Data_Sheet_1_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.

目标过去二十年间，关于慈悲训练的本质及其对自我与他人的生物心理社会影响的研究颇为丰硕。此类训练通常着眼于平抚与舒缓身心，并聚焦于个体意象实践与咒语。本研究旨在探讨三种变体的效果：1. 运用激发活力的音乐以产生对慈悲的激活与‘驱动力’；2. 专注于想象‘吸入与呼出慈悲之白光或薄雾’，以期将慈悲带入世间；3. 在聆听激发活力的音乐的同时，引导参与者想象与慈悲（Sangha）社区相连，将自身视为寻求助益世间的社群一员。方法从‘慈悲之心’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。研究包括聆听关于慈悲进化模型及其必要性以应对我们天性潜在有害之处的录音指导。随后，进行了一段伴随激发活力音乐的4.5分钟以tonglen为指导的呼吸慈悲练习。在练习前后两周，43名参与者完成了多项自我报告量表，以测量慈悲倾向、福祉、社会安全感和积极情绪。结果在练习前后两周的自我报告测量中，显示出自我慈悲、对他人的慈悲、对他人的慈悲开放度、激活的积极情绪、安全的积极情绪、社会安全感和福祉的显著提升，其中最大效应量与对自我的慈悲相关（d = −0.76）。此外，定性数据揭示，参与者将此实践体验为充满活力、鼓舞人心，并感到社会联系，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，与苦难的接触也激发了悲伤。结论本研究发现，将激发活力的音乐与呼吸练习及特定的慈悲可视化相结合，聚焦于将慈悲带入世间并成为慈悲社群一员的愿望，得到了广泛的认可，并产生了一系列显著的积极影响。本研究表明，相较于更为传统的舒缓与平定实践，探索激发活力在激发慈悲的生物心理社会过程中的潜在价值值得研究。