“Heroic Transformations from Violence to Peace Healing and Compassion in Wounded Communities,” presented by Dr. Yotam Heineberg, Dr. Philip G. Zimbardo, Dr. Rony Berger, and Mr. Rudy Corpuz Jr.
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Festival of Faiths
Sacred Silence: Pathway to Compassion combines an interest in contemplative practice within an interfaith forum to explore the nature of sacred silence. The goal of this exploration is to provide an opportunity for spiritual growth for the largest possible assembly of people.
For more information and registration click here.
James R. Doty, MD, speaks at Zócalo Public Square
When
12:00 am to 12:00 am, December 10, 2012Location
James R. Doty, MD, speaks at Zócalo Public SquareLocation: Los Angeles, CA
CCARE’s Founder & Director, James R. Doty, M.D., will participate in a Zócalo Public Square series on healthy living. Panelists will discuss the latest in medical science and altruism and what the findings mean for us all.
See event website for more information.
Wisdom 2.0 Youth
Location: Computer History Museum, 1401 North Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View, CA
Raising or working with children today is no easy task. Technology pervades our (and their) lives. We struggle to find our own balance, and at the same time navigate their use of cellphones, social networks, and computer games.
Our challenge is to harness the power of technology as parents and educators, while supporting wellness and balance that are essential for a healthy child and a sane society.
Join Wisdom 2.0 Youth September 17th in Silicon Valley for the first ever Wisdom 2.0 Youth Conference. Together we will explore living consciously and supporting wellness, wisdom, and mindfulness in young people today.
Read more or Register today
TEDx Hayward
The theme for this year’s TEDxHayward is Peace Innovation where we cast a spotlight on how technology and emerging social behaviors and insights are promoting new paths to global peace. We hope you will join us, the Stanford Peace Innovation Lab, CSU East Bay Peace Innovation Lab, and Associated Students Inc. of CSU East Bay @ TEDxHayward. Remember to reserve your space (tickets are free!) by clicking on the Tickets link above! http://tedxhayward.org/
Sympathy
Sympathy is a feeling of sorrow associated specifically with the suffering or need of another. Literally, it is fellow-feeling – empathy for emotions that indicate suffering – has both automatic component and deliberative influences. The quality or state of being affected by the condition of another with a feeling similar or corresponding to that of the other; the fact or capacity of entering into or sharing the feelings of another or others; fellow-feeling. Also, a feeling or frame of mind evoked by and responsive to some external influence. Const. with (a person, etc., or a feeling) (source: Oxford English Dictionary).
Sympathetic Joy
Sympathetic Joy is the feeling which arises when one regards all beings (beginning with oneself and one’s own family and friends but not stopping there) with loving-kindness and then perceives those who are happy and have created a lot of merit or even attained liberative insight. We rejoice that in the good fortune of others and particularly for those who have attained enlightenment. In this way we overcome resentment, envy, and jealousy and even find inspiration in the accomplishments of others. (source: The 3rd of the 4 immeasurables according to Buddhist framework. Source: Ryuei Michael McCormick (2003)
http://sd2cx1.webring.org/l/rd?ring=digitaldharmarin;id=1;url=http%3A%2F%2Fnichirenscoffeehouse%2Enet%2FRyuei%2FJoy%2Ehtml
Pity
Pity is sorrowfully noting another persons suffering, but regarding them as outgroup, weak and/or inferior and hence, undeserving of any wish to alleviate, or efforts towards alleviating suffering – has both automatic component and deliberative influences..
Note: the Oxford English Dictionary does not define pity with such derogatory sentiments. Rather it defines it as such: The disposition to mercy or compassion; clemency, mercy, mildness, tenderness. Tenderness and concern aroused by the suffering, distress, or misfortune of another, and prompting a desire for its relief; compassion, sympathy. (source: Oxford English Dictionary)
Metta
Metta is loving-kindness, source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metta
Maitri
Maitri is loving kindness, see Metta
Empathic Reactivity
Empathic Reactivity is an index of how strongly one mirrors another emotion of any type
Empathy
Empathy is simulating a vicarious experience of another’s emotion of any type (fear, sadness, joy) – has both automatic component (“bottom up”) and deliberative (“top down”) influences.
The power of projecting one’s personality into (and so fully comprehending) the object of contemplation (source: Oxford English Dictionary).
