Brain Activation During Compassion Meditation: A Case Study
Maria Engström, Birgitta Söderfeldt
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1089/acm.2009.0309 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | One experienced Tibetan Buddhist compassion meditator (B.L.) |
| Intervention | Compassion meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Insula Feeling Empathy Compassion Supplementary motor area Prefrontal cortex Anterior cingulate cortex Audiology Cognition |
| Citations | 66 |
| Key findings | Compassion meditation activated the left medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, right caudate/insula, and left midbrain near the hypothalamus. |
Abstract
Objectives: B.L. is a Tibetan Buddhist with many years of compassion meditation practice. During meditation B.L. uses a technique to generate a feeling of love and compassion while reciting a mantra. The aim of the present study was to investigate the neural correlates of compassion meditation in 1 experienced meditator.
Methods: B.L. was examined by functional magnetic resonance imaging during compassion meditation, applying a paradigm with meditation and word repetition blocks.
Results: The most significant finding was the activation in the left medial prefrontal cortex extending to the anterior cingulate gyrus. Other significant loci of activation were observed in the right caudate body extending to the right insula and in the left midbrain close to the hypothalamus.
Conclusions: The results in this study are in concordance with the hypothesis that compassion meditation is accompanied by activation in brain areas involved with empathy as well as with happy and pleasant feelings (i.e., the left medial prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate gyrus).