#705: Dr. Willoughby Britton — The Hidden Risks of Meditation, Overlaps with Psychedelic Risks, Harm Reduction Strategies, How to Choose a Retreat, Near-Death Experiences, and More

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Willoughby Britton, PhD is a clinical
psychologist, an associate professor of psychiatry and human
behavior at Brown University Medical School, and the director of
Brown’s Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory.


Her clinical neuroscience research investigates the effects of
contemplative practices (meditation) on the brain and body in the
treatment of mood disorders, trauma, and other conditions. She is
especially interested in which practices are best- or
worst-suited for which types of people or conditions and why. She
is probably best known for her research on adverse effects—why
they happen and how to mitigate them.


Dr. Britton is the founder of Cheetah House, a
nonprofit organization that provides evidence-based information
and support for meditators in distress as well as meditation
safety trainings to providers and organizations. 


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[05:55] Where did Willoughby’s interest in meditation begin?


[09:47] Discovering a link between meditation and insomnia.


[11:51] Challenging assumptions about meditation as a purely
beneficent practice.


[13:29] Awakening is not a metaphor.


[17:40] Can mindfulness be too much of a good thing?


[19:46] My personal experience with meditation defying positive
expectations.


[28:04] Undesirable consequences of meditation are more common
than you probably think.


[30:03] What makes some people more vulnerable to the potential
dangers of meditation than others?


[45:53] Altered states as a deviation from baseline.


[46:38] The impact of diet on meditation.


[48:21] The neuroscience behind psychedelics and meditation.


[52:53] The dangers of combining psychedelics and meditation.


[54:36] Choosing and vetting the ideal meditation retreat.


[59:39] When being a high achiever is a risk factor.


[1:04:21] Does Willoughby currently practice any forms of
meditation?


[1:07:04] When meditation compromises cognition.


[1:10:45] Duration of symptoms and duration of impairment.


[1:11:41] Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD).


[1:12:50] Differences between meditation-related and
psychedelic-related adverse events.


[1:15:31] The origin of Cheetah House.


[1:17:52] Ideological power and scaffolding.


[1:25:54] Willoughby’s self-care.


[1:29:47] Resources for people seeking relief from
meditation-related adverse effects.


[1:34:43] Institutional betrayal and the empathy that comes from
being humbled.


[1:37:12] Advice for aspiring psychedelic healers.


[1:39:33] Near-death experiences (NDEs).


[1:50:18] Parting thoughts, and the Dalai Lama’s response to
Willoughby’s meditation research.


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