Willoughby Britton - When Meditation Causes Harm
In this episode, Wendy speaks with clinical psychologist and meditation researcher, Willoughby Britton. Willoughby is a pioneer in contemplative research and one of the only people dedicated to understanding the possible negative outcomes from meditation (so called meditation-related adverse experiences). This conversation covers many topics, including:\nhow she came to study the negative side of meditation;\nsupport and resources for those struggling with meditation-related difficulties (Cheetah House);\nscientific research on meditation-related adverse experiences;\nchanges in perception and anxiety that can happen with meditation;\nhow the same experience can be positive or negative depending on context;\nhow the causes of adverse effects may be the same as for the benefits;\nthe science of measuring harms in meditation research;\nwhat we know (and don't know) about these effects\u2014who's at risk, how frequent they are, and how they show up for people;\nwhether or not these difficulties are "part of the path" of transformation;\ngrounding care in compassion;\nand aligning practices with the outcomes you want.\nFull resources and show notes