– Acem Meditation and mental health
More than 120,000 people have learned Acem Meditation over 60 years. On the beginner's course, thorough instruction is given in the method; it is safe and secure, and the course teachers have extensive training behind them. In 2024, among others, the Financial Times published a series of articles about the Goenka method, another meditation technique practiced over ten days at so-called "Goenka Vipassana Silent Retreats". The articles describe serious adverse effects such as acute psychoses. To avoid confusion between the possible adverse effects of the techniques, here follows a review of important differences between Vipassana Silent Retreats and Acem Meditation.
Acem Meditation is a method for daily relaxation, processing of impressions and, in the longer term, a more realistic and nuanced self-understanding. The method gives peace of mind and more energy. By means of a meditation sound repeated in the mind, a physical and mental relaxation response is released. Thoughts, feelings and other impressions are allowed to come and pass. This processes residues of the day and stress from everyday life. Afterwards one feels more alert and ready to begin again from a new standpoint.
Acem Meditation increases contact inwardly, and sometimes it may be a little uncomfortable to feel how one really is. This is called paradoxical effects in Acem's meditation pedagogy. Examples are muscular tension, bodily pain, restlessness, unpleasant memories or negative thoughts. They are typically short-lived and subside during the meditation or shortly afterwards. Such paradoxical effects are completely harmless and an important part of the meditation process, in that they help process impressions and prevent stress.
Four scientific studies have shown that the relaxation during Acem Meditation goes deeper than merely relaxing with closed eyes without any method, in terms of resting heart rate, heart rate variability and brain function. Regular practice reduces stress levels and helps restlessness and negative thoughts settle down. This has been shown in three controlled studies of altogether 225 people with different types of stress challenges who have completed beginner's courses in Acem Meditation. There were no serious adverse effects.
An early study commissioned by Swedish health authorities found no evidence that forms of meditation related to Acem Meditation predispose to serious mental illness. Among patients admitted to closed psychiatric wards in Sweden in 1972-74, only 8 of 35,000 Swedes who at that time had learned TM (transcendental meditation) were represented. This means that admission among the meditators was 100-200 times less frequent than in the rest of the population. These observations indicate that it is safe to learn and practice meditation, and this agrees well with Acem's experience over all these years.
As mentioned, the media have described a number of negative effects of Goenka's Vipassana meditation practiced on ten-day Silent Retreats. It is mentioned that some participants develop confusion/psychosis, serious depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. The causes of the negative effects are probably complex, with several possible risk factors.
First, the Vipassana technique requires a high degree of concentration and attention. This may be psychologically burdensome. It is difficult and tiring to gain control over unwanted thoughts and feelings. One may easily get the feeling of not mastering it. In contrast, Acem Meditation recognizes that the stream of thoughts and bodily sensations are part of the process. This makes it easier to achieve relaxation and self-acceptance.
Second, it is described that participants at Vipassana Silent Retreats come unprepared "in from the street" without instruction in the technique. They are immediately set to demanding meditations totalling ten hours per day in silence. This contrasts with Acem's pedagogy, where the meditation technique is learned in a beginner's course with thorough instruction, practice of the technique for 30 minutes twice daily, and discussion of each person's experiences. One receives thorough information about results and paradoxical effects before possibly trying longer meditations on retreat.
Third, the media coverage indicates that participants receive only limited guidance in handling the challenges of the long meditations at the Vipassana retreats. In cases of sleep problems and other symptoms of psychological strain, standardized answers are given, such as "You should just continue meditating." Participants are encouraged not to talk to one another. They may be isolated and left to themselves for days.
The described arrangement at the Vipassana retreats contrasts with Acem's practice of guidance from a qualified course teacher after every meditation of more than one hour. On-site guidance makes it easy to clarify any misunderstandings about the method and to receive advice about reducing meditation time or other relevant measures. Participants in Acem's beginner's courses and retreats are also encouraged to share experiences of how the meditation is experienced and how it may be adapted to each person's everyday life.
Meditation can have a good effect against symptoms of stress and reduced mental health, such as tension, reduced concentration, poor sleep, negative moods and lack of energy. This presupposes that one receives thorough teaching and guidance, as with Acem Meditation. Such methods are not considered therapy, but can be a good support in mental and physical illness. Health authorities in the USA and Spain regard meditation as safe, as long as one has a realistic understanding of what results one can expect and receives competent guidance in how the different methods work. In this way, Acem Meditation can contribute to better mental health within a safe and secure framework.
Øyvind Ellingsen
Acem Meditation Initiator. Professor emeritus of Cellular Cardiology and Consultant in internal medicine, Clinic of Cardiology, St Olav’s University Hospital/NTNU, Trondheim NO. Research on health effects of physical activity and the physiology of meditation.