Can Buddhist Meditation Be Dangerous?

June 17, 2016; revised July 22, 2021; June 9, 2024

1. A friend of mine alerted me to a recent article (in 2016) on the possible dangers of mindful meditation:

Some say there are possible dangers in “mindful meditation” and other types of meditation. I did a Google search and found many articles, videos, and podcasts on the subject. You can do the same to get an idea (try “dangers of meditation” and “dangers of meditation”).
A recent book, “The Buddha Pill” by Miguel Farias (2015), downplays the benefits of meditation and points to some reported bad outcomes.
There is a vast amount of misinformation out there. So, I thought of writing down my own thoughts based on the Buddha Dhamma that I understand and practice. In genuine Buddhist meditation, one may also encounter some discomforts, as discussed below. But those are temporary and not dangerous.

2. First of all, 99% of “Buddhist meditation programs” that are being taught and practiced today are not compatible with Buddha Dhamma, the Buddha’s original teachings. Let us first discuss this point.

The goal of the Buddha was NOT to teach practices and methods to attain temporary relief from the daily stresses of life. Such procedures had been practiced even when the Buddha (Prince Siddhartha) was born 2500 years ago.
For example, breath meditation used by even Theravada Buddhists today was a practice that the Buddha rejected; see the “Bhävanä (Meditation)” section and in particular, “6. Anäpänasati Bhävanä (Introduction)“, which discusses breath mediation.

3. I do not dispute or agree with the findings reported in the above articles or book. I do not know those specific cases, and it does not matter either because those meditation techniques are not “Buddhist meditations.”

So-called “Buddhist meditators” use many meditation techniques; most are a waste of time, and some are definitely bad. For example, one of the dangerous techniques is to remove all thoughts that come to one’s mind. One could lose memory (and perception) if this is done for a long time.
The Buddha said to stop IMMORAL thoughts, not ALL thoughts. There is a big difference between the two. Furthermore, he encouraged cultivating moral thoughts (Anapana is “äna” AND “päna”; see, “6. Anäpänasati Bhävanä (Introduction)“.

4. The Buddha focused on sansaric suffering, i.e., unimaginable suffering in some realms of this world; see “The Grand Unified Theory of Dhamma” or other posts on suffering.

For a normal human, It is not possible to avoid births in the future in the four lowest realms (apāyā) filled with suffering without attaining at least the Sotāpanna stage of Nibbāna. Not only are bad actions done in this life, but bad actions in previous lives can contribute. We have been lucky to have this human life due to past good actions (kamma), but we have all done good and bad actions in our deep past.
Future births in the apāyā are stopped not by “erasing” past bad kamma but mainly by a subtle mechanism that involves understanding the Buddha’s worldview.
This website is all about explaining that complex process, but I can state the result: the solution is to remove greed and hate from our minds which happens to a large extent when one comprehends the “bigger world picture” of the Buddha (which is called getting rid of ignorance of the correct worldview or attaining samma diṭṭhi).

5. Thus, one could take one of three approaches:

One could learn pure Buddha Dhamma, the original teachings of the Buddha, and understand his worldview. When one learns and comprehends this wider worldview, one can clearly see the possibility of much suffering in future lives.
The other approach is to believe in the above-stated conclusion, i.e., that getting rid of greed and hate from one’s mind will remove future suffering and start working on it.
However, there is a third approach, which is to do both in parallel.

6. The third approach above is the best since it accelerates the cleansing process. Furthermore, it can relieve one from not only future suffering but also in this life.

However, we must understand that meditation cannot remove all types of suffering we encounter in this life. What we experience in this life results from what we have done in the past. It is possible to avoid some bad outcomes but not all; see, “What is Kamma? – Is Everything Determined by Kamma?“.
The best way to convey the information is to describe my experience (at least parts of it). Even though each person’s experience will differ, some common themes exist.

7. First, one does not need to understand what Nibbāna is to get started. Even though it is possible to describe what Nibbāna is (there are many posts on the site), it is not easy to truly comprehend what is meant by stopping the rebirth process, especially at the early stages.

For example, a child in primary school may say she wants to be a scientist. That is her goal because she has heard it is a good occupation. But she has no idea what a scientist does.
In the same way, most Buddhists know that Nibbāna is a coveted and worthy goal but have no idea what it is. Most have not even thought much about it. They know it involves stopping the rebirth process, but If pressed, some may even say they do not “really want to attain Nibbāna yet; I want to enjoy life a bit more.” That is because it is not easy to comprehend the dangers of such “enjoyment.”
However, the above child knows that she has to work hard and get good grades to become a scientist in the future. As she progresses through primary, secondary, and high school, she will gradually better understand what becoming a scientist means and involves.
Most Buddhists can be compared to that child stuck in primary or secondary school. They refrain from immoral actions to some extent but have not proceeded any further due to several reasons: lack of time, lack of understanding, the urgency to do something before one gets old and the brain starts slowing down, etc.

8. On the other hand, most beginners of Buddhist meditation may not have any idea what Nibbāna is or may not believe in the rebirth process. And one does not need to.

As I have tried to explain in many posts, Nibbāna has many levels, starting from a relaxed state of mind all the way to stopping the rebirth process. One needs to proceed gradually, experiencing an increasing level of relief on the way.
Any reasonably moral person can see the benefits of living a moral life. Most religions teach how to live a moral life, at least to some degree.
The first thing to do is to try extending this way of moral living by incorporating factors that other religions may not teach. For example, killing animals is not considered immoral in many of the major religions.
Killing other people for any perceived benefit is an inconceivably bad idea. We have to stop calling such ideas “religious” regardless of the “religious label” attached. One would be bound for the worst sufferings imaginable for billions of years.

