Healing yourself may feel hard, even impossible—until you do it, and see others doing it too!
Brandy Gillmore is an international best-selling author, keynote speaker, and leading mind-body healing expert whose groundbreaking work has been recognized worldwide. On the Heal Yourself. Change Your Life.™ podcast, she works with real live callers who are struggling with pain and illness — many of whom have already tried everything from meditation and positive thinking to diet, supplements, and traditional treatments, yet are still suffering.
Through her unique process, Brandy shows people how to harness the incredible power of their own minds to create radical healing results — many times in just minutes! Each episode gives you front-row access to these extraordinary transformations, along with practical tools and spiritual insights you can use to shift your own health, energy, and life.
If you're seeking answers in self-healing, chronic pain recovery, mind-body healing, metaphysics, spirituality, consciousness, or personal growth, this podcast will open your mind and heart to what's truly possible. Join Brandy on this inspiring journey of empowerment, awakening, and genuine transformation.
For additional support and resources, visit BrandyGillmore.com
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Questions (IQ): The Hidden Key Behind Meditation: When It Works, When It Doesn't & When It Backfires (IQ. 285)
Season 1 · Episode 537
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 • Duration 54:57
Meditation is widely celebrated for its benefits, but what if some of the most important factors behind why it works are different from what most people think?
What if understanding these hidden factors could help you achieve better results in your health and life by understanding your mind on a deeper level?
And what if these same insights could help you recognize warning signs, avoid potentially harmful patterns, and make meditation more effective?
Most people are surprised to learn that meditation can have adverse effects, and that some of these effects have actually been documented in medical research.
But that's only part of the story.
In this eye-opening episode, Brandy Gillmore shares fascinating insights from her own research into the mind-body connection, including the hidden key that may help explain why meditation works for some people, doesn't work for others, and sometimes even backfires.
After years of extensive research, Brandy uncovered surprising insights that transformed the way she approached healing, emotional patterns, and creating lasting change.
In this episode, you'll discover:
The hidden key behind meditation: An often-overlooked factor that could completely change how you think about meditation.
When meditation works—and when it doesn't: Why the answer may be more surprising than you think.
The warning signs you might be missing: How can something that feels so peaceful sometimes work against you?
Why Brandy stopped meditating: What she discovered after years of extensive practice, despite absolutely loving meditation.
A surprising difference that matters: Why two seemingly similar mind practices may produce very different results.
The Intentional Meditation Protocol (IMP): Three simple steps to help you become more intentional and evaluate whether your practice is truly serving you.
Whether you're an experienced meditator, just getting started, or exploring the power of your own mind, this episode offers a fresh perspective that may change the way you approach meditation, healing, and transformation!
For a deeper look at the medical research on meditation side effects, listen to the previous episode and show notes here:
Important Note: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please continue to consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider as recommended.
Click here to view our full disclaimer- https://brandygillmore.com/terms/.
This podcast and all related content are provided solely for personal, noncommercial use. No portion may be copied, recorded, transcribed, closely paraphrased, adapted, repackaged, distributed, taught, or used to create or support any course, coaching program, training, certification, product, service, or derivative content without prior written permission.
This content may not be uploaded to, entered into, stored in, used by, or incorporated into any artificial-intelligence, machine-learning, voice-cloning, digital-replica, data-training, or related system.
By accessing, listening to, viewing, downloading, or otherwise using this content, you agree to our Intellectual Property and Content Use Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the content.
Self-Healing Insights: Could a Past Relationship Be Holding You Back From Healing? ( Samantha | Ep. 364)
Season 1 · Episode 536
Thursday, October 22, 2026 • Duration 11:26
What if emotions from a relationship that ended years ago were still affecting you in ways you never realized?
In this powerful episode, Brandy works with a beautiful volunteer who begins the session at approximately a level 7 to 8 in pain. About 30 minutes later, she is almost afraid to say what she is experiencing because she can hardly believe it herself...
Her pain is nearly gone.
But what unfolded during the session was about much more than physical pain.
As Brandy works with her, several surprising emotional patterns begin to surface, including patterns connected to a past relationship, feeling alone, and the way she has been approaching the next chapter of her life.
And one of the most fascinating insights is that the shift was not simply about relaxing or calming down.
