A Closer Look at Possible Side Effects of Meditation

Researchers: Meditation May Not Be Safe for Everyone…

For years, meditation has been presented as a universal good practice that calms the mind, heals the body, and uplifts the spirit. And for many people, this is true. But within the medical community, a more nuanced picture is starting to emerge. Quietly, doctors, psychologists, and researchers are raising concerns: meditation may not be safe for everyone.

Potential Risks of Meditation

When we invite stillness, we also open the door to whatever is waiting in the depths of our psyche. While this can be a powerful way to access healing – this approach can trigger many potentially unexpected negative mental health experiences (see links to articles at the end of this blog to read more about the specific impacts).

Meditation can also have another possible side effect… In our practice of seeking stillness, we may unintentionally invite in energies from other realms…

The act of meditating is practiced here in ordinary reality in the Middle World. Without taking steps to set clear spiritual boundaries, it is easy for a person to open themselves to energies of non-ordinary reality. In those spaces dwell not only benign presences but also:

Energies and beings, human and non human, who have not made it to their proper destination after death
Wandering souls, or lost beings who remain attached to the Middle World.
Entities who prowl or troll these realms looking to attach to or feed off the life force of living beings.

In addition to these risks, those in the medical community researching the effects of meditation are now acknowledging and cautioning those practicing mediation to be aware of these possible negative side effects:

Heightened anxiety and panic rather than easing the nervous system, meditation can amplify fear for some.
Depersonalization or dissociation individuals may feel cut off from themselves or reality.
Emergence of psychotic episodes in rare cases, especially for those with a history of mental illness, meditation has been linked to triggering psychosis.
Sleep disturbances and mood swings prolonged or improperly guided practice can destabilize rather than harmonize.

Here are links to two articles on the subject to help you start your research:

https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/the-dangers-of-meditation-into-the-dark-night/

https://theconversation.com/meditation-can-be-harmful-and-can-even-make-mental-health-problems-worse-230435

What I See in My Shamanic Practice

It is not uncommon for people to arrive for a shamanic session and share the fact that something ‘does not feel right and they are struggling’.

As we chat, many say that their mental health issues seemed to get worse the more they practiced meditation.

I don’t believe this happens because meditation is “bad” but because possibly (as the research states), the stillness can have strong impacts on an individual’s mental state AND (from a shamanic perspective) meditation could also ‘open portals’ without providing a person with a safe way to navigate what’s on the other side.

Without actively setting a clear intention and requesting spiritual protection, a person could end up in very vulnerable territory psychologically and energetically.

Why Shamanic Practices Offer Another Way

Shamanic work approaches healing differently. It does not force stillness or silence; instead, it offers a guided, rhythmic, and intentional framework. The steady beat of the drum or rattle creates a container a safe channel for consciousness to shift.

Shamanic practices of healing and empowerment always include the presence of our helping spirits such as: our helping spirits, our ancestors, power animals, and spirit teachers, that are always on hand during journeying to facilitate healing and empowerment.

At the same time, they act as our ‘spiritual bouncers’, turning away or blocking energies, beings, or spirits that are not present for our highest and best good. This is a crucial difference.

When practicing meditation, we can be entering realms with no such protection or no helping spirits standing watch every second. Journeying, done properly, provides both a safe path and guardianship.

Journeying provides structure. Unlike unbounded meditation, shamanic journeying follows a path: a descent or ascent into a spirit filled realm, guided by rhythm and intention. We work with allies.

In shamanism, you do not travel alone. Helping spirits are invited into the process, creating support and protection. The body and mind stay engaged.

Journeying is not about dissolving the self but about expanding awareness while remaining connected to one’s physical being grounded, embodied, and present. Healing is relational. Shamanic practice emphasizes relationship with Nature, with Spirit, with Community. The process is NOT an isolating inward spiral, but a weaving into life itself.

Learning Shamanic Journeying Safely…

For those seeking inner work without potentially destabilizing risks, shamanic journeying can be a profound and safer alternative. Like any spiritual discipline, it must be practiced with care and respect. Proper practice includes:

Understanding the cosmology of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Worlds.
Developing relationships with trusted helping spirits.
Setting clear intention before each journey.
Closing and grounding practices to return fully and safely.

When learned properly, journeying becomes not just a technique but a way of life offering clarity, empowerment, and deep healing without the unintended side effects that some experience with meditation.

Meditation is a beautiful path for many, but it is not the only one. And for some, it may even be harmful.

Shamanic practices offer another ancient, time-tested way to heal, to grow, and to reconnect with the soul.

This is the path I walk and the path I share: not to replace anyone’s truth, but to offer additions/alternatives for those who need them. Healing is not one size fits all. The spirit world meets each of us where we are and guides us, step by step, back to wholeness.

Final Thought…

We are all naturally wired to do this shamanic work as we travel our unique soul path. Our ancestors all practiced this way of being, because their societies were deeply aware of the myriad of helping beings and nature spirits. Their communities acknowledged, respected, and worked with these energies and realms as a natural part of life. It is not a long or arduous path back to this natural wiring. We simply need to reawaken to the ways of our ancestors, reconnect with the natural world, and open to the universal energies and cosmos that continue to surround, protect and support us.

If you have more questions or want to schedule a session, feel free to reach out. I’d be honoured to support you on your healing journey.

— Deborah Blucher, The Wired Shaman

Q1: Can meditation have negative effects?
Yes. While meditation is helpful for many, medical research and practitioner experience show that it can sometimes trigger anxiety, dissociation, sleep disruption, or even psychosis in vulnerable individuals.

