Undertaking Mahamudra practice without adequate guidance or inner stability can subtly distort the very purpose of the path. One common danger is to reify meditative experiences: temporary calm, bliss, clarity, or even a kind of blankness may be mistaken for genuine realization, which in turn can inflate a subtle sense of “being a realized meditator.” This easily feeds what is sometimes called spiritual materialism, where experiences are collected as achievements and used to reinforce the very ego-structure the practice is meant to soften. Closely related is the tendency to fabricate or force special states, rather than simply recognizing the natural awareness that Mahamudra points toward.

Another significant risk lies in psychological destabilization. Turning attention inward without preparation can intensify unresolved anxiety, depression, or trauma, and may lead to panic, confusion about identity, or a sense of unreality. Instead of fostering clarity, the practice can slide into dissociation or emotional flatness, where responsibilities and relationships begin to feel distant or irrelevant. In such a state, “resting in awareness” can become a way of bypassing difficult emotions rather than integrating them, and the practitioner may lose healthy discriminating wisdom under the banner of “non-conceptuality.”

There is also the danger of misunderstanding the view that underpins Mahamudra. Teachings on emptiness and no-self, if approached without grounding, can be interpreted nihilistically, giving rise to apathy or a sense that nothing matters. Conversely, they may be misconstrued in a way that subtly affirms an eternal witness or a fixed “pure awareness,” which undermines the intended insight. When such misreadings are combined with a premature adoption of “everything is perfect as it is,” ethical sensitivity can erode, and harmful behavior may be rationalized with notions like “it is all just mind” or “no doer, no deed.”

Finally, the absence of proper guidance often means bypassing the traditional safeguards that protect this path. Foundational practices such as ethical discipline, compassion, and basic concentration may be neglected, and the practitioner may attempt advanced methods while underestimating entrenched habits and emotional patterns. This can lead to discouragement, energetic or somatic imbalance, and a widening gap between meditative experiences and everyday conduct. Without the steadying influence of qualified instruction and gradual training, the practice that is meant to reveal natural awareness can instead foster confusion, imbalance, and a loss of genuine spiritual direction.