Something very different needed to change.
As the session progresses, you can actually hear her energy begin to transform. She moves from tears and feeling stuck to laughter, possibility, strength, and excitement about her future.
And along the way, her pain continues to change.
This episode raises an important question:
Can we physically move on from something while emotionally remaining connected to it?
And if so, what might become possible when that pattern finally changes?
If you have ever felt stuck after a difficult relationship, struggled to completely move forward, or wondered just how powerful your own mind may be, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
You may be surprised by what emerges, and by what this beautiful volunteer discovers she is capable of.
→ Continue Your Self-Healing Journey
Questions (IQ): Worried About AI and the Future? (IQ. 284)
Season 1 · Episode 535
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 • Duration 11:38
Have you been experiencing AI anxiety, fear of AI, or worry about what artificial intelligence could mean for your future, career, or job?
More and more people are feeling stressed, discouraged, or even stuck because of frightening predictions about the future of AI, job loss, and how quickly technology is changing.
In this episode, Brandy shares a grounded mindset shift to help you navigate fear about AI and the future without ignoring legitimate concerns or pretending that everything will magically be fine.
Instead, it is about recognizing the difference between staying informed and taking intelligent action versus becoming so consumed by fear that you stop building your life today.
Brandy explores several powerful examples, including Y2K, major technological changes, and what she witnessed during COVID, when some people became so discouraged about the future that they stopped taking care of themselves or working toward the life they wanted.
She also shares how this same principle showed up during her own healing journey. When her future felt hopeless, discouragement kept her stuck. But when she began opening her mind to a different possibility, she also began looking for answers, learning, growing, and taking action.
The message is simple:
You do not have to know exactly how the future will unfold to keep creating a future you are excited to live.
If you have been wondering how to stop worrying about AI, how AI could affect jobs, or how to stay grounded and optimistic as technology changes, this episode offers an empowering way to think about uncertainty, growth, action, and your future.
Brandy Gillmore's Mind-Body Healing: Scientific Research
Self-Healing Insights: The Hidden Reason Some Diets Work ( Kera | Ep. 363)
Season 1 · Episode 534
Thursday, October 15, 2026 • Duration 20:21
Have you ever changed your diet, started feeling better, and thought, Finally—I found what works… only to have the results change later?
There may be more happening than we realize.
What if the foods you eat—and the way you relate to them—could shift your emotions from day to day in ways that affect your stress, guilt, happiness, and even how you feel physically?
When most people think about emotional eating, they think about eating when stressed, sad, or overwhelmed.
But our emotional relationship with food can go much deeper than that—and can sometimes be surprisingly connected to feelings of safety, control, guilt, identity, worthiness, or belonging.
In this episode, Brandy works with a beautiful volunteer who had been struggling with ongoing stomach and digestive issues for years. What emerged was fascinating: she had grown up in a very strict, sheltered environment—and later found herself gravitating toward a very strict, structured way of eating.
As they looked deeper, that structure around food appeared to provide something emotionally familiar: a feeling of safety and control when life itself felt uncertain.
And that raises an important question:
When a diet seems to "work," is it always only the food that changed—or could something else have shifted at the same time?
Brandy shares several surprising examples that may completely change the way you think about food, emotions, healing, and the subconscious mind.
If you've ever felt like you were chasing the "perfect diet," this episode may help you look at the puzzle from an entirely different angle.
→ Continue Your Self-Healing Journey
Listen to the Full Volunteer Self-Healing Session
Questions (IQ): Meditation Side Effects: What Everyone Needs to Know (IQ. 283)
Season 1 · Episode 533
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 • Duration 24:53
Last week, I shared my own unexpected experience with meditation.
I had practiced meditation for years—and I genuinely loved it. It felt peaceful, spiritual, and incredibly good. But over time, I began realizing that I had also experienced some unexpected side effects that I hadn't recognized at first.
And throughout the years, as I've worked with more and more people, I've seen some of these same types of experiences come up again and again.
That's one reason I periodically like to talk about meditation-related side effects.
In my own life, it did not feel good to eventually realize that I had become increasingly detached and disconnected from life. And if sharing my experience and this information can help even one person recognize something sooner than I did, then to me, it's worth talking about.
That does not mean I'm telling people to meditate or not to meditate.
