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Conklin QA, Zanesco AP, King BG, Epel ES, Saron CD. Changes in peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin during a silent month-long Insight meditation retreat. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1345527. [PMID: 38863930 PMCID: PMC11165068 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1345527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Given its putative roles in mediating prosocial behavior, attachment bonds, and stress physiology, oxytocin modulation has been hypothesized to be a biological correlate of the salubrious effects of meditation practice. Here we investigated the effects of a month-long silent meditation retreat on changes in oxytocin, and the related hormone and vasopressin, in relation to psychosocial changes in attachment style, anxiety, personality measures, and feelings of social connectedness with fellow meditators. Methods Plasma oxytocin and vasopressin and self-report questionnaires were measured in retreat participants (n = 28) at the beginning of, and 3 weeks into, a residential meditation retreat. Control participants (n = 34), who were similar in age, gender, and meditation experience, were also assessed across a 3-week interval. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess outcomes. Results The retreat group showed a small but significant decrease in oxytocin compared to controls who showed no change. In the retreat group, higher openness to experience at Time 1 predicted greater reductions in oxytocin during the retreat, and lower oxytocin at Time 2 was related to stronger feelings of personal connection with fellow meditators. The changes in oxytocin were not related to attachment style or anxiety. Vasopressin decreased over time across both groups, suggesting no specific effect of retreat. Conclusion These preliminary findings suggest that meditation training in the context of a silent residential retreat may reduce circulating levels of oxytocin. We interpret this finding from multiple theoretical perspectives, discussing key measurement limitations and proposing future study designs that may help to differentiate the effects of different meditation practices and contexts on oxytocin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn A. Conklin
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Anthony P. Zanesco
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Brandon G. King
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Clifford D. Saron
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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2
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Wilson-Mendenhall CD, Dunne JD, Davidson RJ. Visualizing Compassion: Episodic Simulation as Contemplative Practice. Mindfulness (N Y) 2023; 14:2532-2548. [PMID: 37982041 PMCID: PMC10655951 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-022-01842-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Contemplative interventions designed to cultivate compassion are receiving increasing empirical attention. Accumulating evidence suggests that these interventions bolster prosocial motivation and warmth towards others. Less is known about how these practices impact compassion in everyday life. Here we consider one mechanistic pathway through which compassion practices may impact perception and action in the world: simulation. Evidence suggests that vividly imagining a situation simulates that experience in the brain as if it were, to a degree, actually happening. Thus, we hypothesize that simulation during imagery-based contemplative practices can construct sensorimotor patterns in the brain that prime an individual to act compassionately in the world. We first present evidence across multiple literatures in Psychology that motivates this hypothesis, including the neuroscience of mental imagery and the emerging literature on prosocial episodic simulation. Then, we examine the specific contemplative practices in compassion-based interventions that may construct such simulations. We conclude with future directions for investigating how compassion-based interventions may shape prosocial perception and action in everyday life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John D. Dunne
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Richard J. Davidson
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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3
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Kindness-informed allyship praxis. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL 2023. [DOI: 10.1108/edi-06-2021-0145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
PurposeThis paper explores intergenerational perceptions of kindness in the context of Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and the COVID-19 global pandemic. The purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate perceptions of kindness in the context of traumatic events and its potential value in authentic allyship in organizational environments.Design/methodology/approachAuthors interviewed 65 individuals (31 self-identifying as non-racialized and 34 self-identifying as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour aka BIPOC). Participants included Generation Z (Gen Z; born between 1997–2012/5) and Generation Y (Gen Y; also referred to as Millennials, born between 1981 and 1994/6) across North American, Europe and Africa. Millennials currently represent the largest generation in the workplace and are taking on leadership roles, whereas Gen Z are emerging entrants into the workplace and new organizational actors.FindingsThe paper offers insights into how to talk about BLM in organizations, how to engage in authentic vs performative allyship and how to support BIPOC in the workplace. The study also reveals the durability of systemic racism in generations that may be otherwise considered more enlightened and progressive.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors expand on kindness literature and contribute theoretically and methodologically to critical race theory and intertextual analysis in race scholarship.Practical implicationsThe study contributes to the understanding of how pro-social behaviours like kindness (with intention) can contribute to a more inclusive discourse on racism and authentic allyship.Originality/valueAuthors reveal the potential for kindness as a pro-social behaviour in organizational environments to inform authentic allyship praxis.
