Investigating the Psychophysiological Effects of Tonglen Compassion Meditation in Healthcare Workers
Catherine I. Andreu, Joana Vidal, Ylenia D’elia, Óscar Lecuona, Rosa M Baños, Gonzalo Brito-Pons, Philippe R. Goldin, Ausiàs Cebolla
Mindfulness June 3, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-025-02601-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Healthcare workers |
| Intervention | Tonglen meditation |
| Duration | 15-minute intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Tonglen meditation significantly increased heart rate variability, compassion state, and affective responses to suffering compared to a control condition. |
Abstract
Compassion is a valuable, trainable skill which can bring significant benefits to oneself and others. One method for developing compassion towards others is Tonglen, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation which involves taking in suffering from others and sending them well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychophysiological outcomes of Tonglen meditation in healthcare workers, a population who have frequent contact with the suffering of others. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to listen to a 15-min audio of either guided Tonglen meditation, or a story in the control condition, and completed assessments before and after. The results showed that, compared to the control condition, Tonglen significantly increased heart rate variability, compassion state, and affective responses to suffering. This is the first study to show the acute effectiveness of Tonglen in healthcare workers. Results suggest a potential general applicability of this active compassion meditation to populations experiencing empathic distress and burnout. This study was preregistered in Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/x7yh4).
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- A qualitative investigation of social service workers’ experiences with compassion training in the workplace Frontiers in Psychology February 2, 2026
- A preliminary study on the effectiveness of a virtual reality system to enhance Tonglen compassion practice Virtual Reality June 19, 2026
- Autonomic indicators of self-transcendence: insights from the numadelic VR paradigm. Neuroscience of Consciousness April 22, 2026
Cites 6
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2015
- Energizing compassion: using music and community focus to stimulate compassion drive and sense of connectedness. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- Mapping complex mind states: EEG neural substrates of meditative unified compassionate awareness. Consciousness and Cognition January 2018
and 1 more in the library