An important new concept is “3D Compassion” or “3D Empathy.” It is essential for us to develop and practice compassion and empathy in the 3 key dimensions of peace, green-living, and health. Such “3D Empathy” is of paramount importance to our future well-being and existence as a global society. The 3 dimensions are synergistic and interdependent. In today’s world, empathy must extend not just to others and to self but also to other living things (animals, plants) and the Earth. Historically, we have been able to survive within a limited scope of empathy. Now, due to the global impact of our species, we must have global consciousness and practice compassion, empathy and life skills to learn how to survive in ways that ensure that others and the Earth survive as well.
source: Walker, L.R. (2013, June 4). Linking Empathy to Health, Green-Living, and Peace. http://startempathy.org/blog/2013/06/linking-empathy-health-green-living-and-peace
Altruism
Altruism Devotion to the welfare of others, regard for others, as a principle of action; opposed to egoism or selfishness (source: Oxford English Dictionary).
Benevolence is concerned with the preservation and enhancement of the welfare of people with whom one is in frequent and personal contact – is a trait sensitive to target properties and situational/contextual factors. Disposition to do good, desire to promote the happiness of others, kindness, generosity, charitable feeling (as a general state or disposition towards mankind at large). (source: Oxford English Dictionary)
Affiliative
Affiliative is seeking to associate with another or others, sociable, friendly, sympathetic (source: Oxford English Dictionary)
Physiological Correlates
Physiological Assessment of Resting RSA is a measure of the neural regulation of the heart’s pacemaker via the myelinated fibers of the “smart” vagus (Oveis et al., 2009). This approach is ideally suited to representing the dyadic context of interpersonal empathy, and makes it possible to simultaneously analyze both empathic sensitivity (the degree to which Partner A’s moment-by-moment estimates of B’s affect are associated with corresponding fluctuations in B’s moment-by-moment self-reports) and perceived concordance (the degree to which Partner A’s moment by-moment estimates of B’s affect are associated with corresponding fluctuations in A’s own moment-by-moment self-reports).
Heart Rate Variability is the measure of the time interval between heartbeats. It is associated with emotion arousal.
Stress and Immune Function are a measure of emotional and physical health. It can be measured through the hormone cortisol.
Autonomic Nervous System function can be used as a measure of nonverbal communication of compassion. E.g. arterial blood pressure and skin temperature.
Heart Rate Variability is the measure of the time interval between heartbeats. It is associated with emotion arousal.
Stress and Immune Function are a measure of emotional and physical health. It can be measured through the hormone cortisol.
Autonomic Nervous System function can be used as a measure of nonverbal communication of compassion. E.g. arterial blood pressure and skin temperature.
Implicit Tasks to Evaluate Attitudes Towards Others
This section is categorized by the types of measures.
Prosocial and Intrinsic motivations with items adapted from self-regulation scales developed by Ryan and Connell (1989).
- Cronbach’s alpha for prosocial motivations = .90
- Cronbach’s alpha for intrinsic motivations = .71
- Grant, A. M. (2008). Does intrinsic motivation fuel the prosocial fire? Motivational synergy in predicting persistence, performance, and productivity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(1), 48-58. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.93.1.48.
The Brief Implicit Association Test (Brief IAT) and the Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP) both measures look at how one judges others due to race/ethnicity.
Implicit Evaluative Responses assess implicit responses to each picture, using an affective priming task developed by Fazio, Sanbonmatsu, Powell, and Kardes (1986). The participants were primed with either negative or positive words regarding an individual after a loving-kindness meditation (LKM) or neutral imagery induction practice.
Misc. Related Self-Report Measures
This section is organized by the name of the measures.
Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) is a 36-item used to measure adult romantic attachment.
The Interpersonal Orientation Scale was developed to focus on four dimensions assumed to underlie affiliation motivation: social comparison, emotional support, positive stimulation, and attention.
Interview protocol was developed to explore issues of compassion and communication in the workplace. The areas of discussion included: (1) background on the individual’s job, career, and education; (2) typical activities on the job and feelings about those activities; (3) definitions of compassion and a discussion of how compassion is “done” in the job; and (4) a consideration of the influence of compassionate communication on the research participant, clients, coworkers, and others.
Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET) consists of a series of photographs, most of which depict people in emotionally charged situations. To assess cognitive empathy, subjects are required to infer the mental states of the individuals shown in the photographs. After giving their response, participants receive feedback about the correct answer. Then, to assess emotional empathy, subjects rate their emotional reactions in response to the pictures (emotional empathy).
The Multimotive Grid was developed to measure motives with respect to their hope and fear components. It was based on the grid technique, originally developed to combine the advantages of Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and questionnaire methods. It measures specifically the ‘big three’ motives: achievement, affiliation and power.
Need to Belong Scale measures the strong desire to form and maintain enduring interpersonal attachments.