It simply means:
Be aware. Be informed. Pay attention to what your mind is doing.
Last week, I shared some of the unexpected side effects I personally experienced. And interestingly, almost every time I talk publicly about this subject, I hear from some people who teach meditation asking me not to talk about the potential side effects because they're concerned it will scare people away from meditation.
But I see it differently.
I don't believe honesty and transparency should scare people away from something.
I believe transparency empowers people and builds trust.
And I don't want to participate in withholding information simply because somebody may not like hearing it.
To me, the right thing to do is acknowledge both sides:
Yes, meditation and mindfulness practices can have documented benefits.
Medically documented potential benefits of meditation/mindfulness Medically documented or clinically reported adverse effects Anxiety and emotional effects Cognitive effects Perceptual effects Depersonalization and sense-of-self effects Motivation and behavioral effects Sleep-related effects Physical/somatic effects Social and occupational effects Severe psychiatric outcomes documented in case literature
Self-Healing Insights: Could a Need for Control Be Affecting Your Healing? ( Martin | Ep. 362)
Season 1 · Episode 532
Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 13:33
When people think about mind-body healing, they often look for trauma, fear, stress, or something painful from the past.
But what if there are other emotional patterns that can be surprisingly easy to overlook?
In this episode, Brandy shares insights from an extraordinary session with a volunteer named Martin, who had been diagnosed with MS and was struggling with several physical limitations—including difficulty straightening his hands.
As Brandy began working with him, they uncovered several emotional patterns beneath the surface.
And one of them was especially unexpected.
Martin is an incredibly caring, loving person. But that desire to help others had sometimes become very intense—showing up as a need to control situations, beliefs, and even the people around him.
As they began working with these deeper patterns, something happened physically that genuinely shocked him: during the session, Martin was able to straighten a hand that he said he had previously been unable to straighten fully.
In this episode, you'll discover:
• Why mind-body healing may involve much more than identifying trauma • How caring intentions can sometimes become mixed with control or intensity • Why rejection, hurt, and other emotional patterns can become intertwined • The importance of creating a genuine deeper change rather than only thinking positively • What happened during Martin's session that surprised even him
The bigger takeaway is that sometimes the pattern we need to change is not the one we expect.
And when we become willing to honestly identify what is happening beneath the surface—and genuinely transform it—it can open the door to profound changes in the way we feel, relate to others, and experience our lives.
→ Continue Your Self-Healing Journey
Listen to the Full Volunteer Self-Healing Session
Questions (IQ): Could Meditation Be Affecting You More Than You Realize? (IQ. 282)
Season 1 · Episode 531
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 • Duration 14:45
Most people think of meditation as something that is calming, healthy, spiritual, and beneficial.
Brandy did too.
In fact, she absolutely loved meditation. She practiced it for years…several times a day..and describes it as feeling peaceful, euphoric, spiritual, and incredible.
But around 2008–2009, something unexpected began happening.
At first, she didn't even realize what was going on.
And when she eventually recognized what her mind was doing, it raised a surprising question:
How could something that felt so good also be affecting her mind in a way she hadn't recognized?
That experience ultimately changed the way Brandy began working with her mind. Pasted markdown
And in the years since, research examining meditation-related adverse effects has continued to grow.
For example, researchers at Brown University have specifically studied meditation-related adverse effects and the challenges involved in recognizing and accurately measuring them. Brown University
• What unexpectedly began happening after years of meditation • Why she didn't recognize it at first • Why repeated mental practices may affect the mind in ways we don't immediately notice • What growing research is examining regarding meditation-related adverse effects • One important thing to pay attention to if meditation is part of your regular practice • Why Brandy ultimately began working with her mind in a very different way
Self-Healing Insights: Could Feeling Left Out Be Affecting Your Healing? ( Linda | Ep. 361)
Season 1 · Episode 530
Thursday, October 1, 2026 • Duration 12:52
Have you ever felt left out, disconnected, or unable to participate in life because of a health issue?
It can be easy to think:
"Once I heal, then I'll finally be able to connect, participate, and do the things I want to do."
But what if there is something important hidden inside that very pattern?
In this episode, Brandy shares a counterintuitive insight that came up while working with a beautiful volunteer who had been struggling with multiple health issues—and also had a longstanding pattern of feeling left out and disconnected.
