Last update: October 18, 2017
The word compassion has taken on a derogatory meaning and is associated with charity or punishment. The same goes for the word "self-pity", which brings to mind victimhood. Nothing could be further from the essence of these concepts, which, instead of promoting a deteriorated image of the other or of oneself, enhance it.
It is proof of this the success of the nucleoside focused on compassion. As the name itself indicates, it is a therapeutic intervention that sees compassion as a means to improve the situation of many suffering people. It is especially recommended for those who are very critical of themselves or others.
The most interesting aspect of this innovative therapy is that its effectiveness has been scientifically proven in the laboratory, that is, compassion has been shown to be learned and trained. And it has also been pointed out that in doing so, the brain changes and improves. In fact, it has been found that being compassionate increases serenity, cheerfulness and motivation in various areas of our life.
The experiment was carried out at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, of the University of Wisconsin, in the United States. It was then published in the journal Psychological Science. The people in charge of the study had a group of volunteers train in a form of meditation called "compassionate meditation" or "Tonglen".