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4
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Embodied empathy and abstract concepts' concreteness: Evidence from contemplative practices. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
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5
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Cole C, Mummery J, Peck B. Professionalising care into compliance: The challenge for personalised care models. Nurs Inq 2022:e12541. [DOI: 10.1111/nin.12541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Cole
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine Australian Catholic University Fitzroy Victoria Australia
| | - Jane Mummery
- School of Arts and Education Federation University of Australia Ballarat Victoria Australia
| | - Blake Peck
- School of Health Sciences Federation University of Australia Ballarat Victoria Australia
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6
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Plasma oxytocin is modulated by mental training, but does not mediate its stress-buffering effect. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 141:105734. [PMID: 35367715 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Based on its role in social processing and stress, oxytocin has been suggested to mediate stress reduction of socio-affective, compassion-based mental training. We tested this hypothesis in the ReSource Project, a 9-month longitudinal mental training study. Participants practiced three different types of mental training, targeting either attentional abilities (Presence Module), socio-affective or socio-cognitive abilities (Affect and Perspective Modules). We investigated plasma oxytocin levels, and their link to cortisol and subjective reactivity to acute psychosocial stress as a function of previous mental training (n = 313). In a subsample (n = 113), to better understand oxytocin's involvement in the effects of socio-affective training, we explored oxytocin, cortisol and subjective experiential responses to a single Loving-kindness Meditation (LKM) conducted after three months of Affect training (versus rest without prior training). We found that, independent of mental training, stress triggered acute oxytocin release. Following a single LKM, however, acute oxytocin release was unaffected. Training effects were only found in overall oxytocin release during both, stress and LKM. Compared to no training, 3-month compassion-based Affect training decreased overall oxytocin levels in the context of psychosocial stress, but increased overall oxytocin levels during LKM. Training-induced changes in overall oxytocin were unrelated to cortisol and subjective stress reactivity. Based on Quintana and Guastella's (2020) theory of oxytocin as an allostatic hormone with anticipatory properties, we interpret training-induced changes in overall oxytocin levels as alterations in the anticipated emotional relevance of specific events. After training socio-affective skills for three months, the stressful situation may have lost its emotional saliency, whereas the meditation technique itself gained emotional relevance. We conclude that changes in peripheral oxytocin release do not mediate stress reduction after mental training, and encourage the investigation of an allostatic concept of oxytocin in future research.
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7
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Telke S, Leininger B, Hanson L, Kreitzer MJ. A Randomized Trial of 21 Days of Loving Kindness Meditation for Stress Reduction and Emotional Well-being Within an Online Health Community for Patients, Family, and Friends Experiencing a Cancer Health Journey. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE 2022; 28:158-167. [PMID: 35167360 DOI: 10.1089/jicm.2020.0512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: CaringBridge (CB) is an online health community for people undergoing challenging health journeys. Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM) is a systemized mind-body approach developed to increase loving acceptance and has previously been reported to increase resilience in the face of adversity. Materials and Methods: Results of a randomized controlled trial of immediate compared with deferred 21-day LKM intervention in an online community are reported. The deferred group received LKM intervention after a waiting period of 3 weeks. Inclusion criteria were >18 years old, ability to understand English, willingness to participate in a mind-body practice, and use of CB for a cancer journey. Change in perceived stress, self-compassion, social connectedness and assurance, and compassionate love scales from baseline to 21 days was assessed. Results: Of the 979 participants included in the study, 649 (66%) provided 3-week follow-up data and 330 (49%) self-reported engaging in the LKM practice 5 or more days/week. Participants in the immediate LKM group reported medium effect size improvement in stress (0.4), self-compassion (0.5), and social connectedness (0.4) compared with the deferred LKM group. Changes in perceived stress and self-compassion were larger in magnitude and increased with more frequent engagement in LKM. Conclusions: The immediate LKM group showed improvements in stress, self-compassion, and social connectedness compared with the deferred control group. Differential study retention rates by treatment arm and self-reported engagement in LKM subject the results to selection bias. Future research of similar interventions within online health communities might pay greater attention to promoting intervention adherence and engaging a more diverse economic and racial/ethnic population. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05002842).
