A preliminary study on the effectiveness of a Virtual Reality system to enhance Tonglen compassion practice

This research operates within the established paradigm of evidence-based psychological interventions, specifically Compassion-Based Interventions (CBIs). It accepts the core tenets that compassion is a trainable skill and that its effects can be measured through self-report and physiological markers. The study introduces a technological tool, Virtual Reality (VR), not to challenge this paradigm, but to solve a known puzzle within it: the difficulty and high dropout rates associated with complex practices like Tonglen meditation. It uses standard experimental psychology methods to test the effectiveness of this new tool, thereby extending the existing framework.

This preprint is classified as Normal Science because it engages in "puzzle-solving" within an existing scientific paradigm. It identifies a known problem in Compassion-Based Interventions—the difficulty of mental imagery and subsequent low adherence—and proposes a novel technological solution (VR) to enhance the practice. The study uses established methodologies, including pre-post assessments with validated questionnaires and physiological measurements (HRV), to incrementally add knowledge. It aims to improve an existing method (Tonglen meditation) rather than proposing a revolutionary new theory of compassion or psychological change, which is characteristic of Normal Science.