I’m Scared of Meditating – Here’s Why
I’ve been meditating for more than 20 years now. But to this day there are still times when I am scared to meditate. My mind gets it twisted and thinks that somehow, meditation will harm me. This actually isn’t as crazy as it sounds. In fact, being anxious about meditation is fairly normal, especially for beginners.
Naturally many of us fear the unknown and that’s no different the first time you meditate. It’s especially jarring if you’re the type of person who rarely rests, rarely sits silently, and always distracts themselves with noise. In that case, you’ll be very unfamiliar with the type of introspection that meditation brings, and you might find it quite intense the first few times. Don’t worry though because I’ll share the solution to this in just a moment.
It’s not just beginners who find meditation scary, though. Those with a history of trauma might sometimes experience occasional flashbacks and unwanted thoughts while meditating. That’s why I wrote a guide to meditating safely with trauma. And finally, there are times when you might have been deliberately distracting yourself from something painful, in which case you might fear the clarity that meditation brings.
So what do we do about all this fearfulness?
What To Do If You’re Scared To Meditate
Firstly, it’s important to note that meditation is extremely unlikely to harm you in any way. Although there are some rare side effects, meditation is incredibly safe. As such we can conclude that our fears are unfounded, and we can handle them as such.
Should you still feel too anxious to meditate, take it slow. Tell yourself that you’re just going to meditate for a couple of minutes the first time. You can always increase it later, but for now it’s best to just start, so set a very small goal just to get started.
Once we begin meditating, we want to work with fear the same way we work with other emotions. Notice where the fear lives in your body — often the solar plexus. Let it be there. Don’t attack it with thoughts like “this shouldn’t be happening” orp “something’s wrong with me.” That only reinforces the alarm. Remind yourself, it’s just a sensation, it’s okay to feel this.
Try placing a hand there and gently reassuring yourself: “It’s okay. I’m here. We can handle this.” Let the body feel safe first.
That is meditation. You’re already doing it. And when the fear softens, you can continue — right where you are.
Be gentle. Nothing is wasted. Even this is part of the path.
If the fear still does not abate, I’d highly recommend looking at your technique. Some forms of meditation, such as Vipassana, can cause unwanted experiences such as dissociation or even visions. The solution here is simply to change the technique that you’re using-I recommend switching to a technique in which your eyes are slightly open, such as Zazen.
Finally, consider working with a teacher like me. It feels very reassuring to know that there is a professional instructor there to support you.
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.
