Meditation potentially capable of increasing susceptibility to epilepsy - a follow-up hypothesis

Abstract

In an earlier article entitled "Meditation may predispose to epilepsy: an insight into the alteration in brain environment induced by meditation" published in Medical Hypotheses 2005:64(3):464-7, the author has hypothesized that meditation exerts predisposing influence on epileptogenesis. The hypothesis is based on certain EEG changes and electrographic features (namely hypersynchrony and coherence of EEG activity) and increase in chemical transmitters (namely glutamate and serotonin) in the brain during the course and attainment of meditation. This paper aims to further strengthen the hypothesized predisposing influence of meditation on epilepsy by providing stronger evidences and with more elaboration. Studies on meditators have reported various adverse outcomes and one such study has indeed revealed significantly higher incidence of complex partial epileptic-like signs and experiences in a large number (n = 221) of meditators compared to non-meditators (controls n = 860), the researcher claiming "cognitive kindling" by meditation to be the underlying basis. These studies thus do highlight and underscore the strong influence of meditation in increasing susceptibility to epilepsy.