What surfaced during their work together reveals an important mind-body healing catch-22 that can be incredibly easy to overlook.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why the emotional pattern surrounding a health issue may be important to look at differently
How "I'll feel better once I heal" can sometimes keep people looking in the wrong direction
Why loneliness, disconnection, fear, or other emotional patterns may need to be addressed at a deeper level
The difference between surface-level positive thinking and creating a real internal change
Why changing the deeper pattern can affect far more than just the original problem
So often, people search the past asking, "What trauma created this?"
But sometimes, an important part of the pattern is also happening right now—and the health issue itself may be reinforcing the very emotions someone is trying to escape.
That is what makes this insight so counterintuitive.
And when you begin identifying and genuinely changing those deeper patterns, it can open the door to a completely different way of approaching healing, connection, happiness, and life.
→ Continue Your Self-Healing Journey
Questions (IQ): Are You Hard on Yourself? This Simple Insight Can Help (IQ. 281)
Season 1 · Episode 529
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 • Duration 07:30
Have you ever been really hard on yourself because you didn't do something perfectly?
Maybe you made a mistake, handled something differently than you wanted, or found yourself thinking you should have done better.
And even when you know being hard on yourself isn't helping… it can still be surprisingly difficult to stop.
But what if there is a completely different way to look at imperfection, growth, and the expectations you place on yourself?
In this quick IQ episode, Brandy shares one simple perspective shift that can help you stop approaching growth through criticism—and begin looking at yourself and your progress in a much more loving and empowering way.
You'll discover:
Why being hard on yourself may not actually help you grow
A different way to look at mistakes and imperfections
How to continue improving without beating yourself up along the way
Why self-kindness doesn't mean giving up on growth
One simple insight that can completely shift the way you see yourself
You don't have to stop growing.
You don't have to stop improving.
But you may be able to do it in a completely different way—one that feels lighter, more supportive, and a lot more loving.
Listen to this episode for one simple insight that may change the way you approach yourself from here forward.
Brandy Gillmore's Mind-Body Healing: Scientific Research
Self-Healing Insights: Could Hidden Guilt Be Fueling Your Anxiety? (Lauren | Ep. 360)
Season 1 · Episode 528
Thursday, September 24, 2026 • Duration 10:21
Have you ever experienced anxiety that you just couldn't seem to shake?
Maybe you've tried to identify every fear, worry, stressful experience, or past hurt…
and yet the anxious feelings continue.
What if there is another emotional layer underneath that you haven't thought to look for?
In this episode, Brandy shares a counterintuitive insight from working with a beautiful volunteer who had been struggling with anxiety for approximately 17 years.
She had spent years trying to understand the fear and anxious feelings, yet still felt stuck. But as Brandy began working with her mind in a different way, her emotional state began to shift dramatically.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why anxiety may sometimes have emotional layers underneath the obvious fear or worry
How guilt can remain hidden even when it doesn't seem logical
Why repeatedly searching for more fear or trauma may not always uncover the full pattern
How multiple emotions can become intertwined beneath anxiety
Why identifying the specific emotional pattern can create a very different opportunity for change
The takeaway is that anxiety is not always what people think it is.
And one of the reasons people can struggle with it for years…or even decades, is that there may be an underlying emotional mechanism that has never been fully identified or addressed.
When those deeper layers are finally uncovered and changed, everything can begin to shift.
And yes, it does take real change—not just trying to think differently on the surface.
But when you identify what is really happening underneath and begin changing it at a deeper level, it can open the door to a completely different level of emotional freedom, love, connection, and transformation.
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Important Note: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please continue to consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider as recommended.
Click here to view our full disclaimer- https://brandygillmore.com/terms/.
This podcast and all related content are provided solely for personal, noncommercial use. No portion may be copied, recorded, transcribed, closely paraphrased, adapted, repackaged, distributed, taught, or used to create or support any course, coaching program, training, certification, product, service, or derivative content without prior written permission.
This content may not be uploaded to, entered into, stored in, used by, or incorporated into any artificial-intelligence, machine-learning, voice-cloning, digital-replica, data-training, or related system.
By accessing, listening to, viewing, downloading, or otherwise using this content, you agree to our Intellectual Property and Content Use Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the content.