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Telke
- Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Brent Leininger
- Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Linda Hanson
- Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mary Jo Kreitzer
- Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Alaerts K, Taillieu A, Prinsen J, Daniels N. Tracking transient changes in the intrinsic neural frequency architecture: Oxytocin facilitates non-harmonic relationships between alpha and theta rhythms in the resting brain. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 133:105397. [PMID: 34481326 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Shifts in the peak frequencies of oscillatory neural rhythms have been put forward as a principal mechanism by which cross-frequency coupling and decoupling is implemented in the brain. This notion is based on the mathematical reality that neural oscillations can only fully synchronize when their peak frequencies form harmonic 2:1 relationships (e.g., f2=f1/2). Non-harmonic cross-frequency relationships, on the other hand (based on the irrational golden mean 1.618.:1), provide the highest physiologically possible desynchronized state (reducing the occurrence of spurious, noisy, background coupling), and are therefore anticipated to characterize the resting state of the brain, in which no selective information processing takes place. The present study sought to assess whether the transient occurrence of 1.6:1 non-harmonic and 2:1 harmonic relationships between peak frequencies in the alpha (8-14 Hz) and theta (4-8 Hz) bands - respectively facilitating states of decoupling or coupling between oscillatory rhythms - are impacted by the intranasal administration of a single-dose of oxytocin (OT) or placebo. To do so, continuous resting-state electroencephalography (5 min eyes open, 19 electrodes) was obtained from 96 healthy adult men before and after nasal spray administration. The transient formation of non-harmonic cross-frequency configurations between alpha and theta peak frequencies was significantly increased after OT nasal spray administration, indicating an effect of OT on reducing the intrinsic occurrence of spurious (noisy) background phase synchronizations during resting-state. As a group, the OT group also showed a significant parallel increase in high-frequency and decrease in low-frequency heart rate variability, confirming a homeostatic role of OT in balancing parasympathetic drive. Overall, non-harmonic cross-frequency configurations have been put forward to lay the ground for a healthy neural network allowing the opportunity for an efficient transition from resting state to activity. The observed effects of OT on cross-frequency dynamics are therefore interpreted to reflect a homeostatic role of OT in increasing the signal-to-noise properties of the intrinsic EEG neural frequency architecture, i.e., by precluding the occurrence of 'noisy', unwanted, spurious couplings among neural rhythms in the resting brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Alaerts
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Aymara Taillieu
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jellina Prinsen
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicky Daniels
- KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Tervuursevest 101 box 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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9
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Alexander R, Aragón OR, Bookwala J, Cherbuin N, Gatt JM, Kahrilas IJ, Kästner N, Lawrence A, Lowe L, Morrison RG, Mueller SC, Nusslock R, Papadelis C, Polnaszek KL, Helene Richter S, Silton RL, Styliadis C. The neuroscience of positive emotions and affect: Implications for cultivating happiness and wellbeing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 121:220-249. [PMID: 33307046 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This review paper provides an integrative account regarding neurophysiological correlates of positive emotions and affect that cumulatively contribute to the scaffolding for happiness and wellbeing in humans and other animals. This paper reviews the associations among neurotransmitters, hormones, brain networks, and cognitive functions in the context of positive emotions and affect. Consideration of lifespan developmental perspectives are incorporated, and we also examine the impact of healthy social relationships and environmental contexts on the modulation of positive emotions and affect. The neurophysiological processes that implement positive emotions are dynamic and modifiable, and meditative practices as well as flow states that change patterns of brain function and ultimately support wellbeing are also discussed. This review is part of "The Human Affectome Project" (http://neuroqualia.org/background.php), and in order to advance a primary aim of the Human Affectome Project, we also reviewed relevant linguistic dimensions and terminology that characterizes positive emotions and wellbeing. These linguistic dimensions are discussed within the context of the neuroscience literature with the overarching goal of generating novel recommendations for advancing neuroscience research on positive emotions and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Alexander
