Educational Implications and Application of Compassion Meditation as Liberal Arts Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the educational implications of compassion meditation as a liberal arts education course and to see how it can be designed as within the regular curriculum. Recent studies have shown that compassion meditation promotes positive emotions and pro-social behavior. Furthermore, it has been actively used in education beyond the field of psychotherapy. The educational implications of compassion meditation in higher education are threefold. First, compassion meditation can create an inner shift that allows for existential reflection on the self. Second, compassion meditation is a metacognitive training exercise that enhances the ability for one to see the big picture. Third, compassion meditation is an approach that enhances pro-social behavior by improving empathy and compassion. In addition, I presented pedagogical suggestions on how compassion meditation can be designed as a liberal arts education course in universities. The significance of this study is that it analyzed the educational implications of compassion meditation, which fosters positive emotions toward oneself and enhances empathy toward others. The study also explored how compassion meditation can be designed as a liberal arts education course in the context of a serious psychological crisis among young adults.