East Meets West
Agnes M.F. Wong
Oxford University Press eBooks December 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1093/med/9780197551387.003.0005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Compassion/loving-kindness training |
| Key findings | Argues that mindfulness practices (focused attention, open monitoring) modulate attention, limbic, and default mode networks, preparing the brain for compassion/loving-kindness training, which increases receptivity to others' emotions, positive affect and reward processing, and prosocial motivation. Contends that "compassion fatigue" is a misnomer because empathic distress and compassion rely on distinct neural systems, and that compassion is both innate and trainable through neuroplasticity. |
Abstract
In this chapter, the author explores the relevant brain networks and their plasticity in response to mindfulness and compassion training. The chapter begins by reviewing how foundational mindfulness practices, in the form of focused attention and open monitoring, set the stage for compassion/loving-kindness training by modulating attentional resources (in the attention networks), regulating emotion processing and control (in the limbic system), and altering self-referential processing (in the default mode network). The author then reviews the unique effects of compassion/loving-kindness training on different brain areas that result in increased receptivity to others’ emotions, enhanced positive affect and reward processing, and increased motivation for prosocial connection. The author shows that “compassion fatigue” is a misnomer because the neural mechanisms underlying empathic distress and compassion are distinct, with empathic distress activating the brain network involved in pain processing and compassion activating the pleasure and reward system. The author concludes that compassion is both innate and a trainable skill, exerting its effects through neuroplasticity.