MDMA (ecstasy) and compassionate imagery both increase self-compassion and reduce self-criticism in recreational users. In a non-blind experiment, participants who consumed ecstasy showed similar pro-social effects to those produced by a contemplative compassion exercise, particularly in those with higher attachment-related avoidance. The findings suggest MDMA may enhance psychotherapy by fostering compassionate attitudes toward oneself. However, because the study was not blinded and drug purity was unknown, controlled trials with pharmaceutical-grade MDMA are needed to confirm these effects.
In a naturalistic setting, recreational users who consumed chemically verified MDMA performed a self-focused compassionate imagery exercise on two separate occasions: once after taking MDMA and once without. The exercise and MDMA each independently increased emotional empathy toward critical facial expressions and self-compassion, and their effects on self-compassion appeared to add together. The findings suggest that combining MDMA with compassionate imagery may enhance self-directed affiliative feelings, though controlled studies are needed to confirm the combined utility for therapeutic contexts.
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) combined with a brief self-compassion mental imagery training (SC-MIT) produced a larger acute increase in state self-compassion and mindfulness than either intervention alone in healthy adults. Over eight daily sessions, tVNS plus SC-MIT showed accumulating effects on mindfulness but not self-compassion. Self-criticism and attentional bias toward compassionate faces were influenced only by the type of imagery training, not by stimulation. Heart rate variability was unaffected by any condition. The findings suggest tVNS may enhance meditation-based psychotherapies, while oculomotor metrics appear sensitive to self-compassion training.