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia; Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Oriana R Aragón
- Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA; Clemson University, 252 Sirrine Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Jamila Bookwala
- Department of Psychology and Program in Aging Studies, Lafayette College, 730 High Road, Easton, PA, USA
| | - Nicolas Cherbuin
- Centre for Research on Ageing, Health, and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia
| | - Ian J Kahrilas
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA
| | - Niklas Kästner
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestraße 13, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Alistair Lawrence
- Scotland's Rural College, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, United Kingdom; The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Leroy Lowe
- Neuroqualia (NGO), Truro, NS, B2N 1X5, Canada
| | - Robert G Morrison
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA
| | - Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Christos Papadelis
- Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center, Cook Children's Health Care System, 1500 Cooper St, Fort Worth, TX, 76104, USA; Laboratory of Children's Brain Dynamics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kelly L Polnaszek
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestraße 13, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Rebecca L Silton
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA; Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, 633 N. Saint Clair, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
| | - Charis Styliadis
- Neuroscience of Cognition and Affection group, Lab of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece
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10
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Ash MJ, Walker ER, DiClemente RJ, Florian MP, Palmer PK, Wehrmeyer K, Negi LT, Grant GH, Raison CL, Mascaro JS. Compassion Meditation Training for Hospital Chaplain Residents: A Pilot Study. J Health Care Chaplain 2020; 27:191-206. [DOI: 10.1080/08854726.2020.1723189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcia J. Ash
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Reisinger Walker
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ralph J. DiClemente
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Kathryn Wehrmeyer
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lobsang Tenzin Negi
- Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Religion, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - George H. Grant
- Department of Spiritual Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Charles L. Raison
- Department of Spiritual Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jennifer S. Mascaro
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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11
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A model for cognitively-based compassion training: theoretical underpinnings and proposed mechanisms. SOCIAL THEORY & HEALTH 2019. [DOI: 10.1057/s41285-019-00124-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAcross cultures and belief systems, compassion is widely considered to be beneficial for the development of personal and social wellbeing. Research indicates that compassion-training programs have broad health benefits, but how and why compassion-training programs are effective is still relatively unknown. This paper describes the theoretical underpinnings of a specific compassion-training program, CBCT® (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training), and proposes an integrative model that draws on existing health behavior constructs to identify CBCT’s core components and hypothesizes their directionality and interaction. The model includes two primary categories of skill development: (1) intrapersonal skills leading to greater resiliency, and (2) interpersonal skills leading to greater compassion. It is hypothesized that these two pathways are mutually reinforcing and both contribute to greater wellbeing. This model provides a foundation for theory-driven research on the underlying mechanisms in CBCT training. An understanding of CBCT’s mechanisms is a critical step towards optimizing and personalizing the intervention to meet the needs of specific populations.
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12
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Explorations into the nature and function of compassion. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 28:108-114. [PMID: 30639833 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Compassion has become a major focus for international research in prosocial behaviour. This paper explores the evolutionary origins of caring and how recently evolved cognitive competencies create human compassion. While some see compassion as linked to an emotional or affective state, others root compassion in an evolved motivation and social mentality. The paper will briefly explore fears, blocks and resistances to compassion, how compassion can be understood as a social mentality and the increasing focus on compassionate mind training.