Online questionnaire and a short passage of information about a person who had been in a car accident and who consequently could not go to work (adapted from Batson et al., 1997). Empathy was measured by participants rating how sympathetic, warm, compassionate, softhearted, and tender they felt toward the person on a 7-point scale (1 = not at all like this; 7 = a lot like this), a = .94. Willingness to help: Participants were then asked to respond to two questions using a 5-point scale (1 =not at all; 5 = very much): “To what extent would you be willing to offer financial help to the person in this situation?” and “To what extent would you be willing to offer your time to help the person in this situation?”
Preference for Solitude Scale measure individual differences in preference for solitude.
Recall – to provide detailed account of a specific experience of compassionate (or altruistic) love for either close others, strangers or non-close others before they responded to follow-up questions that asked how they were affected by the experience. Then, the participants are asked to rate the experience on intensity (“…please rate the intensity of the compassionate love you experienced during the particular episode you described”) and typicality (“To what degree do you believe that your compassionate love experience described above is typical of compassionate love experiences?”). Each of these two items is followed by a 9-point response scale that ranged from 1 = not at all (intense/typical) to 9 = extremely (intense/typical). Then, they assess the degree to which they had been affected or changed on several dimensions because of their compassionate love experience.
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a 10 question self-report unidimensional measure of global self-esteem — Mongrain, Chin, and Shapira (2010). Shapira and Mongrain (2010).
Social Comparison through Physical Appearance Scale (SCPAS) assesses the social ranking based on one’s physical appearance, and not the tendency to make comparisons of the general physical appearance or specific body parts.
Steen Happiness Index (SHI) is a 20 item index that asks levels of happiness over the previous week.
Toronto Alexithymia Scale as part of the Zurich Prosocial Game which was developed that allows for repeated assessment of prosocial behavior and for parsing the influence of reciprocity, cost, and distress on prosocial behavior.
“Triple Dominance” is a measure of prosocial value orientation to assess altruism.
The Interpersonal Orientation Scale was developed to focus on four dimensions assumed to underlie affiliation motivation: social comparison, emotional support, positive stimulation, and attention.
- Hill, C. A. (1987). Affiliation motivation: People who need people.. but in different ways. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(5), 1008-1018. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.52.5.100
Interview protocol was developed to explore issues of compassion and communication in the workplace. The areas of discussion included: (1) background on the individual’s job, career, and education; (2) typical activities on the job and feelings about those activities; (3) definitions of compassion and a discussion of how compassion is “done” in the job; and (4) a consideration of the influence of compassionate communication on the research participant, clients, coworkers, and others.
“Memory” Task is a novel non-verbal and implicit measure of emotional empathy specially developed for the study by Rabinowitch et al. Children were shown a short movie clip, in which a protagonist undergoes an emotional experience. The movie clips lasted between 61 and 97 seconds. After viewing the clip the children were presented with a “Memory” Task, where they were asked to select the facial expression that they remember having seen among the faces presented prior to the clip presentation.
Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET) consists of a series of photographs, most of which depict people in emotionally charged situations. To assess cognitive empathy, subjects are required to infer the mental states of the individuals shown in the photographs. After giving their response, participants receive feedback about the correct answer. Then, to assess emotional empathy, subjects rate their emotional reactions in response to the pictures (emotional empathy).
The Multimotive Grid was developed to measure motives with respect to their hope and fear components. It was based on the grid technique, originally developed to combine the advantages of Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and questionnaire methods. It measures specifically the ‘big three’ motives: achievement, affiliation and power.
- Sokolowski, K., Schmalt, H. D., Langens, T. A., & Puca, R. M. (2000). Assessing achievement, affiliation, and power motives all at once: the Multi-Motive Grid (MMG). J Pers Assess. 74, 126-45. doi:10.1037/t08319-000
Need to Belong Scale measures the strong desire to form and maintain enduring interpersonal attachments.
- Leary, M. R., Kelly, K. M., Cottrell, C. A., & Schreindorfer, L. S. (2007). Individual differences in the need to belong: Mapping the nomological network. Unpublished manuscript, Duke University.
Online questionnaire and a short passage of information about a person who had been in a car accident and who consequently could not go to work (adapted from Batson et al., 1997). Empathy was measured by participants rating how sympathetic, warm, compassionate, softhearted, and tender they felt toward the person on a 7-point scale (1 = not at all like this; 7 = a lot like this), a = .94. Willingness to help: Participants were then asked to respond to two questions using a 5-point scale (1 =not at all; 5 = very much): “To what extent would you be willing to offer financial help to the person in this situation?” and “To what extent would you be willing to offer your time to help the person in this situation?”
Preference for Solitude Scale measure individual differences in preference for solitude.
