Meditation is no longer seen solely as a spiritual practice, or as an obsession of minority groups. It’s a regular exercise – a tool with proven benefits for your health, mind and psychological well-being. In fact, meditation is a now-a billion dollar industry; As a result, there are many people looking for creative ways to take advantage of this, and you will come across meditation scams here and there.
There are plenty of good meditation teachers and programs available. But there are also some that you should avoid. It could be challenging to see the difference, especially if you are a beginner in the practice. In this article I share some guidelines that can help you better choose your teacher/program.
There are those who believe that meditation should never be charged, and that it should be taught on a donation basis within the confines of spiritual or contemplative traditions (I disagree).
At the other end of the spectrum, we have those who view it as just another popular self-help technique, and will attempt to adapt, brand and market it as much as possible, insisting on the uniqueness of their technique . or approach. They may also try to “catch the wave” by adding the word “meditation” or “mindfulness” to things that aren’t really meditation. This only adds to the confusion.
For me it has always been a matter of finding the middle ground. In this case, we remain true to the traditions that developed these amazing instruments, sticking to the techniques that have stood the test of time for centuries, and presenting them in a pragmatic, non-sectarian and secular way – so that people from all walks of life can benefit from this, regardless of any faith or belief system.
We will now explore the different ways in which meditation is presented to the world in a moment unhelpful way – all the way from naive but misleading Unpleasant fraudulent and scam. I see these pop up from time to time, and I worry about those who come into contact with them and have a negative experience with meditation practice as a result.
[NOTE: This article generated some controversy, especially among teachers of meditation/mindfulness. Some loved it, some got upset. So it is worth clarifying that I write this article from a place of concern/disappointment with what is starting to happen to the meditation “industry”—and not from a place of anger.
I believe that there are many paths for one to become an authentic and helpful meditation teacher. But there are also traits that are not helpful—either because the intention behind it is not in sync with the spirit of meditation, or the execution isn’t. Beginners looking to learn meditation may not be aware of the difference, so here I share my view on these things, and what I would like to know if I was a beginner seeking a teacher/program.]
Meditation by amateurs
In this category we have people who are really interested in meditation, passionate about the idea and want to share it with others. Their dream could be to make money teaching meditation and help many people learn this valuable practice. But they don’t have much experience with meditation and haven’t studied it in depth. It is not integrated into their personality.
So far so good. You have to start somewhere, right?
From this point there are two possible routes.
In the first case, they dive into meditation and try to learn everything they can. They develop a strong personal practice of at least one hour of formal meditation per day. They learn from authentic and traditional sources – whether spiritual or secular. They go to retreats. They strive for it live the exercise. Ideally, they will train to become meditation teachers. And over time, they begin to share meditation with the world – in a sincere, humble and respectful way.
In the second In that case, they are in a hurry to “make it work.” They believe that meditation is something very simple to learn and teach, and that there is great value in putting their own spin on it. They are influenced by internet marketers and half-baked motivational speakers who preach ‘live your passion’, ‘everyone is an expert’ and ‘establish yourself as an authority in your field’.
Even if they are beginners in the practice itself, let alone the experience of it education it – they start acting like they are great teachers. Or at least they give this impression. They speak with certainty and authority, present themselves as go-to experts in the field, create YouTube videos, set up a fancy website, and start selling ebooks for $1.95 on Amazon — or, worse, a $997 ‘Meditation Transformation’ package.
It is incredibly difficult to make a living from meditation while remaining genuine with yourself and truly helping your audience. But when you try shortcuts, the result is usually not good – especially for society.
Meditation scams
There are also individuals and groups who present meditation in a scam manner. That may be so
- financially motivated marketers or entrepreneurs, who know exactly what they are doing (but rationalize that it is good for countless reasons)
- misguided spiritual leaders who lead groups that are not far removed from a cult
I wish I could give some examples, but that would make this essay much more controversial than it should be, and it would also help make those scammers more popular. So to avoid a lot of frustration, a string of 237 comments, and maybe some lawsuits, I’ll keep this discussion at a more abstract level.
