Cultivating compassion
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Compassion Popularity Mental health Cognition Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Despite documented personal benefits of meditation, empirical research on its social impact—particularly increases in compassion—is only beginning. |
Abstract
Meditation practices have grown in popularity throughout Western culture over the past thirty years, in part due to an increasing number of scientific studies documenting many personal benefits resulting from meditation. Studies have shown, for example, that meditation improves cognitive capacities, mental health outcomes, and increases gray matter in the brain. Yet little empirical research has investigated the social impact of meditation. A primary goal of meditation-related practices in their spiritual contexts centers on the elimination of suffering and the development of pro-social capacities such as compassion. Although increases in compassionate mental states and behavior should be a primary outcome of meditation, scientists have only recently begun to examine this claim.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 30
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
and 25 more in the library