- Burger, J. M. (1995). Individual differences in preference for solitude. Journal Of Research In Personality, 29(1), 85-108. doi:10.1006/jrpe.1995.1005
Recall – to provide detailed account of a specific experience of compassionate (or altruistic) love for either close others, strangers or non-close others before they responded to follow-up questions that asked how they were affected by the experience. Then, the participants are asked to rate the experience on intensity (“…please rate the intensity of the compassionate love you experienced during the particular episode you described”) and typicality (“To what degree do you believe that your compassionate love experience described above is typical of compassionate love experiences?”). Each of these two items is followed by a 9-point response scale that ranged from 1 = not at all (intense/typical) to 9 = extremely (intense/typical). Then, they assess the degree to which they had been affected or changed on several dimensions because of their compassionate love experience.
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a 10 question self-report unidimensional measure of global self-esteem — Mongrain, Chin, and Shapira (2010). Shapira and Mongrain (2010).
- Mongrain, M., Chin, J. M., & Shapira, L.B. (2010). Practicing Compassion Increases Happiness and Self-Esteem. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12, 963-981.
- Shapira, L. B., & Mongrain, M. (2010). The benefits of self-compassion and optimism exercises for individuals vulnerable to depression. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5, 377-389.
Social Comparison through Physical Appearance Scale (SCPAS) assesses the social ranking based on one’s physical appearance, and not the tendency to make comparisons of the general physical appearance or specific body parts.
- Ferreira, C., Pinto-Gouveia, J., & Duarte, C. (2013). Physical appearance as a measure of social ranking: The role of a new scale to understand the relationship between weight and dieting. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 20(1), 55-66. DOI: 10.1002/cpp.769
Steen Happiness Index (SHI) is a 20 item index that asks levels of happiness over the previous week.
- Seligman, M., Steen, T., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60, 410-421.
Toronto Alexithymia Scale as part of the Zurich Prosocial Game which was developed that allows for repeated assessment of prosocial behavior and for parsing the influence of reciprocity, cost, and distress on prosocial behavior.
“Triple Dominance” is a measure of prosocial value orientation to assess altruism.
- Van Lange, P. A. M. (1999). The pursuit of joint outcomes and equality in outcomes: An integrative model of social value orientation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 337-49.
Request Dr. Weiss as a Speaker
Leah Weiss, PhD, LCSW
Director of Education
Want Dr. Weiss to be a speaker at your next event? Send her a request below.
Request Dr. Seppala as a Speaker
Emma Seppala, PhD
Associate Director, CCARE
Want Dr. Seppala to be a speaker at your next event? Send her a request below.
Request Dr. Doty as a Speaker
James R. Doty, MD
Director and Founder, CCARE
Adjunct Professor of Neurosurgery, Stanford University
Want Dr. Doty to be a speaker at your next event? Send him a request below.
Request a Speaker
Want a member of CCARE to be a speaker at your next event? Send us a request below.
James R. Doty, MD
Director and Founder, CCARE
Adjunct Professor of Neurosurgery, Stanford University
James R. Doty, MD has been on the faculty of the Stanford University School of Medicine since 1997 in the Neurosurgery Department as a professor and more recently as an adjunct professor. He is also the founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford, of which His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. Most recently, his academic focus is on meditation, compassion, and self-compassion for which he has lectured throughout the world.
Dr. Doty attended U.C. Irvine as an undergraduate, received his medical degree from Tulane University and completed neurosurgery residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Doty served 9 years on active duty in the U.S Army attaining the rank of major. He completed fellowships in pediatric neurosurgery and electroneurophysiology.
He is an inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He holds multiple patents and is the former CEO of Accuray (ARAY:NASDAQ). Dr. Doty has given support to a number of charitable organizations supporting peace initiatives and providing healthcare throughout the world. Additionally, he has supported research, provided scholarships and endowed chairs at multiple universities.
He is a consultant to medical device companies and is an operating partner and advisor to venture capital firms. Dr. Doty serves on the Board of a number of non-profits and is the vice-chair of the Charter for Compassion International and the former chair of the Dalai Lama Foundation. He is on the Senior Advisory Board of the Council for the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Dr. Doty serves on the Board of Governors of Tulane University School of Medicine and the President’s Council at Tulane University.
He is the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discovery the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart now translated into 40 languages. Dr. Doty is also the senior editor of the Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science.
Laura Roberts, MD
Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
Author/editor of 7 books and monographs and more than 225 articles in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, Dr. Roberts is a nationally recognized scholar and leader in ethics, psychiatry, and medical education. Since 2003 she has served as the Editor-in-Chief of Academic Psychiatry—a journal focused on innovative education, mentorship, and leadership in academic psychiatry.
Dr. Roberts has performed numerous empirical studies of contemporary ethics issues in medicine, science, and health policy, including research on informed consent, ethical considerations in genetic inquiry, health care and clinical investigation involving members of vulnerable populations, death and dying, professionalism education, and related topics. Dr. Roberts’ research has been funded through competitive grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy as well as the National Alliance of Schizophrenia and Depression, the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, and other private foundations.
