Data_Sheet_2_Energizing compassion: using music and community focus to stimulate compassion drive and sense of connectedness.docx

ObjectivesThe last 20 years have seen considerable research on the nature and biopsychosocial impacts of compassion training on self and others. This training is usually focused on calming and slowing the mind and body and on individual imagery practices and mantras. This study explored the effects of three variations: 1. The impact of using energizing music to generate activation and “drive” for compassion; 2. To focus on imagining “breathing in and breathing out a white light or mist of compassion” to bring compassion to the world; and 3. While listening to energizing music, participants were guided to imagining connecting to the compassion (Sangha) community, imagining oneself as linking with others as part of communities seeking to help the world.MethodsFrom approximately 1,600 members of the Compassionate Mind discussion list, participants were invited to take part in a new energizing focused self-practice study. The study involved listening to recorded guidance on the evolutionary model of compassion and the need to address the potentially harmful side of our nature. This was followed by a 4 1/2-min tonglen-informed guided practice of breathing in and breathing out compassion accompanied by energizing music. Forty-three participants completed several self-report scales measuring compassion orientation, wellbeing, social safeness, and positive affect before and following 2 weeks of practice. Participant experiences were recorded from 6 open explorative questions.ResultsSelf-report measures taken before and following 2 weeks of practice revealed significant increases in self-compassion, compassion to others, openness to compassion from others, activated positive affect, safe positive affect, social safeness, and wellbeing, with the largest effect size relating to compassion for the self (d = −0.76). In addition, qualitative data revealed that the participants had experienced the practice as energizing, inspiring, and felt socially connected and that it had significant impacts on other aspects of their lives. Some participants noted that engaging with suffering also stimulated sadness.ConclusionThis study found that pairing energizing music with breathing practices and specific compassion visualizations, focusing on the desire to bring compassion to the world and be part of a compassionate community, was well-accepted and had a range of significant positive impacts. This study indicates the potential value of exploring energizing in comparison to the more standard soothing and settling practices as ways of stimulating the biopsychosocial processes of compassion.

研究目标在过去二十年里，对慈心训练的本质及其对自我与他人生物心理社会影响的深入研究已取得显著进展。此类训练通常集中于平缓心灵与身体的波动，以及个人意象练习和咒语的实践。本研究探讨了三种变体的效果：1. 利用激发活力的音乐来激发慈心之“动力”和“驱动”；2. 专注于想象“吸入并呼出一片白光或慈心薄雾”，以将慈心带给世界；3. 在聆听激发活力的音乐的同时，引导参与者想象与慈心（Sangha）社区的联系，将自己视为与寻求帮助世界的社区成员相连接的一部分。研究方法从“慈心心态”讨论列表的约1600名成员中邀请参与者参与一项新的激发活力专注自我实践研究。该研究涉及聆听关于慈心进化模型及其解决我们天性潜在有害面的必要性的录音指导。随后进行了一段由激发活力的音乐伴随的、基于tonglen呼吸法的4.5分钟指导练习。在练习前后，43名参与者完成了多项自我报告量表，以衡量慈心倾向、福祉、社会安全感以及积极情绪。参与者体验通过六个开放式探索性问题进行记录。研究结果在练习前后进行的自我报告测量显示，自我慈心、对他人的慈心、对他人的慈心开放性、激活的积极情绪、安全的积极情绪、社会安全感和福祉均有显著提升，其中与自我慈心相关的效果最大（d = −0.76）。此外，定性数据显示，参与者将此练习体验为充满活力、鼓舞人心，并感到社会联结，且对他们的生活其他方面产生了显著影响。一些参与者表示，参与苦难的经历也激发了悲伤情绪。结论本研究发现，将激发活力的音乐与呼吸练习和特定的慈心视觉化相结合，聚焦于将慈心带给世界并成为慈心社区的一部分的愿望，得到了广泛的认可，并产生了多种显著的积极影响。本研究表明，探索激发活力相对于更传统的舒缓和平静实践，作为激发慈心生物心理社会过程的方式，具有潜在的价值。