This article is about the negative side effects of spiritual meditation and mindfulness. It will answer the question: Can you meditate too much?
Can You Meditate Too Much?
What is Meditation or Mindful Activity?
Meditation is an exploration. It is not a set destination. Your mind does not become all clear, empty or completely undistracted. It’s a special feeling and presence of mind where every moment is meaningful. So, can you meditate too much?
Meditation, awareness and mindfulness have appeared as miracle cures for mental health issues ranging from stress, anxiety, fear to depression. However, scholars are increasingly confronted with the practice’s negative aspects.
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally,” said by Kabat-Zinn.
How Do I Practice Concentration and Spiritual Meditation?
Being mindful enables us to separate our ideas and impulses to put some space between them while still being aware of our immediate, impulsive emotions.
Here are the ways you can practice mindful Meditation or analyze mindfulness presentation in your life:
Make a time block for yourself. No specific equipment, such as a meditation cushion or bench, is required for your mindfulness; nonetheless, you must set aside some time and space for this process to take place.
Pay attention to the current moment as it is. Meditation does not have as its goal the relaxation of the mind or the achievement of an unshakeable condition of perpetual peace.
Mindful Meditation is accessible to us in every instant, whether through meditations or mindful activities such as pausing and breathing. When there is a sudden happening, you just stay calm and react mindfully.
The purpose is straightforward: we want to pay attention to what is happening without passing judgment on it. We understand that it is easier than it sounds.
Allow your judgments to pass by. When we observe judgments arising throughout our practice, we can keep a memory of them and allow them to pass without disturbing our peace.
Return to the present. Our thoughts have a tendency to get the better of us. As a result, mindfulness is defined as the discipline of returning to the present moment over and over again.
Be patient with your wandering thoughts. Please don’t be hard on yourself when you meditate, for having whatever ideas come to mind; instead, try noticing when your mind has drifted and gently bringing it back on track.
That is the standard procedure to meditate. It is frequently stated that it is extremely simple, but this does not imply that it is easy. The only thing that needs to be done is to keep doing it. The results will come in due course.
Meditation Exercises are beneficialin many ways, but we discuss the negative side effects of Meditation and Mindfulness in this article.
Negative Side Effects of Meditation; Is Meditation Dangerous
Practicing this ancient mindfulness practice is said to make you relax, calm your head, and be more present, as well as more balanced overall.
For the most part, these beliefs are supported by evidence, with increasing amounts of clinical data supporting the effectiveness of this spiritual Meditation.
Many people find that Meditation has a variety of advantages. According to scientific evidence, practising mindfulness can assist us in gaining perspective, reducing stress, improving memory, and being physically healthier.
Like anything else in life, Meditation can have its drawbacks, some of which you may not be aware of at the time of practice.
How to find out you are an addict now
A strong urge to meditate is something you may be experiencing now. Your meditation sessions may last for more than an hour at a time, maybe doing it more than once a day on a regular basis.
You may be drifting away from your family and friends or facing difficulty in socializing?
If this is the case, it is conceivable that you are struggling with a meditation addiction.
What if I told you that excessive Meditation might have negative consequences that can impair your capacity to work, your relationships with others, and even your physical health?
What happens if you meditate too much?? Let’s discuss some of the side effects of meditation rituals and conscious mindfulness:
Anger, Fear and Jealousy
The contact with oneself during Meditation is the most meaningful interaction you will ever have in your life. A significant element of this would be getting in touch with concealed and blocked emotions.
Meditation may bring out feelings of wrath, fear, or jealously that have been buried within you, making you feel uneasy about yourself. This is a normal and healthy aspect of meditation practice, and the feelings will progressively decrease as the practice progresses.
But, if the individual is not conscious that Meditation has the potential to bring those buried feelings to the surface, they may believe that this is wrong and abandon Meditation due to the unpredictability and influence of the emotional wave.
I am no Perfect
When it comes to Meditation, you can have high expectations of yourself: sitting still for an extended period of time, feeling peaceful after Meditation, and not becoming upset; the list goes on. This is when the danger of unrealistic expectations comes into play.
It is natural for us to have periods of time in our life when it becomes more uncomfortable to sit and concentrate or remain quiet. It’s pretty natural to feel this way, but not getting into meditation mode will make you anxious.
Sensory Perception and Illusions
Meditation has the potential to modify your perceptions of sight, smell, hearing, and taste. The results of the 2017 study revealed that many individuals saw visions, flashbacks, illusions, hallucinations, or lighting that were not actually present.
Some people have experienced heightened sensitivity to light and noise.
These sensory perceptions and illusions themselves bring in panic attacks and anxiety. The more you have these sessions of illusions, the more you are prone to have a panic attack.
Disassociation from Reality
Some meditators describe the experience as if they are watching themselves in a movie. For some people, this disassociation might elicit unpleasant emotions such as feelings of emptiness and boredom and feelings of detachment and even dread.
It’s essential to be aware of this possible side or hazard of Meditation before beginning because, if you’re identified with a mental illness such as depression or anxiety, “mindfulness-based cognitive therapy” would be offered to you as a treatment option.
Demotivated and Passive
As a technique or method for self-calming and concentration, mindfulness meditation is seen as widespread. Nonetheless, mindfulness meditation, as practised in the ancient Buddhist tradition, emphasizes understanding one’s own state of mind, as well as the state of the world around them.
Even though we can’t change the circumstance, it still has calming effects when we need to de-stress and calm down. Sometimes we should be enraged, worried, and motivated to make a difference, though.
The best approach to deal with these and other hazards of Meditation is to think of it as a tool in your toolbox. Meditation can be beneficial in many cases, but it also has some concerning negative effects.
Meditation, as Britton points out, isn’t only about being calm and peaceful. As a result, you can see what’s going on within your head. You may need additional assistance or perhaps counselling because of psychological material.
Self-Compassion in Meditation
We owe to be self-compassionate throughout our mindfulness meditation when we encounter unpleasant sentiments and emotions within ourselves. Pushing ourselves beyond our emotional and spiritual limits puts us in danger.
Take Out: Can You Meditate Too Much?
What we don’t know are the long-term negative impacts of Meditation on our health. According to research, there are several disadvantages and risks associated with Meditation, including possible harm to one’s physical or mental health.
Researchers from Brown University and the University of California revealed in a 2017 study that spiritual Meditation could negatively impact people’s health. While it’s true that additional research is needed to confirm these results, we can’t just dismiss them.
Meditation has unquestionably helped and cured many individuals in the past, despite the risks of doing it excessively. If you see unfavorable changes in your behavior, you may want to reduce your mindfulness practice or consult with a mental health professional on how to do so.