Dr. Roberts has been elected or appointed to several prominent leadership roles nationally, including president of the Association for Academic Psychiatry and president of the American Association of Chairs of Departments of Psychiatry. In 2008 she received the University of Toronto Centennial Award for Leading International Psychiatric Educator, and in 2010 she was given the Association for Academic Psychiatry Lifetime Achievement Award. With colleagues, she has recently written or edited several books, including Concise Guide to Ethics in Mental Health Care, Professionalism and Ethics: Q & A Self-Study Guide, Handbook of Career Development in Academic Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Book of Ethics: Expert Guidance for Professionals Who Treat Addiction and Clinical Psychiatry Essentials. She is presently working on International Handbook of Psychiatry: A Concise Guide for Medical Students, Residents, and Medical Practitioners.
Dr. Roberts joined the faculty of Stanford in September 2010. She previously was the Chairman and Charles E. Kubly Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Professor and Vice Chair for Administration in the Department of Psychiatry, the Jack and Donna Rust Professor of Biomedical Ethics, and the Founder and Director of the Institute of Ethics at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Roberts performed her undergraduate, graduate, and fellowship training at the University of Chicago and her residency training at the University of New Mexico.
FAQ
Compassion Courses FAQs
How much time is needed outside of the class meetings for the 8-week Compassion Course?
There is recommended, but not required, reading for the course and a compilation of writings and videos (made available online) that range from peer-reviewed to popular articles, to first-hand writings from ancient and contemporary compassion meditation experts. Each student can take on as much or as little of that as they like. More importantly are the daily meditations. They are 15-20 minutes, and they evolve each week. Students are strongly encouraged to practice those daily, as the development of compassion during the class is “dose dependent” and the meditations, as well as other quick, informal weekly practices support that development. The course is as much about experiencing compassion as learning about it.
I want to register for a Compassion Course, but will need to miss a class or two – is that ok? Are the live online classes recorded?
It’s to the student’s advantage to attend all eight classes in order to get the most out of the course, as each class involves lectures and group discussions that are key components of the training process.
Although classes are recorded and available for student use for one month following the last class, if you know ahead of time that you will need to miss one class or more, we suggest you wait to register for a course at a time when you’ll likely be able to attend all sessions. Having said this, our instructors are familiar with and understand the unpredictability of modern life and will help orient you to any materials if you miss a class.
If you’re an enrolled student and know you will miss the first class in advance, please contact the instructor by emailing CompassionEducation@stanford.edu.
Are there prerequisites for enrollment in CCARE’s Compassion Courses?
No, CCARE’s Compassion Courses are open to the public and no previous education or experience is required. The only admission criterion is that participants must be at least 18 years of age.
Is there a minimum age to enroll in a Compassion Course?
Yes, students must be at least 18 years old to participate in the courses.
What is the cost of an 8-week Compassion Course?
The registration fee for 8-week Compassion Courses is $425 and includes course instruction, materials, and guided meditation recordings.
I’m Stanford staff – can I pay for the course with STAP funds?
Yes! You may request reimbursement from your STAP funds by submitting the request through your department’s administrator or manager. Unfortunately, CCARE cannot directly charge your STAP funds.
What’s the cancellation policy for course registration and how do I receive a refund?
Full refunds are available up to 2 weeks prior to the class start date. Cancellations between 2 weeks and 3 business days prior to the class start date incur a $75 cancellation fee. No refunds are available after 3 business days prior to the class start date.
Are Continuing Education (CE) credits available for taking a Compassion Course?
Yes, if you are an LCSW, LEP, LMFT, LPCC, RN, or licensed psychologist, you can earn 14 CE credits for your Compassion Course for a fee of $175. It is the sole responsibility of the participant to attend the entire class meetings, always have their video on, participate in the class, and submit a separate course evaluation form at the end of the final class. No partial CE credit is available if more than one class meeting is missed.
Please review the following information for your profession
CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is co-sponsoring this program. The Spiritual Competency Academy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Spiritual Competency Academy maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association. LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFTs, and other mental health professionals from states other than California need to check with their state licensing board as to whether or not they accept programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association. SCA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN Provider CEP16887) for licensed nurses in California. RNs must retain their certificate of attendance for 4 years after the course concludes. For questions about receiving your Certificate of Attendance, email CCARE at CompassionEducation@stanford.edu. For questions about CE, email Spiritual Competency Academy at info@spiritualcompetencyacademy.com.
If you are taking a compassion class from someone other than CCARE, please contact the instructor to see if CE credits are available for the class.Is academic credit offered for Compassion Courses?