Important Note: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please continue to consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider as recommended.
Click here to view our full disclaimer- https://brandygillmore.com/terms/.
This podcast and all related content are provided solely for personal, noncommercial use. No portion may be copied, recorded, transcribed, closely paraphrased, adapted, repackaged, distributed, taught, or used to create or support any course, coaching program, training, certification, product, service, or derivative content without prior written permission.
This content may not be uploaded to, entered into, stored in, used by, or incorporated into any artificial-intelligence, machine-learning, voice-cloning, digital-replica, data-training, or related system.
By accessing, listening to, viewing, downloading, or otherwise using this content, you agree to our Intellectual Property and Content Use Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the content.
Important Note: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please continue to consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider as recommended.
Click here to view our full disclaimer- https://brandygillmore.com/terms/.
This podcast and all related content are provided solely for personal, noncommercial use. No portion may be copied, recorded, transcribed, closely paraphrased, adapted, repackaged, distributed, taught, or used to create or support any course, coaching program, training, certification, product, service, or derivative content without prior written permission.
This content may not be uploaded to, entered into, stored in, used by, or incorporated into any artificial-intelligence, machine-learning, voice-cloning, digital-replica, data-training, or related system.
By accessing, listening to, viewing, downloading, or otherwise using this content, you agree to our Intellectual Property and Content Use Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the content.
And yes, meditation-related adverse effects have also been documented and clinically reported.
Both can be true.
That is the heart of today's episode.
I also share some practical examples of why these effects can be surprisingly difficult to recognize—including how something can actually feel good or relieving in the moment while potentially reinforcing a pattern you may not realize is developing.
We explore:
Why something that feels beneficial can sometimes have an unintended downside
Why relief and genuine transformation are not necessarily the same thing
How I personally began to recognize a pattern of "checking out"
Why the timing of meditation may matter for some people
How meditation may affect presence and connection in everyday life
The difference I see between checking out through meditation and intentionally visualizing the life and emotional state you want to create
Why understanding what your mind is repeatedly practicing can be so important
And why I believe the goal is not simply to escape stress, but to identify what is creating it and genuinely transform it
One of the biggest questions I encourage you to ask is:
"What is this repeatedly training my mind to do?"
Because ultimately, my hope is not to tell you what to think about meditation.
My hope is to help you become even more informed and empowered with your own mind.
Below, I've included a research-based list of potential benefits associated with meditation and mindfulness, as well as documented or clinically reported adverse effects, so you can see both sides and explore the information for yourself.
The evidence is strongest for some psychological and symptom-management outcomes, and weaker or mixed for others.
Reduced anxiety symptoms. Mindfulness-based interventions have performed better than no treatment in multiple studies and, in some analyses, comparably to established treatments, although results vary by intervention and study quality. NCCIH
Reduced depressive symptoms. This is one of the better-supported clinical uses of mindfulness-based approaches. NCCIH
Reduced psychological stress/distress. Evidence supports improvements in perceived stress and psychological distress in a variety of populations, although effect sizes and study quality differ substantially. NCCIH
Improved sleep quality / reduced insomnia symptoms. Meta-analyses of randomized trials have found improvements in sleep quality and some measures of insomnia. PubMed
Chronic-pain management. Meditation may produce small improvements in chronic pain, pain-related depression, quality of life, and sometimes pain tolerance. Evidence is considerably less consistent for acute pain. PubMed
Improved quality of life in some chronic-pain populations. PubMed
Possible reduction in blood pressure. Recent reviews of adults with elevated blood pressure or hypertension report reductions in systolic and, in several trials, diastolic blood pressure, though methodological limitations remain. PubMed
Reduced PTSD symptoms in some populations. NCCIH notes evidence of benefit, including trials in veterans, although this does not establish that meditation is appropriate for every trauma survivor. NCCIH
Help with substance-use recovery/craving management. Mindfulness-based programs may help people recognize cravings and reduce automatic responses to them. NCCIH
Improved eating behavior. Studies have reported improvements in binge eating, emotional eating, and restrained eating patterns. NCCIH
Possible modest assistance with weight management when meditation is included within broader mindfulness programs. NCCIH
