ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the significance of human presence, empathy, and compassion in medical care. It also discusses the influence on both patients and doctors. The chapter examines the intricacies and obstacles in applying them in medicine. The discovery of mirror neurons in 1990s has led to a cross-disciplinary revolution in the of empathy. Mirror neurons belong to a specialised group of neurons located in the premotor cortex and the inferior parietal cortex. Studies show that compassion engenders trust in the doctor-patient relationship, decreases the burden of patients’ suffering, and helps them heal. R. M. Epstein describes a series of experiments in which participants who were trained to resonate with others suffering without being given skills of translating it into compassion, were more emotionally distressed and activated in areas of brain known to be related to anxiety and distress.