No, Compassion Courses offered by CCARE do not offer academic credit.
When are class schedules announced?
CCARE publishes quarterly Compassion Course schedules on our website and in our newsletter. You may subscribe to the CCARE Newsletter by entering your email address in the “JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER” box at the bottom left of the CCARE homepage.
Is CCARE offering in-person Compassion Courses?
For now, CCARE is only offering live online Compassion Courses. We will announce any changes in our newsletter. You may subscribe to the CCARE Newsletter by entering your email address in the “JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER ” box at the bottom left of the CCARE homepage.
How can I find a Compassion Course in my area?
A number of individuals throughout the world have been trained and certified as Compassion Teachers. Browse CCARE’s Global Directory of Compassion Teachers organized by location to find someone in your area. Please contact these teachers directly using the email link or website provided in their bio to inquire about their teaching schedules and locations.
Can Compassion Courses be audited?
No, due to the participatory nature of the courses only registered students may attend.
Events FAQs
I registered for a free CCARE public event, but can no longer attend. How do I cancel my registration?
Your thoughtfulness is most appreciated! A cancellation link can be found near the bottom of your original registration confirmation email (for free events only). If you cannot locate your original registration confirmation email, submit a request using the Contact form or email CCARE at ccare_info@stanford.edu. For CCARE events that require payment of a registration fee, please check the event’s webpage for information on registration cancellations.
What is the cost of attending CCARE events? Who can attend?
Most of CCARE’s public lectures and talks are free (unless clearly specified) and often are open for anyone to attend, including students, researchers and the general public. CCARE also occasionally holds educational conferences which are often open to the public. Specific information registration information for each conference will be found on the event’s webpage.
Do I have to be registered to attend CCARE’s events?
Please check the event’s webpage for specific information.
Many of CCARE’s free talks and lectures are open to the public and registration is not required in order to attend. However, early access to seating is offered to registrants. Once the event starts, doors open to all on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration is recommended as our free events can often be oversubscribed.
Can I register multiple people under my name?
Please register each attendee under his or her own name.
Do I have to pay for parking at events?
After 4 PM M-F and on weekends, parking is free in the A and C permitted lots and at metered spaces at Stanford University. Most of CCARE’s public events are held after 4 PM, so it is likely you will find free parking. Please be sure to check posted signs when parking.
When is the next “Science of Compassion” conference going to be held?
To receive announcements on CCARE’s events as they arise, please subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom left corner of our website.
Student FAQs
I’d like to visit CCARE. Are walk-in visitors accepted?
While we appreciate your interest in CCARE, our administrative office and staff are not able to accommodate walk-in visitors. If you have a specific inquiry, please visit our Contact Us page to get in touch with one of our staff members.
How can Stanford undergraduates get involved with CCARE?
We have a special paid fellowship known as the CCARE Undergraduate Roscow Fellowship. Fellows should be interested in fields related to compassion, altruism, empathy and social connectedness. Fellows are an integral part of the CCARE team and their responsibilities include administrative, event, research and communications support. They should be enthusiastic about supporting CCARE and able to dedicate at least 10 hours a week for a minimum of two quarters.
At this time, we are not accepting applications. Please send all inquiries through our Contact Us page.
How can I volunteer at CCARE?
Thank you for your enthusiasm and generous interest in volunteering! While CCARE does not administer a formal volunteer program, we will announce future opportunities in our newsletter. You may enroll to receive the CCARE Newsletter by entering your email address in the “JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER” box at the bottom left of our homepage.
You may also want to take one of our Compassion Training classes. Please help spread the word about our research and education programs with your friends and family. We’d love for you to bring a friend or family member to one of our public talks. Or, help us increase the amount of compassion in our communities by taking a Compassion Training class with a friend.
Does CCARE have internship opportunities?
Thank you for your interest in CCARE internships. While we are not currently accepting applications for internships, we will announce future opportunities in our newsletter. You may subscribe to the CCARE Newsletter by entering your email address in the “JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER ” box at the bottom left of our homepage.
You can help spread the word about our research and education programs. We’d love for you to bring a friend or family member to one of our public talks. Or, help us increase the amount of compassion in our communities by taking one of our Compassion Training classes with a friend or family member.
Does CCARE offer graduate programs?
No, our center does not offer graduate degrees. However, many of our affiliated faculty are members of academic departments at Stanford that do offer graduate degree programs. If you’re interested in mentorship by a CCARE-affiliated faculty member, we suggest you contact him or her directly to inquire about potential mentorship and available graduate degree programs.
Research FAQs
What are Stanford’s regulations for animal testing?