Reduced anxiety/depression and improved mental well-being in some people with cancer. NCCIH
Some cognitive benefits. A large meta-analysis of 111 randomized trials found small-to-moderate improvements in several outcomes, including global cognition, executive attention, working-memory accuracy, inhibition, cognitive shifting, sustained attention, and subjective cognitive functioning. PubMed
However, another meta-analysis found no significant overall improvement in attention, working memory, or long-term memory, with only a small executive-function benefit. So the cognitive literature is not entirely consistent. PubMed
A 2020 systematic review examined 83 studies involving 6,703 meditators. Fifty-five of the 83 studies reported at least one meditation-related adverse event. The pooled estimate was 8.3%, although prevalence differed dramatically by study design. The most commonly reported categories were anxiety, depression, and cognitive anomalies. PubMed
NCCIH now explicitly acknowledges this review and says there are too few harm studies to make definitive statements about meditation's safety. NCCIH
The documented/reported adverse experiences include:
Anxiety
Increased fear
Panic attacks
Paranoia
Depression
Dysphoria
Grief
Agitation
Irritability
Rage
Anger
Aggression
Emotional instability/lability
Increased emotional sensitivity/reactivity
Emotional flattening
Emotional detachment
Alexithymia-like difficulty accessing emotions
Increased guilt or shame
Other intensified self-conscious emotions
Uncontrollable crying or laughing
Re-emergence of emotionally charged psychological material
Re-experiencing traumatic memories
Traumatic flashbacks
Suicidal thoughts/behaviors in some reports
These categories appear in systematic reviews and Brown's detailed phenomenological work. PLOS
Documented/reported changes include:
Difficulty concentrating
Impairment in executive functioning
Memory problems
Increased or racing thoughts
Unusually accelerated cognitive processing
Vivid or intrusive imagery
Confusion
Changes in worldview that become destabilizing
Disintegration of conceptual meaning—things or ideas no longer seeming to connect normally
Obsessive ethical/religious thinking or scrupulosity
Altered metacognition
Excessive mental stillness that can become impairing rather than beneficial
Changes in clarity of thought, sometimes experienced negatively
Delusional beliefs
Irrational beliefs
Paranormal interpretations associated with impaired reality testing
Brown's study specifically describes executive-function difficulties as including inability to sustain concentration and problems with memory. PLOS
Reported effects include:
Hallucinations
Visual hallucinations
Auditory or other hallucinations
Visions
Illusions
Seeing lights
Heightened visual vividness
Sensory hypersensitivity
Increased sensitivity to sound
Increased sensitivity to light
Increased sensitivity to bodily sensations
Changes in body perception
Distorted perception of body parts
Distortions of time
Distortions of space
Objects appearing to dissolve
Temporary loss/cessation of ordinary visual perception in some meditation states
Derealization—the world feeling unreal, dreamlike, flat, foggy, or altered PLOS
Reported changes include:
Depersonalization
Altered self-world boundaries
Altered self-other boundaries
Loss of ordinary sense of self
Loss of a basic sense of self
Loss or alteration of sense of agency
Feeling that actions/thoughts are no longer fully one's own
Altered embodiment
Feeling disconnected from the body
Loss of sense of ownership over thoughts, sensations, or experiences
Changes in one's personal narrative or identity
Clinical literature has reported meditation-related depersonalization serious enough to require treatment. PLOS
Loss of motivation
Avolition
Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities
Anhedonia
Changes in personal goals
Changes in motivation toward work or ordinary life
Excessive striving around meditation
Difficulty reintegrating into ordinary life following intensive practice PubMed Central (PMC)
Changes in relationship with one's meditation community
Difficulty functioning at work
Occupational impairment
Difficulty reintegrating after intensive meditation or retreats
In some cases, increased sociality—which is not inherently adverse but can accompany broader destabilizing changes PubMed Central (PMC)
These are much less common, and causation is harder to establish, but they are medically documented:
Acute psychosis
Psychotic symptoms
Mania
Mania with psychotic features
Exacerbation of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders
Schizoaffective presentations
Severe depersonalization/derealization
Psychiatric hospitalization
Severe functional deterioration
Suicidality
A review by psychiatrists from India, Nepal, and the U.S. identified 28 cases across 19 reports of psychotic disorders occurring in association with meditation. The authors were careful to say that case reports alone cannot prove causation, and some cases included contributing factors such as insomnia, fasting, previous mental illness, stress, or psychoactive-drug use. PubMed
Recent Indian case series have also reported psychiatric illness following meditation, including psychosis and mania. PubMed
Additional Research Mentioned in This Episode
A PET study examining Yoga Nidra meditation found increased endogenous dopamine release in the ventral striatum during meditation, corresponding to a reported 65% increase in endogenous dopamine release.