9. I think we live in a world that is too “politically correct.” We are afraid to express our honest opinions because we fear being labeled “insensitive to other religions or cultures.” We should be free to point out and condemn immoral and harmful actions.

There are no religious or cultural boundaries. We live this life for about 100 years and may be reborn in a different culture that may follow a different religion (see “Implications of the Rebirth Process in Daily Life and in Society).” However, it is not good to impose sudden cultural changes, which could lead to major disruptions in societies.
I intend to make as much progress as possible in this short time left and to help others who may be interested.
I also think it is a disservice not to share something one has experienced to be of value. It is, of course, up to others even to bother reading about it.

10. Going back to our discussion, one should avoid things we know deep inside to be bad: engaging in dishonest and harmful behavior. This, of course, has many facets and levels. So, one should start stopping actions such as: taking advantage of others in any way, engaging in sexual misconduct, avoiding drugs, and cutting down on alcohol, etc.

This gradual process is described in detail in the first several posts in the “Bhävanä (Meditation)” section. What I like to do here is to point out some key points that I think could be useful.

11. It is obvious that meditation, at least in the beginning, does not require one even to sit down. Before one gets to that stage, one needs to remove some cobwebs from the mind that have accumulated over time.

Some people cannot sit down and concentrate anyway; their minds like to wander. This “agitation” is due to greed and hate, even though it may not be obvious. Breath meditation forces the mind to concentrate on breathing, which helps stop this wandering.
It does work for some people, but any calming effect is temporary. One may feel good during a meditation retreat, but the mind returns to the agitated state after returning to “real life.”
Thus, if one does the standard “breath meditation” (without doing crazy things like trying to stop all thoughts), it is unlikely that they will experience any bad psychological effects. Still, it is bad in the sense of being an utter waste of time in the long run.
Many people I know who are meditators have been stuck in this stage for tens of years, enjoying the temporary relaxation and refusing to get out of that “comfort zone.” By their own accounts, they have not made significant progress, but for some reason, they are still “hopeful.”

12. Genuine Buddhist meditation is focused on long-term effects. As the book’s title in #1 above implies, many people believe that going to a meditation session is like taking a pill for a headache; one is after a quick, temporary solution.

Buddhist meditation starts with stopping immoral activities that one can see, such as those mentioned in # 8 and #10 above.
If one can persevere for a few weeks or months (depending on how many “cobwebs” are there), one should start experiencing a better state of mind. One will be able to concentrate on a given task (even a mundane task) better. In a few months, one can look back and see that one has changed in some ways.
Then, one can incorporate more “good habits” and discard more bad habits. One will start seeing the futility of lying, gossiping, and useless, vain talk. These are discussed in detail in the meditation section.
By the way, you will also be able to absorb more from the posts on this site over time.

13. As time goes on, one can try “sitting down” meditation sessions. Sit in a quiet room away from disturbances and think about a Dhamma concept. One could even read a post and contemplate it while reading.

This is what I did in my early days. I would sit at my desk and read a book or listen to a discourse on the internet from my teacher Thero. As I contemplated and started comprehending some concepts, I felt joyful in my mind, and I could start feeling a lightness in my body with time.

14. This is the beginning of a process that the Buddha described as “pītimanassa kāyo passambhati, passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vediyati, sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati.” That means, “joy in the mind (from absorbing Dhamma) leads to a lightness in the body, lightness in the body leads to happiness (niramisa sukha), and that leads to samādhi (enhanced concentration and a relaxed mind).”

Once one starts feeling joy in the mind and lightness in the body, there is no stopping. Now, one can clearly see the benefits.
Then, it becomes easier to grasp deeper concepts, leading to more joy, etc., and the process repeats and accelerates.
However, how much progress one makes depends on many factors. Some have practiced meditation in previous lives, and they progress relatively fast. Regardless of the time taken, most should be able to make at least some progress. If it appears that one has not cultivated meditation in previous lives, it is time to start now.

15. When I was making more progress (especially when grasping anicca, dukkha, anatta), I felt some physical sensations. When I started feeling those, luckily, I had heard about them from my teacher Thero’s discourses (by the way, I have not met Thero or talked to him personally; both times I went to Sri Lanka, he was not available).

Different people feel this kind of discomfort in different body parts above the waist. I am not talking about leg pains due to sitting cross-legged, etc. If a given posture becomes uncomfortable, one needs to change it. Some people can sit cross-legged for longer periods simply because they are more flexible or have had more practice.
Mine started in the head, throat, and hands. They were not painful at all. They are more like pressure waves. However, if one did not know that it could happen, one could be concerned because it happens only during formal sit-down meditation sessions.
Other possible “symptoms of progress” are sweating and becoming thirsty (if this is the case, keep a glass of water close by). Yes. All these are good symptoms; they indicate that the body is beginning to respond.
This was my first personal confirmation that the body does not give rise to consciousness. It is ALWAYS the mind that controls the body. My mind decides when I want to do a meditation session. Furthermore, I can change my body sensations with my thoughts!
I have not yet heard anyone else experience it, but my body “freezes” (with a tingling sensation all over the body) when my mind becomes calm. But when I shift my attention, the body “becomes normal” within seconds. This is undeniable evidence that the mind can control the body. However, I do not feel such effects when I am deeply in Vipassanā, thinking about a Dhamma concept.
The explanation for these (and other types of) experiences involves the concept of the gandhabba, which I have been discussing for some time now. These are discussed in “Possible Effects in Meditation – Kundalini Awakening.”