Please see the following website to learn more about Stanford’s policy regarding research with animals:
https://med.stanford.edu/animalresearch/why-animal-research.html
I’d like to pursue a graduate degree in the field of compassion or altruism research. Does CCARE offer degrees? Where should I begin?
We’re glad to hear of your interest in graduate school! Being an academic center at Stanford, CCARE does not offer degree programs. However, there are CCARE-affiliated faculty in Stanford academic departments that do offer degree programs (such as Psychology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurosciences, etc.). If you’re interested in applying to a Stanford degree program and researching compassion or altruism, we suggest looking up the Stanford faculty that have been affiliated with CCARE’s research to identify who may be your ideal mentor.
Beyond Stanford, we recommend looking up faculty who have worked with the Mind and Life Institute and The Greater Good Science Center, who you may want as your mentor. We suggest you contact their organizations directly for guidance. Also, you’ll want to take a year or two and gain research experience (preferably in a lab with one of the top researchers you can find) so that you can demonstrate additional research expertise and passion for that area. Also, consider attending the annual Mind & Life Summer Research Institute, which is great for making connections with compassion researchers.
How can I learn more about compassion research?
We’re glad to hear you’re interested! Please start by exploring our website. Our video section has recordings of many of the world’s top experts in compassion research, and our wiki logs definitions of compassion as well as research tools to measure compassion. Please also attend our lectures, talks and conferences, which are dedicated to the science and application of compassion.
Peer-Reviewed CCARE Articles
Published Research Supported By CCARE Scientists.
Since its inception, CCARE has supported and collaborated on a number of groundbreaking research projects that have resulted in cross-disciplinary publications on the science of compassion. Below, please find a list of our publications with a summary of their findings.Peer Review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility. In academia peer review is often used to determine an academic paper’s suitability for publication.
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Bayley, P.J., Schulz-Heik, R.J., Tang, J.S., Mathersul, D.C., Avery, T., Wong, M., Zeitzer, J.M., Rosen, C.S., Burn, A.S., Hernandez, B., Lazzeroni, L.C., & Seppälä, E.M. (2022). Randomised clinical non-inferiority trial of breathing-based meditation and cognitive processing therapy for symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in military veterans. BMJ Open. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056609
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that can develop after exposure to a traumatic event. Symptoms include re-experiencing, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and increased arousal and reactivity. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD is estimated at 24.5% in veteran populations. Veterans Affairs (VA)/Department of Defense (DoD) clinical practice guidelines recommend evidence-based, trauma-focused therapies including prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing as first-line treatments for PTSD. These therapies typically show large effect sizes (>1.0). However, up to two-thirds of individuals retain a PTSD diagnosis post treatment and dropout is a significant problem. Other treatments are urgently needed, and there are compelling reasons for considering complementary and integrative health (CIH) modalities such as yoga and meditation.
CIH interventions can be effective, less stigmatising and are popular. However, a review of the literature reveals several limitations: small–medium effect sizes and methodological concerns regarding controls, small sample sizes, randomisation, blinding and reporting. More high-quality, well-controlled studies are needed.
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Mathersul, D.C., Tang, J.S., Schulz-Heik, R.J., Avery, T.J., Seppala, E.M., & Bayley, P.J. (2019). Study protocol for a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial of SKY breathing meditation versus cognitive processing therapy for PTSD among veterans. BMJ. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027150
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating, highly prevalent condition. Current clinical practice guidelines recommend trauma-focused psychotherapy (eg, cognitive processing therapy; CPT) as the first-line treatment for PTSD. However, while these treatments show clinically meaningful symptom improvement, the majority of those who begin treatment retain a diagnosis of PTSD post-treatment. Perhaps for this reason, many individuals with PTSD have sought more holistic, mind–body, complementary and integrative health (CIH) interventions. However, there remains a paucity of high-quality, active controlled efficacy studies of CIH interventions for PTSD, which precludes their formal recommendation.
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Scarlet, J., Altmeyer, N., Knier, S., & Harpin, R. E. (2017). The effects of Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) on health-care workers. Clinical Psychologist, 21, 116–124. doi:10.1111 /cp.12130
The main objective of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of the Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) on various aspects of burnout and job satisfaction in health-care workers. Specifically, this study sought to investigate whether CCT reduces work-related burnout, interpersonal conflict, as well as increases of mindfulness, compassion toward the self, fears of compassion, and job satisfaction scores.
