It’s Official: Meditation Makes You Compassionate

by:  Dr Russell Razzaque

From ancient spiritual traditions to modern self help courses, the knowledge of meditation and its value has been awakening society for millennia. Some of meditation's benefits, like reducing stress and lowering blood pressure have been scientifically proven with reproducible research but recent studies have also homed in on an additional and, hitherto less proven benefit; compassion.

A great deal of new research into our emotions has become possible with the advent of functional MRI scans (fMRIs). They work by producing dynamic images of the brain "in vivo", so you can get a live view of what parts of the brain are more active than others at any one time while it is active. Professor Richard Davidson, psychiatrist and director of the Heath Emotions Research Institute, led a team that studied a group of Tibetan monks. The monks agreed to undergo fMRI scanning whilst meditating. What Davidson found was a marked tendency for increased activity in the right tempero-parietal region of the brain. This part of the brain enables us to connect with the feelings of others - i.e. to possess empathy. Meditation also helps to regulate ones feelings and emotions and so develop a sense of self compassion - a pre-requisite to the presence of compassion for others.

The many benefits of meditation have been experienced and explored by ever broadening circles of people for many years now. It is well known that moments of stillness are a powerful way to balance the various pressures within and without us - almost facilitating the flow of traffic in our daily lives in a more manageable and less chaotic way. Compassion is, of course, something experienced mediators - Buddhist and otherwise - have been highlighting as the ultimate goal of meditation for centuries. The actual experience of meditation is often described as one of "connectedness". The act of meditation leads to a melding of boundaries between the person and the outside world so that emotions and sensations are felt more acutely both within and without; this is made possible by the awareness of a deeper layer of peace and tranquility underlying all.

One by one the variously described advantages of meditation are now being associated with robust scientific proof. In many ways meditation is the meeting point of science and spirituality, and its effects combine both physical and psychological health benefits. We now know that, in totality, the ultimate objective and achievement of meditation is to arrive at a place of compassion, both for the self and for others. There could be fewer more cherished goals in life than this.

About the Author:

Dr Russell Razzaque earned his medical degree from the University of London and he is a practicing psychiatrist based in London. If you liked this article then you'll likely benefit from Sileotherapy; a FREE stillness based online self help program in which Dr Razzaque teaches people to go beyond thought and realize their true potential:

http://www.meditation-therapy.net

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