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13
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Luberto CM, Shinday N, Song R, Philpotts LL, Park ER, Fricchione GL, Yeh GY. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effects of Meditation on Empathy, Compassion, and Prosocial Behaviors. Mindfulness (N Y) 2018; 9:708-724. [PMID: 30100929 PMCID: PMC6081743 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-017-0841-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Increased attention has focused on methods to increase empathy, compassion, and pro-social behavior. Meditation practices have traditionally been used to cultivate pro-social outcomes, and recently investigations have sought to evaluate their efficacy for these outcomes. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of meditation for pro-social emotions and behavior. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane databases (inception-April 2016) using the search terms: mindfulness, meditation, mind-body therapies, tai chi, yoga, MBSR, MBCT, empathy, compassion, love, altruism, sympathy, or kindness. Randomized controlled trials in any population were included (26 studies with 1,714 subjects). Most were conducted among healthy adults (n=11) using compassion or loving kindness meditation (n=18) over 8-12weeks (n=12) in a group format (n=17). Most control groups were wait-list or no-treatment (n=15). Outcome measures included self-reported emotions (e.g., composite scores, validated measures) and observed behavioral outcomes (e.g., helping behavior in real-world and simulated settings). Many studies showed a low risk of bias. Results demonstrated small to medium effects of meditation on self-reported (SMD = .40, p < .001) and observable outcomes (SMD = .45, p < .001) and suggest psychosocial and neurophysiological mechanisms of action. Subgroup analyses also supported small to medium effects of meditation even when compared to active control groups. Clinicians and meditation teachers should be aware that meditation can improve positive pro-social emotions and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M. Luberto
- Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of
Psychiatry, 15 Parkman Street, Boston, MA, USA, 02114
- Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine, Massachusetts General
Hospital, 151 Merrimac St, Boston, MA, USA, 02114
| | - Nina Shinday
- Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,
Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, 1309 Brookline Avenue, Boston MA,
USA, 02445
| | - Rhayun Song
- Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea, 6 Munwha 1-Dong,
Jung-Gu, Dae Jeon, 301-747
| | - Lisa L. Philpotts
- Treadwell Library, Massachusetts General Hospital, 125 Nashua
Street, Boston, MA, USA, 02114
| | - Elyse R. Park
- Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of
Psychiatry, 15 Parkman Street, Boston, MA, USA, 02114
- Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine, Massachusetts General
Hospital, 151 Merrimac St, Boston, MA, USA, 02114
| | - Gregory L. Fricchione
- Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of
Psychiatry, 15 Parkman Street, Boston, MA, USA, 02114
- Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine, Massachusetts General
Hospital, 151 Merrimac St, Boston, MA, USA, 02114
| | - Gloria Y. Yeh
- Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,
Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, 1309 Brookline Avenue, Boston MA,
USA, 02445
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14
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Fulton CL. Self-Compassion as a Mediator of Mindfulness and Compassion for Others. COUNSELING AND VALUES 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/cvj.12072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl L. Fulton
- Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psychology; Texas State University; San Marcos
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15
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16
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Matsunaga M, Kawamichi H, Umemura T, Hori R, Shibata E, Kobayashi F, Suzuki K, Ishii K, Ohtsubo Y, Noguchi Y, Ochi M, Yamasue H, Ohira H. Neural and Genetic Correlates of the Social Sharing of Happiness. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:718. [PMID: 29311795 PMCID: PMC5742108 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Happiness is regarded as one of the most fundamental human goals. Given recent reports that positive feelings are contagious (e.g., the presence of a happy person enhances others' happiness) because of the human ability to empathize (i.e., sharing emotions), empathic ability may be a key factor in increasing one's own subjective level of happiness. Based on previous studies indicating that a single nucleotide polymorphism in the serotonin 2A receptor gene [HTR2A rs6311 guanine (G) vs. adenine (A)] is associated with sensitivity to emotional stimuli and several mental disorders such as depression, we predicted that the polymorphism might be associated with the effect of sharing happiness. To elucidate the neural and genetic correlates of the effect of sharing happiness, we first performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a “happy feelings” evocation task (emotional event imagination task), during which we manipulated the valence of the imagined event (positive, neutral, or negative), as well as the presence of a friend experiencing a positive-valence event (presence or absence). We recruited young adult women for this fMRI study because empathic ability may be higher in women than in men. Participants felt happier (p < 0.01) and the mentalizing/theory-of-mind network, which spans the medial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, temporal poles, and precuneus, was significantly more active (p < 0.05) in the presence condition than in the absence condition regardless of event valence. Moreover, participants with the GG (p < 0.01) and AG (p < 0.05) genotypes of HTR2A experienced happier feelings as well as greater activation of a part of the mentalizing/theory-of-mind network (p < 0.05) during empathy for happiness (neutral/presence condition) than those with the AA genotype. In a follow-up study with a vignette-based questionnaire conducted in a relatively large sample, male and female participants were presented with the same imagined events wherein their valence and the presence of a friend were manipulated. Results showed genetic differences in happiness-related empathy regardless of sex (p < 0.05). Findings suggest that HTR2A polymorphisms are associated with the effect of sharing happiness by modulating the activity of the mentalizing/theory-of-mind network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Matsunaga
