Mindfulness-based techniques can exacerbate symptoms or trigger psychosis in individuals with schizophrenia.
While individual case reports and qualitative studies indicate that intense mindfulness and meditation practices can occasionally trigger psychotic-like symptoms in vulnerable populations, broader systematic reviews and meta-analyses generally report that mindfulness-based interventions are safe and can effectively reduce psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.
The retrieved literature presents two opposing sides regarding mindfulness and psychosis. Papers 1 and 7 provide qualitative and case-based evidence demonstrating that meditation and mindfulness can trigger intense, psychotic-like experiences in certain individuals. Conversely, Papers 3, 6, and 8 represent systematic reviews and meta-analyses showing that mindfulness-based interventions are generally safe, do not increase symptom deterioration or adverse events in clinical trials, and actually reduce psychotic symptoms and hospitalizations in patients with schizophrenia. Because there are documented case reports of exacerbation alongside robust clinical trial data showing overall safety and benefit, the claim is best classified as contested.
Pawan Sharma, A. Mahapatra, Rishab Gupta. Meditation-induced psychosis: a narrative review and individual patient data analysis. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2019.47
A narrative review and patient data analysis identified case reports linking meditation and mindfulness practices to the onset or exacerbation of psychotic states, including schizophrenia.
Chuntana Reangsing, Sathit Wongsuraprakit, Sasinun Punsuwun, Sarah Oerther. Effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on psychotic symptoms and psychological outcomes in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116272
A systematic review and meta-analysis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders found that mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduced psychotic symptoms and improved overall functioning without reporting adverse effects.
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Erik Jönhagen, Tim Wood, Maria Niemi, J. Galante. Mindfulness Teacher Trainees’ Experiences (MTTE): An investigation of intense experiences in mindfulness-based interventions. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301593
A qualitative investigation of mindfulness teacher trainees found that intense meditation practices can produce experiences resembling psychotic-like episodes in vulnerable individuals.
Bethany O’Brien-Venus, L. Ellett, Susanna Burgess-Barr, Paul Chadwick. Systematic review of the safety of mindfulness-based interventions for psychosis.. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102445
A systematic review on the safety of mindfulness-based interventions for psychosis indicated that MBIs are generally safe and may reduce hospitalization risk, though adverse event reporting remains inconsistent.
Iga Plencler, A. Cechnicki, Przemysław Stankiewicz, A. J. Krupa, Aleksandra Gorostowicz, A. Kalisz, P. Błądziński, Monika Żwirska, Marcin Siwek. Systematic Review of Studies on Group Mindfulness–Based Interventions for Individuals Suffering from Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-025-02565-0
A systematic review of group mindfulness-based interventions concluded that structured MBIs are safe and beneficial for individuals suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
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