- Mindfulness involves meditating as part of an effort to feel ‘fully present’ and aware
- A study warns it can trigger unpleasant feelings, such as disembodiment
It’s a trendy wellness approach that has taken the health industry by storm.
But mindfulness training can trigger unpleasant feelings, such as disembodiment, experts warn.
This popular practice uses meditation to help you feel ‘fully present’ and aware of each moment. It is seen as a way to reduce stress or to deal with depression and anxiety.
It has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry and is loved by the likes of Harry Styles, Raheem Sterling and Oprah Winfrey, with 15 percent of adults in the UK knowing about it in some way.
A study now shows that mindfulness training can help people experience a different state of consciousness.
It’s the trendy wellness practice that’s taken the health industry by storm. But mindfulness training can trigger unpleasant feelings like disembodyment, experts warn (stock image)
The popular process, practiced by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, involves meditating as part of an effort to be “fully present” and aware of each moment
While some of these experiences can be very positive, that is not always the case, scientists warn.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge conducted a study to assess the effectiveness of mindfulness training as a way to cope with the stress of exams.
The team behind the study followed up with the participants again a year later to investigate whether they had experienced an altered state of consciousness.
They had to complete a questionnaire that examined 11 ‘dimensions’, such as spiritual experience, blissful state, disembodiment and unity.
In experiences of unity there is a sense that boundaries are blurring and that we are all part of a larger, interconnected whole.
However, disembodiment experiences often involve a floating sensation or a disappearance of the body’s boundaries. This means that a person may feel disconnected from their own body and mind.
A total of 670 participants took part in the trial. Analysis showed that people who had undergone mindfulness training were twice as likely as people in the control group to experience feelings of unity and disembodyment.
Mindfulness has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry and is loved by the likes of Harry Styles (pictured), Raheem Sterling and Oprah Winfrey
A study shows that mindfulness training, such as that practiced by footballer Raheem Stirling, can cause people to experience altered states of consciousness
Of those who reported experiencing altered states of consciousness, 43 percent experienced a state of unity, 47 percent experienced a state of bliss, and 29 percent reported having experiences of leaving their bodies.
Dr Julieta Galante from the Department of Psychiatry, who led the research, said it is important that teachers and their students are aware that unpleasant feelings can arise and that they are open to talking about them.
“The most common and intense experiences tend to be those that do not have any unpleasant characteristics in themselves,” she said.
‘Some, like bliss, can feel extremely pleasant. But some experiences, like disembodiment or an altered sense of self, can be unpleasant, surprising, even alarming, especially if you’re not expecting them.
‘It is important that people who are offered mindfulness are told about the possibility that they may encounter these kinds of experiences.
“That way, they don’t have to be upset when they do experience them. There may be nothing wrong with their experience, but it may be helpful to reach out to their mindfulness teacher, and if the experience was negative, to talk to their doctor about it as well.”
The findings were published in the journal Plos One.