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kawamichi
- Division of Cerebral Integration, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Umemura
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Reiko Hori
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Eiji Shibata
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Fumio Kobayashi
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Kohta Suzuki
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Keiko Ishii
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yohsuke Ohtsubo
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yasuki Noguchi
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Misaki Ochi
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hidenori Yamasue
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Hideki Ohira
- Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences, Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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Harrison AM. Altruism as Reparation of Mismatch or Disruption in the Self. PSYCHOANALYTIC INQUIRY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/07351690.2017.1362922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Matsunaga M, Ishii K, Ohtsubo Y, Noguchi Y, Ochi M, Yamasue H. Association between salivary serotonin and the social sharing of happiness. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180391. [PMID: 28683075 PMCID: PMC5500317 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although human saliva contains the monoamine serotonin, which plays a key role in the modulation of emotional states, the association between salivary serotonin and empathic ability remains unclear. In order to elucidate the associations between salivary serotonin levels, trait empathy, and the sharing effect of emotions (i.e., sharing emotional experiences with others), we performed a vignette-based study. Participants were asked to evaluate their happiness when they experience several hypothetical life events, whereby we manipulated the valence of the imagined event (positive, neutral, or negative), as well as the presence of a friend (absent, positive, or negative). Results indicated that the presence of a happy friend significantly enhanced participants’ happiness. Correlation analysis demonstrated that salivary serotonin levels were negatively correlated with happiness when both the self and friend conditions were positive. Correlation analysis also indicated a negative relationship between salivary serotonin levels and trait empathy (particularly in perspective taking), which was measured by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Furthermore, an exploratory multiple regression analysis suggested that mothers’ attention during childhood predicted salivary serotonin levels. Our findings indicate that empathic abilities and the social sharing of happiness decreases as a function of salivary serotonin levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Matsunaga
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Keiko Ishii
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University Faculty of Letters, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yohsuke Ohtsubo
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University Faculty of Letters, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yasuki Noguchi
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University Faculty of Letters, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Misaki Ochi
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University Faculty of Letters, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Hidenori Yamasue
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
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Burgess DJ, Beach MC, Saha S. Mindfulness practice: A promising approach to reducing the effects of clinician implicit bias on patients. PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING 2017; 100:372-376. [PMID: 27665499 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2016.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Like the population at large, health care providers hold implicit racial and ethnic biases that may contribute to health care disparities. Little progress has been made in identifying and implementing effective strategies to address these normal but potentially harmful unconscious cognitive processes. We propose that meditation training designed to increase healthcare providers' mindfulness skills is a promising and potentially sustainable way to address this problem. Emerging evidence suggests that mindfulness practice can reduce the provider contribution to healthcare disparities through several mechanisms including: reducing the likelihood that implicit biases will be activated in the mind, increasing providers' awareness of and ability to control responses to implicit biases once activated, increasing self-compassion and compassion toward patients, and reducing internal sources of cognitive load (e.g., stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue). Mindfulness training may also have advantages over current approaches to addressing implicit bias because it focuses on the development of skills through practice, promotes a nonjudgmental approach, can circumvent resistance some providers feel when directly confronted with evidence of racism, and constitutes a holistic approach to promoting providers' well-being. We close with suggestions for how a mindfulness approach can be practically implemented and identify potential challenges and research gaps to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana J Burgess
- Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research (A VA HSR&D Center of Excellence), Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Mary Catherine Beach
- School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, AT Johns Hopkins University, 2024 E Monument Street, Suite 2500, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Somnath Saha
- Section of General Internal Medicine, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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20
