I tell most of my patients that after physical exercise, meditation is the second-best preventive treatment for migraine headaches.
It turns out that meditation is not an unalloyed good. In a recent podcast, Tim Ferris interviews a psychologist, Dr. Willoughby Britton whose research is devoted to the negative effects of meditation. Tim Ferris describes his experience of going on a week-long silent meditation retreat, while also fasting and taking psychedelic mushrooms. It is not too surprising that Tim Ferris ended up needing professional help. However, even meditation alone, if taken to an extreme can cause psychological problems. In California, the joke is that meditation is a competitive sport.
Dr. Britton and her colleagues identified a staggering 59 different symptoms that can be triggered by meditation. Cheetah House, an organization led by Dr. Britton, is dedicated to assisting individuals who have experienced negative effects from meditation. According to one study, the most common adverse effects are anxiety, traumatic re-experiencing, and heightened emotional sensitivity. Those with a history of adverse childhood experiences are at a higher risk. But surprisingly, even individuals with adverse effects reported being glad they had meditated.
Dr. Britton suggests that meditating for less than 30 minutes is not likely to result in negative effects.
I have been meditating for years, and it was only when I extended my meditation time to 45 minutes about a year ago that my migraines completely stopped. Fortunately, I have not encountered any side effects.
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