New Books in Buddhist Studies Meditation Side-Effects and Other Altered States, with Miguel Farias
Apr 9, 2025
Miguel Farias, an experimental psychologist who studies religion, meditation, and cognition, discusses meditation’s potential harms as well as its benefits. He explores who is vulnerable to adverse reactions, how cultural frameworks shape altered states, and the need to combine historical, clinical, and contemplative approaches. The conversation probes retreat risks, tradition vs. secular mindfulness, and multiphasic views of consciousness.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Individual Differences Determine Meditation Outcomes
- Meditation effects vary greatly between individuals rather than being universally beneficial.
- Miguel Farias highlights personality traits like hypnotizability and schizotypy that make some people far more prone to deep altered states during meditation.
Charles Starr Quit After 20 Years Of Meditation
- Charles Starr meditated for 20 years then stopped after realizing he disliked it and gained no benefit.
- Farias uses this story to show social pressure can push people into meditation even when it harms or does nothing for them.
Long Intensive Practice Can Raise Adverse Risk
- Adverse experiences often increase with longer, more intensive meditation, especially retreats.
- Farias argues modern societies' constrained consciousness (monophasic bias) hides the full spectrum of non-ordinary states opened by intensive practices.