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Trautwein FM, Naranjo JR, Schmidt S. Decentering the Self? Reduced Bias in Self- vs. Other-Related Processing in Long-Term Practitioners of Loving-Kindness Meditation. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1785. [PMID: 27917136 PMCID: PMC5116565 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research in social neuroscience provides increasing evidence that self and other are interconnected, both on a conceptual and on an affective representational level. Moreover, the ability to recognize the other as "like the self" is thought to be essential for social phenomena like empathy and compassion. Meditation practices such as loving-kindness meditation (LKM) have been found to enhance these capacities. Therefore, we investigated whether LKM is associated to an increased integration of self-other-representations. As an indicator, we assessed the P300 event-related potential elicited by oddball stimuli of the self-face and a close other's face in 12 long-term practitioners of LKM and 12 matched controls. In line with previous studies, the self elicited larger P300 amplitudes than close other. This effect was reduced in the meditation sample at parietal but not frontal midline sites. Within this group, smaller differences between self- and other-related P300 were associated with increasing meditation practice. Across groups, smaller P300 differences correlated with self-reported compassion. In meditators, we also investigated the effect of a short LKM compared to a control priming procedure in order to test whether the state induction would additionally modulate self- vs. other-related P300. However, no effect of the priming conditions was observed. Overall, our findings provide preliminary evidence that prolonged meditation practice may modulate self- vs. other-related processing, accompanied by an increase in compassion. Further evidence is needed, however, to show if this is a direct outcome of loving-kindness meditation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fynn-Mathis Trautwein
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University Medical Center FreiburgFreiburg, Germany
| | - José R. Naranjo
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University Medical Center FreiburgFreiburg, Germany
- Brain Products GmbHMunich, Germany
| | - Stefan Schmidt
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University Medical Center FreiburgFreiburg, Germany
- Institute of Transcultural Health Studies, European University ViadrinaFrankfurt (Oder,) Germany
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22
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Abstract
This paper discusses meditation from the unique perspective of the nondual approach and explores the possible relevance of this approach to applications of love and compassion meditation in clinical settings. It contrasts the nondual approach with the better known gradual or goal-oriented, dualistic view of meditation. This paper also introduces one of the central ideas of the nondual approach-that love and compassion, like other positive qualities that are ordinarily considered as goals of meditation practice, can be found to be already present within oneself as innate dimensions of one's authentic being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoran Josipovic
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
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23
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Tomasino B, Fabbro F. Editorial: Neuroimaging and Neuropsychology of Meditation States. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1757. [PMID: 26635667 PMCID: PMC4652575 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Franco Fabbro
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine Udine, Italy ; Perceptual Robotics Laboratory, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies Pisa, Italy
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24
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Zeng X, Chiu CPK, Wang R, Oei TPS, Leung FYK. The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: a meta-analytic review. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1693. [PMID: 26579061 PMCID: PMC4630307 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
While it has been suggested that loving-kindness meditation (LKM) is an effective practice for promoting positive emotions, the empirical evidence in the literature remains unclear. Here, we provide a systematic review of 24 empirical studies (N = 1759) on LKM with self-reported positive emotions. The effect of LKM on positive emotions was estimated with meta-analysis, and the influence of variations across LKM interventions was further explored with subgroup analysis and meta-regression. The meta-analysis showed that (1) medium effect sizes for LKM interventions on daily positive emotions in both wait-list controlled RCTs and non-RCT studies; and (2) small to large effect sizes for the on-going practice of LKM on immediate positive emotions across different comparisons. Further analysis showed that (1) interventions focused on loving-kindness had medium effect size, but interventions focused on compassion showed small effect sizes; (2) the length of interventions and the time spent on meditation did not influence the effect sizes, but the studies without didactic components in interventions had small effect sizes. A few individual studies reported that the nature of positive emotions and individual differences also influenced the results. In sum, LKM practice and interventions are effective in enhancing positive emotions, but more studies are needed to identify the active components of the interventions, to compare different psychological operations, and to explore the applicability in clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianglong Zeng
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong, China
- *Correspondence: Xianglong Zeng,
| | - Cleo P. K. Chiu
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong, China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Sociology, Nanjing Forestry UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Tian P. S. Oei
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
- Department of Psychology, James Cook University SingaporeSingapore, Singapore
- Department of Psychology, Nanjing UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Freedom Y. K. Leung
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong, China
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