Has anyone here experienced severe depression, mania, or other side effects while on the spiritual path?   There's a whole bunch of research being done on the topic. I personally believe that contemplative practices can lead to various types of side effects that resemble depression and other mental health disorders. Here's one such article on the topic. Common terminology include dark night, dispassion and disenchantment, dukkha-nanas, etc.   It is believed that insight into impermanence, no-self, and suffering can lead to such issues, and that these issues are considered a normal and even expected occurrence. Modern psychology professionals aren't trained to recognize the challenges that contemplatives encounter and often diagnose spiritual practitioners with mental health disorders, when in fact, practitioners have merely arrived at a crossroad on the path.