The Shocking Truth About Meditation and Why It Won’t Heal Trauma in Empaths
Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by intense feelings, deep in brain fog, feeling paralyzed?
Then, you remember what a therapist, a yoga teacher, or friend said: “Relax. Clear your mind. Try to meditate for 5 minutes.”
Yet, the more you try, the more frustrated you become. The thoughts start:
- “I should be able to relax.”
- “Okay, I’m trying but my mind is drifting all over the place!”
- “Why can’t I just relax?”
I’m here to tell you: Stop trying to clear your mind and start redirecting your mind.
The Research the Wellness Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know
Traditional meditation isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” cure. For trauma survivors, it can actually be a trigger.
The data paints a different picture than your Instagram feed:
- The 60% Rule: A 2025 study of 900 meditators found that roughly 60% experienced adverse effects—including anxiety and traumatic re-experiencing. [1]
- The Risk Factor: Those with childhood adversity showed the highest risk of negative reactions.
- The Scale of Failure: The largest meditation study ever—an $8M investigation of 8,000+ adolescents—found that mindfulness training failed to improve mental wellbeing. [2]
For at-risk individuals, it didn’t just fail—it caused harm.
Yet, this received almost zero media attention. Why? Because “just breathe” is easier to sell than “repair your nervous system.”
Why Traditional Meditation Can Make Trauma Worse
Why does something promoted as a “cure-all” worsen symptoms for so many?
When you try to “empty your mind” or “sit with the present moment,” you often drop the barriers that have kept you safe. Without adequate support, you encounter the very emotions and memories your brain has been working overtime to suppress.
The result isn’t peace—it’s a system overload.
What Trauma Survivors Need Instead: The Joy Reset
Instead of trying to “empty your mind,” try a brain-body reset that works with your nervous system.
Let’s try one right now called the Joy Reset. This practice directs your scattered thoughts to a focused point of positive memory rather than trying to clear the mind.
Step 1: Find Your Joy Moment
Think about one thing that happened in your life that made you smile from ear to ear. It may have been something that happened long ago or recently.
If you’ve been in survival mode coping with intense feelings, you might feel deeply sad or challenged to remember a joy moment. That’s completely normal. Put on a funny animal video for 2 minutes. Something utterly silly. Or watch your favorite comic for a few moments. Anything to naturally bring a smile to your face.
Step 2: Immerse and Breathe
Allow yourself to immerse in the sensation of remembering what made you smile. Consciously take deeper breaths.
Notice your shoulders. Invite them to drop and relax as you sink into the memory of this joy moment.
Notice your stomach. Invite it to relax as you continue to smile. When we smile, our facial muscles signal our brains to release feel-good chemicals like dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin.
Step 3: Stay With It
Stay immersed in the memory of your joy moment. Keep breathing and remembering for five full minutes.
Step 4: Complete the Reset
To end, shake your hands gently and wiggle your toes for 30 seconds. This completes the neurological reset.
Why This Works When Meditation Doesn’t
When you’re experiencing intense emotions from PTSD or trauma, your brain is confusing past and present. The triggered state makes you feel like you’re reliving the trauma right now, even when you’re physically and emotionally safe.
Traditional meditation asks you to sit with whatever arises. For trauma survivors, that often means sitting with terror, fragmentation, rage, sadness, and overwhelm.
The Joy Reset works differently.
You’re giving your brain a specific, positive focal point instead of trying to empty your mind or observe distressing thoughts neutrally. You’re using the power of your mind to redirect your brain chemistry and stop the hijack that leads to states of discombobulation and high anxiety.
Focusing on positive memories along with the power of smiling sends a signal to your brain that you are safe so that your nervous system relaxes.
Start with Joy Today
Stop struggling to relax. Stop forcing yourself to meditate when it clearly doesn’t feel right.
Take a joy reset break instead.
Last, I’m curious: Have you tried traditional meditation and found it made things worse? I’d love to hear your experiences. Comment below or send me a private DM.
REFERENCES:
[1] Van Dam, N. T., Targett, J., Davies, J. N., Burger, A., & Galante, J. (2025). Incidence and predictors of meditation-related unusual experiences and adverse effects in a representative sample of meditators in the United States. Clinical Psychological Science, 13(3), 632–648. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21677026241298269 [2] Montero-Marin, J., Allwood, M., Ball, S., Crane, C., De Wilde, K., Hinze, V., Jones, B., Lord, L., Nuthall, E., Raja, A., Taylor, L., Tudor, K., MYRIAD Team, Blakemore, S.J., Byford, S., Dalgleish, T., Ford, T., Greenberg, M.T., Ukoumunne, O.C., Williams, J.M.G., & Kuyken, W. (2022). School-based mindfulness training in early adolescence: what works, for whom and how in the MYRIAD trial? Evidence-Based Mental Health, 25(3), 117-124. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35820993/Author Kay Hutchinson: Medical qigong practitioner | 22 years creating coherent spaces for healing & innovation | Writing on energy, empath journey, ethics & AI fair exchange | aikihealing.com
Note: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Please consult with your licensed medical professionals regarding trauma, PTSD, and mental health concerns.