Important Note: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please continue to consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider as recommended.
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This podcast and all related content are provided solely for personal, noncommercial use. No portion may be copied, recorded, transcribed, closely paraphrased, adapted, repackaged, distributed, taught, or used to create or support any course, coaching program, training, certification, product, service, or derivative content without prior written permission.
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Important Note: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please continue to consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider as recommended.
Click here to view our full disclaimer- https://brandygillmore.com/terms/.
This podcast and all related content are provided solely for personal, noncommercial use. No portion may be copied, recorded, transcribed, closely paraphrased, adapted, repackaged, distributed, taught, or used to create or support any course, coaching program, training, certification, product, service, or derivative content without prior written permission.
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This is not about saying meditation is good or bad—or telling you whether you should or shouldn't meditate.
It's about becoming more aware of what your mind is actually doing.
Because something can feel beneficial in one way while there may also be another effect occurring that isn't immediately obvious.
And the more we understand the mind, the more intentionally we can work with it to create greater clarity, presence, happiness, healing, and transformation.
If meditation is part of your life, this is one episode you'll definitely want to hear.
Important Note: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please continue to consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider as recommended.
Click here to view our full disclaimer- https://brandygillmore.com/terms/.
This podcast and all related content are provided solely for personal, noncommercial use. No portion may be copied, recorded, transcribed, closely paraphrased, adapted, repackaged, distributed, taught, or used to create or support any course, coaching program, training, certification, product, service, or derivative content without prior written permission.
This content may not be uploaded to, entered into, stored in, used by, or incorporated into any artificial-intelligence, machine-learning, voice-cloning, digital-replica, data-training, or related system.
By accessing, listening to, viewing, downloading, or otherwise using this content, you agree to our Intellectual Property and Content Use Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the content.
Important Note: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please continue to consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider as recommended.
Click here to view our full disclaimer- https://brandygillmore.com/terms/.
This podcast and all related content are provided solely for personal, noncommercial use. No portion may be copied, recorded, transcribed, closely paraphrased, adapted, repackaged, distributed, taught, or used to create or support any course, coaching program, training, certification, product, service, or derivative content without prior written permission.
This content may not be uploaded to, entered into, stored in, used by, or incorporated into any artificial-intelligence, machine-learning, voice-cloning, digital-replica, data-training, or related system.
By accessing, listening to, viewing, downloading, or otherwise using this content, you agree to our Intellectual Property and Content Use Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the content.
Important Note: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please continue to consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider as recommended.
Click here to view our full disclaimer- https://brandygillmore.com/terms/.
This podcast and all related content are provided solely for personal, noncommercial use. No portion may be copied, recorded, transcribed, closely paraphrased, adapted, repackaged, distributed, taught, or used to create or support any course, coaching program, training, certification, product, service, or derivative content without prior written permission.
This content may not be uploaded to, entered into, stored in, used by, or incorporated into any artificial-intelligence, machine-learning, voice-cloning, digital-replica, data-training, or related system.
By accessing, listening to, viewing, downloading, or otherwise using this content, you agree to our Intellectual Property and Content Use Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the content.
Important Note: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please continue to consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider as recommended.
Click here to view our full disclaimer- https://brandygillmore.com/terms/.
This podcast and all related content are provided solely for personal, noncommercial use. No portion may be copied, recorded, transcribed, closely paraphrased, adapted, repackaged, distributed, taught, or used to create or support any course, coaching program, training, certification, product, service, or derivative content without prior written permission.
This content may not be uploaded to, entered into, stored in, used by, or incorporated into any artificial-intelligence, machine-learning, voice-cloning, digital-replica, data-training, or related system.
By accessing, listening to, viewing, downloading, or otherwise using this content, you agree to our Intellectual Property and Content Use Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the content.
