Roman Palitsky: The Risks of Meditation and Psychedelics

Exploring The Often Under-Appreciated Risks of Meditation and Psychedelics: a Conversation with Roman Palitsky, PhD

In this episode, Dr. Roman Palitsky, a clinical psychologist and Director of Research Projects for Emory Spiritual Health, dives deep into the complex interplay between spirituality, meditation, and mental health. Drawing from his extensive research, Palitsky highlights the lesser-known risks of meditation and psychedelics—two practices often celebrated for their transformative benefits but rarely discussed for their potential challenges.

Dr. Palitsky's journey into this field began with a fellowship to study mystics in India, where he noticed that meditation was approached more cautiously in its original cultural context than it is in the West. This observation sparked his ongoing exploration into the risks associated with meditation, which he pursued further during a post-doctoral fellowship at Brown University. There, he analyzed data from the Varieties of Contemplative Experience Study, uncovering that some meditators experience adverse effects like heightened anxiety, panic attacks, and dissociative symptoms. These challenges, he notes, can disrupt daily functioning and may require individuals to seek professional help or pause their practice.

Building on this work, Dr. Palitsky has expanded his focus to the risks associated with psychedelics, another spiritual tool that carries both profound benefits and potential pitfalls. While recognizing the tremendous therapeutic potential of these agents, he emphasizes the importance of recognizing the spiritual and existential risks these substances can pose. Palitsky and the team at Emory's Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality are working on new frameworks to assess and manage these risks, aiming to make psychedelic therapies safer and more effective.

This conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in the deeper, more nuanced aspects of meditation and psychedelics.

Featuring:

Dr. Roman Palitsky, a clinical psychologist and Director of Research Projects for Emory Spiritual Health

Host:

Charles Raison, Psychiatrist, Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Emory University

About Emory University's Center for the Study of Human Health:

The Emory Center for the Study of Human Health was developed to expand health knowledge and translate this knowledge to all aspects of life – for the individual and populations as a whole. The Center assembles the extraordinary faculty, researchers and thought leaders from across disciplines, departments, schools and institutions to bring this knowledge to Emory University students and inspire them to become leaders for the next generation in meeting challenges facing human health.

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