Some of the many resources sharing how compassion heals.

Richard J. Davidson & Antoine Lutz (2008). Buddha’s Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation. IEEE Signal Processing Magazine.

Found that experienced Tibetan monks practicing compassion meditation exhibited increased gamma wave activity, associated with heightened cognitive function and emotional regulation.

Antoine Lutz, John D. Dunne, & Richard J. Davidson (2007). Meditation and the Neuroscience of Consciousness: An Introduction. Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness.

This study showed that long-term meditation enhances neuroplasticity, particularly in areas related to empathy and emotional resilience.

Tania Singer & Olga M. Klimecki (2014). Empathy and Compassion. Current Biology, 24(18), R875–R878.

Demonstrated that compassion training changes the structure of the brain, increasing activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and insula, regions responsible for emotional regulation.

Richard J. Davidson & Daniel Goleman (2017). Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body. Avery.

Summarizes decades of research on Tibetan monks, showing that compassion meditation strengthens positive emotional states and reduces stress-related inflammation.

Matthieu Ricard (2015). Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World. Little, Brown and Company.

Written by a Buddhist monk and scientist, this book explains the neurological and psychological benefits of compassion meditation.

Helen Weng et al. (2013). Compassion Training Alters Altruism and Neural Responses to Suffering. Psychological Science, 24(7), 1171–1180.

Found that compassion meditation increased altruistic behavior and strengthened brain circuits linked to empathy and caregiving.