It is endlessly popular with yummy mummies heading off on meditation retreats to clear their minds.
But mindfulness, so popular with celebrities like Emma Watson and Angelina Jolie, could be bad for you – causing insomnia, anxiety and hypersensitivity to light and sound.
These were side effects discovered by US researchers exploring the phenomenon of ‘meditation sickness’ by interviewing nearly 100 people.
They found, while some experienced bliss from concentrating on their breathing and practising ‘loving kindness’, others were left in pain or struggling to return to normal life.
Explaining the symptoms, the authors said meditation could cause problems by mimicking sensory deprivation.
People who spend a long time with their eyes closed, very still in a silent environment, can then become hypersensitive to the noise and light of normal life.
Mindfulness, so popular with celebrities like Emma Watson and Angelina Jolie, could be bad for you, experts claim
Meditating also causes activity in the brain which can make it difficult to sleep and eat.
Explaining the link with anxiety, panic and paranoia, co-author Willoughby Britton, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Brown University, said: ‘There is a phenomenon called ‘relaxation-induced panic’, where some people have increased anxiety or panic when they relax.
‘This is one possible mechanism for why meditation could lead to increased anxiety, but very little is known about how it works, or why it happens to some people and not others.’
The study, published in the journal PLOS One, describes the ‘billion dollar meditation industry’, with more than 20 mobile phone apps now devoted to mindfulness.
But medical reports document cases of meditation-induced psychosis, seizures and mania, while Zen Buddhists have long acknowledged the existence of ‘meditation sickness.’
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A team led by Brown University found people could suffer ill effects from doing just half an hour of meditation or after only one day.
They interviewed 60 people who have done meditation and 32 teachers, discovering the most common side effect to be fear, anxiety, panic or paranoia.
This was experienced by 82 per cent of those questioned, while 42 per cent suffered hallucinations, visions or illusions and 28 per cent said they had become hypersensitive to light and sound.
Lead author Professor Jared Lindahl, a visiting professor at Brown University, said: ‘A hypothesis put forward in a previous paper is that certain meditation practises, especially concentration, mimic sensory deprivation.
‘Meditators are often immobile, they are in a quiet environment, often with their eyes closed and they are restricting their attention to a specific object, which could explain certain changes such as becoming hypersensitive to light and visual hallucinations.’
Side effects discovered by scientists included insomnia, anxiety and hypersensitivity to light
On almost two-thirds of people reporting changes to their sleep, he said: ‘A second study on insomnia, based on neurobiological research, has suggested that, while meditation is often associated with calming and relaxation, it in fact arouses the frontal region of the brain.’
Dr Britton added: ‘This may explain why the research on meditation and sleep has shown mixed results, and why some people, especially on more intensive meditation retreats, report insomnia or reduced need for sleep.’
The arousal caused in the brain may also account for reports that people’s appetite and weight changes after meditation.
Each of those interviewed said they were sure their experiences had been triggered by meditation, with people ruled out who had previous psychological problems or medical conditions.
However the study states that many have positive experiences, and mediation is increasingly marketed as a treatment for conditions such as pain, depression, stress and addiction.
The most common type of frequently practised meditation involves concentration, counting breaths and being aware of breathing. People practise ‘just sitting’, ‘loving kindness’, visualisation and mantras.
Some people told the authors that they were left unable to function or work after leaving a meditation retreat.
‘During the interviews, some people learned for the first time that they are not completely alone in having had this experience,’ Dr Lindahl said.
‘The social awareness we think this project can raise could be a key way of addressing some of the problems.’