Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Is meditation dangerous? We'll consider one recent journalistic investigation into the Goenka meditation retreat system, as well as some of the work of Brown University psychologist Willoughby Britton. Then we'll turn to the early texts for some additional evidence. Finally we'll consider how to approach meditation most wisely.
🧡 If you find this material useful, check out my Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: patreon.com/dougsseculardharma
🧡 You can also make donations through: paypal.me/dougsdharma
📙 Check out my book, A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a Foreword by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi: books2read.com/buddhisthandbook
☸️ Free mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org.
🎙Check out my podcast with Jon Aaron, Diggin' the Dharma: digginthedharma.com
✅ Investigative journalism podcast series:
Untold: The Retreat — an investigative podcast into the perils of meditation — ft.com/content/b3ec8e57-5cf9-4f96-9267-56c3bcd9c102
✅ Some of Willoughby Britton's work:
Willoughby Britton, et al., “Defining and measuring meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs” — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8845498
Willoughby Britton, "Meditation for Sleep: Paradoxes and Promises” — huffpost.com/entry/sleep-tips-meditation-for_b_597600
The Hidden Risks of Meditation — Dr. Willoughby Britton | The Tim Ferriss Show — youtube.com/watch?v=WdmvoX1RZWA
✅ Other resources:
My podcast on the subject of the dangers of meditation with Jon Aaron: digginthedharma.com/episodes/meditation-dangers
Can Meditation Be Dangerous with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche — youtube.com/watch?v=-VzeYD2VY5o
✅ Suttas mentioned:
suttacentral.net/mn128/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/sn54.9/en/sujato
Webpage: dougsdharma.com
Facebook: facebook.com/onlinedharmainstitute
Mastodon: https://mindly.social/@dougsdharma
Instagram: instagram.com/dougsdharma
Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dougsdharma.bsky.social
Thumbnail photos courtesy Kar3nt on Pixabay and the Metropolitan Museum, image of Guru Dragpo (18th c., Tibet).
❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons:
Anonymous (3)
Omar
John Oborne
DunJing
Jimmy Maa
Debbie Mattison
Ron Peat
Michael S. Kearns
Anne
Matthew Smith
Shantha Wengappuli
Karma_CAC
Jorge Seguel
Christopher Apostolof
GailJM
David Bell
T Pham
VCR
Upayadhi
Andi and Erik
ATGuerrero686
Michael Scherrer
khobe schofield
Alex Perdomo
Benji Forsyth
Sonny Flink
Steve Marlor
Joy L Lee
Andrew Tom
Anthony Tucker
Karlee R
Ethan M
Billy in Singapore
Olivia Otter
Carl Lennartson
xiao mao
Jeff Harvey
Andrew Ingrouille
Kenneth Grandchamp
Rene Gariepy
Russell Needham
Smoggyrob
Mac Roja
Bernardo
Clémence Ortega Douville
Kwan Alex
Scott Johnston
Richard J Beninger
Nathanael O. Arnquist
SaturnianMandala
Trin P
Letesa Isler
Dorien Izel
Robert Paterson
Jake Tobiason
Louvenia Ortega
Steve S.
Richard Rappuhn
Sarah Kress
John Aaron
Paul Niklewski
Kong Ing Kai
Dave Gorman
rhys reed
Osanda Wijeratne
Scarlett Farrow
BJ - RetreaTours™
Matthieu Tregnier
Roland Harris
karen
Rob
John
James Ravencroft
Brady Schickinger
Marko
Jenn A.
00:46 Financial Times investigation
04:00 Willoughby Britton and the science
10:46 Meditation and sleep
12:33 Early texts on the dangers of meditation
16:54 Upshot: meditation as exercise
Note: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links are affiliate links where I will earn a very small commission on purchases you make, at no additional cost to you. This goes a tiny way towards defraying the costs of making these videos. Thank you!
Is meditation dangerous? We'll consider one recent journalistic investigation into the Goenka meditation retreat system, as well as some of the work of Brown University psychologist Willoughby Britton. Then we'll turn to the early texts for some additional evidence. Finally we'll consider how to approach meditation most wisely.
🧡 If you find this material useful, check out my Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: patreon.com/dougsseculardharma
🧡 You can also make donations through: paypal.me/dougsdharma
📙 Check out my book, A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a Foreword by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi: books2read.com/buddhisthandbook
☸️ Free mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org.
🎙Check out my podcast with Jon Aaron, Diggin' the Dharma: digginthedharma.com
✅ Investigative journalism podcast series:
Untold: The Retreat — an investigative podcast into the perils of meditation — ft.com/content/b3ec8e57-5cf9-4f96-9267-56c3bcd9c102
✅ Some of Willoughby Britton's work:
Willoughby Britton, et al., “Defining and measuring meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs” — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8845498
Willoughby Britton, "Meditation for Sleep: Paradoxes and Promises” — huffpost.com/entry/sleep-tips-meditation-for_b_597600
The Hidden Risks of Meditation — Dr. Willoughby Britton | The Tim Ferriss Show — youtube.com/watch?v=WdmvoX1RZWA
✅ Other resources:
My podcast on the subject of the dangers of meditation with Jon Aaron: digginthedharma.com/episodes/meditation-dangers
Can Meditation Be Dangerous with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche — youtube.com/watch?v=-VzeYD2VY5o
✅ Suttas mentioned:
suttacentral.net/mn128/en/sujato
suttacentral.net/sn54.9/en/sujato
Webpage: dougsdharma.com
Facebook: facebook.com/onlinedharmainstitute
Mastodon: https://mindly.social/@dougsdharma
Instagram: instagram.com/dougsdharma
Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dougsdharma.bsky.social
Thumbnail photos courtesy Kar3nt on Pixabay and the Metropolitan Museum, image of Guru Dragpo (18th c., Tibet).
❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons:
Anonymous (3)
Omar
John Oborne
DunJing
Jimmy Maa
Debbie Mattison
Ron Peat
Michael S. Kearns
Anne
Matthew Smith
Shantha Wengappuli
Karma_CAC
Jorge Seguel
Christopher Apostolof
GailJM
David Bell
T Pham
VCR
Upayadhi
Andi and Erik
ATGuerrero686
Michael Scherrer
khobe schofield
Alex Perdomo
Benji Forsyth
Sonny Flink
Steve Marlor
Joy L Lee
Andrew Tom
Anthony Tucker
Karlee R
Ethan M
Billy in Singapore
Olivia Otter
Carl Lennartson
xiao mao
Jeff Harvey
Andrew Ingrouille
Kenneth Grandchamp
Rene Gariepy
Russell Needham
Smoggyrob
Mac Roja
Bernardo
Clémence Ortega Douville
Kwan Alex
Scott Johnston
Richard J Beninger
Nathanael O. Arnquist
SaturnianMandala
Trin P
Letesa Isler
Dorien Izel
Robert Paterson
Jake Tobiason
Louvenia Ortega
Steve S.
Richard Rappuhn
Sarah Kress
John Aaron
Paul Niklewski
Kong Ing Kai
Dave Gorman
rhys reed
Osanda Wijeratne
Scarlett Farrow
BJ - RetreaTours™
Matthieu Tregnier
Roland Harris
karen
Rob
John
James Ravencroft
Brady Schickinger
Marko
Jenn A.
00:46 Financial Times investigation
04:00 Willoughby Britton and the science
10:46 Meditation and sleep
12:33 Early texts on the dangers of meditation
16:54 Upshot: meditation as exercise
Note: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links are affiliate links where I will earn a very small commission on purchases you make, at no additional cost to you. This goes a tiny way towards defraying the costs of making these videos. Thank you!
