paper describes a male patient who experienced an acute and transient psychotic episode following meditation.
• Previous reports were reviewed: The authors searched the medical and psychological literature for other reports of psychotic states associated with meditation.
• Different circumstances were identified: The cases reviewed included people with a pre-existing psychotic disorder who experienced a relapse, as well as brief psychotic reactions in people without a previous psychiatric history.
• Vulnerability is discussed: The authors propose that meditation may act as a stressor in some vulnerable individuals and that this may be associated with transient psychotic symptoms.
• Cultural context is considered: The authors discuss similarities between meditation-related psychotic reactions and phenomena described in relation to practices such as Qi-gong, including the diagnostic concept of Qi-gong Psychotic Reaction.

Why this paper is relevant

This paper is relevant to discussions about safety and adverse experiences associated with meditation because it draws attention to the possibility of significant psychological reactions in particular circumstances.

It is important, however, to understand the nature and limitations of the evidence. This publication is a case report and review of case reports, rather than an experimental study establishing that meditation causes psychosis. The authors discuss a possible relationship between meditation, stress and psychotic reactions in vulnerable individuals.

Later research has also emphasised that, although cases of psychotic disorders occurring in association with meditation have been reported, establishing a direct causal relationship can be difficult because other factors may be involved.