9 Common Meditation Difficulties (And How to Fix Them)

Meditation has the potential to change your life—but let’s be honest, sometimes it’s weird. It can dredge up sides of you that don’t feel peaceful at all. And while it’s often sold as calming or blissful, a lot of people come away from meditation feeling worse.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why is meditation making me feel worse?”—you’re not alone. I hear this all the time. In my years as a meditation coach, I’ve helped people work through all kinds of meditation struggles. Below are the eight most common ones I see.

This is a pillar post—so I’ll keep each section short. If something hits home, there’s a deeper guide you can click into. Most points are also covered in my guide How To Meditate Properly.

Why Meditation Can Feel Uncomfortable

Meditation can feel uncomfortable because it brings awareness to thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that are usually ignored. This can include anxiety, fatigue, emotional release, or even dissociation. While these experiences can feel negative, they are often part of the mind and body processing deeper patterns.

Most Common Meditation Difficulties Beginners Face

1. Dissociation

This one’s big—and honestly, kind of scary. I’ve helped people stop dissociating from trauma and issues like BPD, but I’ve also seen how certain meditations can actually cause dissociation. It usually happens when someone zeroes in on just one narrow slice of their experience—like breath or thought—and blocks everything else out. Mindful breathing, body scanning, even Vipassana… they can all become dissociative if practiced in the wrong way.

Buddha actually warned us about this. In the Satipatthana Sutta, he described four foundations of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind, and mental objects. Trouble starts when we focus on one and ignore the rest.

In my own teaching, I’ve found that body awareness is key. It keeps the practice grounded and embodied, instead of spacing you out or pulling you above yourself.

2. Dizziness

Some people get dizzy during meditation. It’s more common than you’d think. And it’s usually not a sign of spiritual awakening—it’s almost always a breath or posture issue.

One of my students, Dave, felt lightheaded every time he sat down to practice. In our first session, we adjusted his posture and focused on diaphragmatic breathing. That one tweak changed everything. He told me it was the first time in years he could meditate without feeling like the room was spinning.

Dizziness is usually a fixable problem  and is often fixed as easily as getting a good meditation chair—but if you don’t catch it, it can be discouraging enough to make you quit.

3. Feeling Tired

People often tell me, “Meditation makes me tired.” But most of the time, meditation isn’t causing the fatigue—it’s just revealing it. We’re so used to pushing through life that we forget how exhausted we really are. The moment we get still, our body says, “Hey, I’ve been running on empty.”

That said, sometimes meditation does directly lead to tiredness—especially if something emotional breaks open. One student of mine, Sarah, had a huge emotional release in a session. She felt wiped out afterward. But that night she slept deeply, and the next day she told me she felt like she’d been reborn—like a weight she didn’t even know she was carrying had finally been lifted.

4. Depersonalization / Derealization

These are forms of dissociation, but they’re specific enough to deserve their own section. Depersonalization feels like you’re watching your life from the outside. Derealization makes the world feel unreal—like a dream.

Certain meditations can accidentally trigger these states. Self-inquiry practices can challenge your identity in a way that destabilizes you. Vipassana often trains us to repeat things like, “This is just a sound,” or  “This is just a sensation.” Over time, that can flatten your experience and leave you feeling disconnected from reality.

The solution isn’t to stop meditating—it’s to rebalance. Bring in more body awareness. Include emotional tone. Use all four foundations of mindfulness—not just thoughts or breath.

One easy solution to depersonalization is to see yourself in third person.

5. Anger

It surprises people, but yes—meditation can make you angry. I’ve seen it. Sometimes it’s just frustration. Your mind won’t shut up, or you can’t focus. But sometimes it’s deeper. Meditation slows you down just enough for buried thoughts or feelings to rise to the surface. And when they do, they don’t always come up quietly. The good news? That’s the point.

Meditation isn’t supposed to numb you. It’s supposed to show you. And when anger shows up, it’s an invitation to meet it—not push it back down.

6. Crying or Strong Emotions

Crying in meditation isn’t a breakdown. It’s a breakthrough. When we sit still, the walls come down. The nervous system softens. And sometimes, tears just show up—out of nowhere. Not because you’re sad. Just because you’re finally feeling something. I’ve had students cry halfway through a session without knowing why. But afterward, they always say the same thing: “I feel lighter.”

7. Escapism

This one’s sneaky—and I’ve done it myself. For years, whenever I felt overwhelmed, I’d meditate. I told myself I was doing something healthy. But the truth? I was using meditation to avoid what needed to be faced. Meditation made me feel better, but it didn’t help me do better. That’s the line. Eventually, I realized: the goal isn’t to escape. The goal is to prepare. Now, I use meditation to get steady before I act—not instead of acting. That shift changed everything.

8. Not Knowing If It’s Working

This one’s subtle, but it’s everywhere. People ask me all the time: “How do I know if meditation is working?” It’s not always obvious. You might not feel peaceful. You might not have a spiritual experience. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t working. Meditation is often quiet. Its benefits show up after the session—in how you handle stress, how you pause before reacting, how you notice your own patterns. It’s not fireworks. It’s a shift. And it’s real.

9: Seeing Visions

Seeing visions in meditation isn’t an inherent problem, however it definitely can be distracting and perhaps even disturbing depending on the nature of the visions. The best solution is to learn about the psychology of visions and what they might mean.

More challenges I’ve helped people through

• Meditating with restless legs
• Meditation causing panic attacks

Quick Summary

– Meditation can sometimes feel uncomfortable or even distressing

– Common issues include dissociation, fatigue, anger, and emotional release

– These experiences are usually normal and manageable

– Small adjustments to technique can make a big difference

If meditation feels wrong, it doesn’t mean you should quit—it means you should adjust.

Is It Normal to Struggle With Meditation?

Yes. Many people experience challenges when they start meditating, including restlessness, emotional discomfort, or confusion. These are not signs of failure—they are part of learning how your mind works. With the right guidance and adjustments, meditation becomes easier and more effective over time.

Struggling With Meditation? Let’s Fix It Together

Most meditation problems aren’t random—they come from using the wrong technique for your mind and nervous system.

In my private sessions, I help you:

– Stop negative side effects like dizziness or dissociation

– Find techniques that actually feel good and safe

– Build a meditation practice that works in real life

If meditation has been frustrating or confusing, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Book a private session and finally make meditation work for you.

Closing Thoughts

If meditation has made you dizzy, dissociated, tired, angry, tearful, confused, or numb—you’re not alone. It doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means something’s moving. Meditation isn’t one-size-fits-all. But it can be shaped to fit you. Each of these struggles is workable. And most of the time, the fix isn’t complicated—it’s just not talked about enough. If any of this sounds familiar, click through to the deeper guides. I’ll show you how to adjust your practice so it actually supports your nervous system—and your life.

Do note that although rare there are also some side effects of meditation.

Paul Harrison

Paul Harrison is a meditation teacher with 25 years of experience and a deep passion for helping others. Known for his empathy and authentic approach, he’s dedicated to guiding individuals and teams toward mindfulness, clarity, and well-being.