LessWrong (Curated & Popular) “Meditation is dangerous” by Algon
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Oct 20, 2025 Meditation can be a double-edged sword. Many individuals seeking relief from mental struggles have experienced severe psychotic breaks after meditation retreats. Experienced practitioners often downplay these risks, fearing to scare off newcomers. Algon discusses how meditation can grant deep control over the mind but also leads to significant harm for certain individuals. He emphasizes safe practices and the importance of community support while cautioning about the potential for destabilization when engaging in intensive meditation.
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Retreat Success Turns Traumatic
- A young person joins a meditation retreat after hearing enthusiastic claims about benefits.
- They make progress then suffer a psychotic break that ruins their life for years.
Meditation As Mental Root Access
- Meditation can grant 'read-write' access to your mind, which creates risk.
- With that kind of control you can 'brick' yourself just like with root access on a computer.
Prevalence Of Meditation Harms
- Surveys report 10–35% experience unwanted effects and 10% report functional impairment.
- Serious impairments lasting over a month occur in about 1.2% of respondents.