Cultivating Loving Kindness: A Two-Stage Model of the Effects of Meditation on Empathy, Compassion, and Altruism

Abstract. We explore the role of meditative practice in cultivating experiences of compassion, empathy, and altruism and address an apparent paradox: Meditation often is associated with solitary retreat, if not preoccupation with one's own concerns. How, then, does such a practice promote compa...

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Détails bibliographiques
Auteurs: Kristeller, Jean L. (Auteur) ; Johnson, Thomas (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
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Publié: Wiley-Blackwell 2005
Dans: Zygon
Année: 2005, Volume: 40, Numéro: 2, Pages: 391-408
Sujets non-standardisés:B Loving Kindness
B Mindfulness meditation
B Compassion
B Empathy
B Altruism
B Buddhist psychology
Accès en ligne: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Édition parallèle:Non-électronique
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Résumé:Abstract. We explore the role of meditative practice in cultivating experiences of compassion, empathy, and altruism and address an apparent paradox: Meditation often is associated with solitary retreat, if not preoccupation with one's own concerns. How, then, does such a practice promote compassion for others? We propose a two-stage model. The first stage involves disengagement from usual preoccupation with self-reinforcing, self-defeating, or self-indulgent behaviors and reactions; the second involves a focused engagement with a universal human capacity for altruistic experience, love, and compassion. Reference is made to the limited research literature and to clinical applications of loving kindness (metta) meditation in cultivating these processes.
ISSN:1467-9744
Contient:Enthalten in: Zygon
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9744.2005.00671.x