Nathaniel Mead

In the following viewpoint, Nathaniel Mead raises questions about the safety and efficacy of meditation. Mead, a health writer and frequent contributor to the bimonthly magazine Natural Health, suggests that meditation may actually cause physical and mental problems for some people who use it simply to reduce stress and promote health and well-being.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Mead, why is meditation sometimes "medically ill-advised"?
2. According to the author, how can an activity most people use to calm nerves increase anxiety"

Frank Jones sits cross-legged on a mat, his eyes closed, arms and shoulders limp. Slowly, he tunes in to each part of his body, from head to toe, noting the slightest change or sensation. No matter what he detects—pain, tension, discomfort—he simply lets it enter his awareness, then moves on. Occasionally, he...