Once meditation became mainstream, some people began to view it the same way they would any other product: “How can I sell this better than others? How can I ensure that meditation becomes better, faster and cheaper?I cringe as I write these words….
“In the West, people want lighting to be quick, easy and, if possible, cheap!” – Dalai Lama
The truth is that meditation has been around for over 5,000 years. It was developed by groups of people who had nothing else to do in life but meditate 24 hours a day and explore contemplative techniques. The chance that a 21st century city dweller will invent or discover a ‘more powerful’ way of meditating is therefore virtually zero.
But how can they convince you to pay a hefty sum of money to learn it unless they say so?
The idea of secret techniques, hacks and shortcuts is very attractive – especially to the ‘fast food’, instant gratification mentality that prevails in modern society. And that’s why these meditation promises can be so attractive, and many fall for them.
“More mindfulness in less time.”
“Achieve enlightenment through our proven system!”
“Meditate like a Zen master without years of practice…”
Below are some common characteristics of meditation fraud. A group, organization, product, or course doesn’t have to have all of these to be considered a scam, but if you see any of these elements, consider it a warning sign.
(On the other hand, I have noticed that some authentic meditation groups also exhibit some of these characteristics – but it is often a case of dogmatism and narrow-mindedness rather than fraud.)
Consider it a red flag if they:
- promote their meditation technique unique, superior or more effective than other techniques. Or perhaps the ‘one and only way to meditate’, or ‘the best’. They will certainly give you a whole host of wonderful reasons to support their claims.
- try to convince you that all other meditation techniques are not for you, or are very difficult to practice, while their technique is “effortless and simple”. They want to convince you that their technology is a shortcut and that you get “more for less”.
- don’t teach their meditation in public, but keep it secret, protected behind a kind of paywall. You can’t try it without spending money.
- use exaggerated language to talk about the benefits of their approach, and what it will do for you.
- don’t answer basic questions about the practice and what else is involved until you become a member.
- are offered by an anonymous organization, or by someone who has no in-depth experience and is not a true practitioner of the art.
- charge a huge price to teach you how to meditate.
- pressuring you to join/pay now.
- invented/discovered the technology themselves – even worse if they did named the meditation after them. Or they claim an obscure link with an age-old contemplative tradition, but that cannot really be verified.
- portray itself as a secular organization but secretly promote religious practices and beliefs.
Likewise, doing these things is exactly one of the ways to “make millions with meditation” – adopt as many of these points as you can, in ways most people wouldn’t suspect.
There is no magic secret to meditation. It just takes time to learn it well. But if you have the right teacher, you can enjoy the journey from the start and experience some benefits early on.
How can you learn real meditation?
Photo by Natalie Baxter
You need to find a real teacher or organization, whether secular or spiritual.
What about learning to meditate through apps, books, courses and videos? The same principles apply: look who’s behind it.
Not all meditation teachers are created equal. Make sure you learn from someone with a solid personal practice, good knowledge and experience in meditation, and the ability to teach it well. The more they have integrated meditation into their own lives, the deeper the learning and transformation you can have.
(For more guidance on how to identify a good meditation teacher, see this article.)
Here I’ve explored some warning signs that you should be aware of so you don’t waste your time and money. As with everything else in life, we have to do our research until we find what we are looking for. And in this process we must beware of scams, amateurs and half-baked teachers – and there will be more of these as the demand for meditation increases.
Hopefully you are now better informed during this journey.
If you’ve had a bad introduction to meditation, don’t let that put you off. Meditation is a treasure. It can provide dozens of benefits to your health, performance, life and well-being. I know that’s true for me.
Don’t let your experience with a particular method or teacher keep you from practicing meditation. That’s like saying all relationships suck because you just got out of a bad relationship.
There are hundreds of different ways to meditate, and many different approaches to teaching it. Taking the time to discover which one will serve you best will pay off in several ways.
Please part this article to help raise awareness and keep meditation clean and sacred for everyone.