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Jazaieri, H., McGonigal, K., Lee, I. A., Jinpa, T., Doty, J. R., Gross, J. J., & Goldin, P. R. (2017). Altering the trajectory of affect and affect regulation: The impact of compassion training. Mindfulness. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12671-017-0773-3
Investigators examined the effects of a compassion training program on affect and affect regulation by implementing a 9-week compassion cultivation training (CCT) program and analyzing four affective states (anxiety, calm, fatigue, alertness) as well as the desire and capability to regulate them. Daily trajectories showed a general decrease in anxiety and an increase in calmness, likely due to participants tending to choose acceptance of the affective experience, regardless of whether they were negative or positive. At the same time, participants also reported more capability in meeting their goals for affective regulation. Over the course of the training program, participants reported greater acceptance in the face of stress and/or anxiety. Implications for the effects of compassion training programs on affective regulation and self-efficacy are discussed.
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Seppala, E. M., Simon-Thomas, E., Brown, S. L., Worline, M. C., Cameron, C. D., & Doty, J. R. (2017). The Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science. Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190464684.001.0001
The first of its kind, this handbook is dedicated to the rapidly growing, evidence-based literature on compassion, altruism, and empathy. Contributed by experts and organized by themes, each chapter presents a multidisciplinary and systematic approach to include basic and clinical research as well as grounded theories and multiple perspectives to understanding the neurobiological, developmental, evolutionary, social, and clinical applications of compassion science. Bridging gaps among multiple disciplines, this handbook will serve as a valuable reference to further build upon and understand the foundation of compassion science to guide basic and applied research.
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Genevsky, A., & Knutson, B. (2015). Neural affective mechanisms predict market-level microlending. Psychological Science, 26(9), 1411-1422. doi:10.1177/0956797615588467
Researchers investigate the neural mechanisms in which microloans receive approval based on the elicitation of positive affect by applicant’s photographs in two separate studies: one internet and the other a neuroimaging study. The internet study showed that positive affect in applicant photographs promoted loan success. The neuroimaging study further extended the internet findings by showing lender’s active regions in the brain where positive emotions are closely associated with, the nucleus accumbens, as well as self-reported positive affect by lenders who approved loans for those applicants who had high ratings of eliciting positive emotions. Implications for the role of affective neuroscience in microlending success and market-level behaviors are discussed.
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Jazaieri, H., Lee, I. A., McGonigal, K., Jinpa, T., Doty, J. R., Gross, J. J., & Goldin, P. (2015). A wandering mind is a less caring mind: Daily experience sampling during compassion meditation training. Journal of Positive Psychology. doi:10.1080/17439760.2015.1025418
The effects of the Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) program, a 9-week, twice daily compassion meditation, was found to reduce mind wandering towards neutral thoughts and increased caring behaviors for oneself. Further path analysis indicated that compassion meditation was associated with reduced mind wandering for unpleasant thoughts and increased mind wandering to pleasant thoughts, and that both were associated with increased caring behavior for oneself and others. This is the first known study to lend partial support that formal compassion training reduces mind wandering while increasing caring behavior not only for oneself but also for others.
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Neff, K. D., & Seppala, E. M. (2016). Compassion, well-being, and the hypoegoic self. In K. W. Brown & M. Leary (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Hypo-egoic Phenomena. Theory and Research on the Quiet Ego (pp. 189-202). Oxford University Press.
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Seppala, E. M., Hutcherson, C. A., Nguyen, D. T. H., Doty, J. R., & Gross, J. J. (2014). Loving-kindness meditation: A tool to improve healthcare provider compassion, resilience, and patient care. Journal of Compassionate Healthcare. doi:10.1186/s40639-014-0005-9
Stress and burnout is prevalent in the healthcare industry. Numerous research focused on reducing these strains on healthcare professionals can be time-consuming and intensive. Thus, this study sought to investigate the effectiveness of a short, 10- minute compassion-inducing intervention, lovingkindness meditation (LKM), to attempt to address this obvious disconnected need for a short, non-intensive, and effective intervention. LKM was compared to a positive affect induction (self-focus) and a neutral control condition. Ten minutes of LKM showed increased explicit as well as implicit levels of well-being and feelings of social connection to others and decreased focus on the self. Implications for decreasing burnout and improving patient care is discussed.
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Martin, D., Seppala, E., Heineberg, Y., Rossomando, T., Doty, J., Zimbardo, P., Shiue, T.-T., Berger, R., & Zhou, Y. Y. (2015). Multiple facets of compassion: The impact of social dominance orientation and economic systems justification. Journal of Business Ethics, 129(1), 237-249. doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2157-0
Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) is a hierarchical worldview that ascribes people to social rankings and is often found in high levels among business school students. To establish the relationship between individual differences in compassion, SDO, and free ESJ (Economic Systems Justification), partial correlations were run controlling for social desirability to response bias. As anticipated, a significant correlation between ESJ and SDO was established. Significant correlations between SDO and low levels of Self-Compassion supported the hypotheses that those with higher levels of SDO have lower levels of self-compassion.