Meditation-induced psychosis.
BACKGROUND
Meditation is a self-regulatory psychological strategy that is frequently applied in Western as well as non-Western countries for different purposes; little is known about adverse events.


METHODS
A male patient is described who developed an acute and transient psychosis with polymorphic symptomatology after meditating. A literature search for psychotic states related to meditation was carried out on PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo.


RESULTS
In the case presented a diagnosis of acute polymorphic psychotic disorder was made. Other case reports dealt with either a relapse of a pre-existent psychotic disorder or with a brief psychotic reaction in patients without a psychiatric history.


CONCLUSIONS
Meditation can act as a stressor in vulnerable patients who may develop a transient psychosis with polymorphic symptomatology. The syndrome is not culture bound but sometimes classified in culture-bound taxonomies like Qi-gong Psychotic Reaction.
Kuijpers
H J H
HJ
Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands.
van der Heijden
F M M A
FM
Tuinier
S
S
Verhoeven
W M A
WM
D000328:Adult; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation / Q000523:psychology*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013577:Syndrome