Q2: How is shamanic journeying different from meditation?
Shamanic journeying is guided, rhythmic, and intentional. It always includes the protection of helping spirits such as ancestors, power animals, and spirit teachers. This support reduces risks and creates a safer framework for healing.

Q3: Is shamanic journeying safe for beginners?
Yes, when learned from by an experienced teacher/practitioner. Safe journeying includes setting intention, working with helping spirits, and using grounding practices. This allows healing to unfold naturally in presence of helping spirits.

Shamanism in a Modern World

My story, Shamanic Experiences, Shamanism, What is Shamanism?

My Journey into Shamanism

When I first encountered what I now know to be Shamanism, I was a young girl. My mother arranged yearly trips to places which, at that time, were the most unlikely of holiday destinations: Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador – to name a few. On many of these early adventures we saw in living practice what was roughly translated to us as ‘Medicine Men’. It all seemed very exotic and primitive. I naturally concluded that it was only something one would see in places with ancient civilizations, ruins and jungles and I saw no connection to my life in urban North America!

Although I had been transfixed by these experiences on my childhood travels,decades later when I experienced Shamanism right here at home, I could not fathom how it could factor into our modern, technological world. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. After over a decade of Shamanic training and practice, I came to understand that shamanism is not only relevant but it is desperately needed by our society today.

It was a winding, bumpy path…

It was not a smooth or easy transition into the Shamanic world. I felt frequent embarrassment due to my fear that I was just making all of this stuff up in my head. For the first two years of my shamanic training I prefaced every shamanic-related utterance with, ” I know this sounds weird or crazy but…” and then I would proceed to share the information or experience with friends, family or colleagues that had come to me as a result my shamanism practices. Without fail I was greeted, not by the hysterical laughter and finger pointing I was expecting, but by open faces and ready ears. I was astounded by the receptiveness and genuine curiosity people had about what I was doing. Even those few who I was sure would scoff and tease listened without judgement.

It took into my third year to stop my ‘ prefacing’ habit. People were genuinely curious and gravitated to hear more or even seek me out to ask more specific questions. Men, women, kids, lawyers, police officers, ambulance workers, teachers, bankers, engineers – not the usual suspects you’d expect to be open to anything like this – asked questions with sincere interest in the answers. I began to realize that even though we have endless ways in our society to connect with others we instinctively realize that we do not actually feel connected. We sense we are missing some elusive element in order to put a context to our lives.

Context: Shamanism, by its very essence provides context to life…

As I moved along in my training and practice I came to realize Shamanism had quietly but adeptly become the hub into which all the spokes of my life had effortlessly slipped into place. I now had a vocabulary to define unusual personal experiences, some of which I had experienced since I was a girl. It also provided a reference library where I could ask for and find information I needed. There was a new found and enduring calmness because I was starting to see how all things fit together in the most simple yet exquisite manner. A reverence for nature, its power and infinite complexities became part of my everyday consciousness. I had a found a different, and yet strangely natural way of experiencing and viewing life!

The more I connect with others in the Shamanic communities at workshops or drumming circles, the more I hear others share similar sentiments. And the kaleidoscope of people is always thrilling to me! They span the spectrum of humanity: men, women, young adults, gay, straight, corporate, retired, artsy, Hindu, Catholic, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish – every ethnic and professional background you can imagine! Each has found that Shamanism has provided a spiritual loom that guides us in weaving together the unique elements of our lives into a beautiful tapestry of texture and colour that is as original as our fingerprints.

The tenet of service to others is quietly inherent in all shamanic practices. Whether it is providing a healing, doing a divination to provide needed information or helping souls to reach their final destination, for each act you receive as much as you give.

Shamanism has given me a balance in perspective that didn’t exist for me before. Connecting with nature and my helping spirits have made my life more peaceful, patient and fulfilling. I am a better parent now. I am able to assist my daughter to approach life in a more balanced and healthy manner.

If you are looking to further explore Shamanism and other ancient techniques I invite you to book a session so you can experience the wondrous benefits first-hand.

~ Deborah

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What’s In A Name?

My story, Shamanic Experiences, Shamanic Healing, Shamanism, What is Shamanism?

What’s In a Name… Why I chose, The Wired Shaman

Since the dawn of recorded history archaeologists and other researchers have found evidence that shamans and the practice of shamanism were common components in communities all over the world. So, how is it that, at a time when there was no technology nor means of communicating long distances that so many dispersed cultures practiced shamanic rituals that were eerily similar to one another? It was this question that drew me in to learn more about this topic. By doing so, I found my answer through learning the ways of the ancients. In turn, this newfound knowledge brought about yet another question…

Why are so many cultures still practicing shamanism today, while mainstream North American culture does not? Is it because most people have not heard about it? Or perhaps they’ve heard about it but are not sure where to experience it within a context that is familiar and convenient? Always one to scour for solutions – I had a thought: ‘Perhaps putting this topic and access to the shamanic experience within a medium that is familiar and accessible in our modern society is the answer!’

It for this reason that I chose the the name ‘The Wired Shaman’… it is a respectful nod to Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist at CERN, who invented the World Wide Web back in 1989. CERN is a scientific research organization that successfully brought together 22 member countries who have their best and brightest engineers and physicists working together to research and discover the fundamental structure of the universe. The Internet was developed for the purpose of allowing the CERN scientists and engineers to instantly share findings and data so they could move together in understanding the universe, how it came to be and how it works.

By using the medium of the Internet to communicate my message and the lessons, I hope to create a welcoming new portal that will allow you, and others like you, to launch a personal exploration of an ancient practice that spans our planet and may just expand our awareness of this universe and where we fit into it.

So please stay a while and have a good look around. See if Shamanism speaks to you the way it has spoken to so many over thousands of years…. welcome!

~ The Wired Shaman