A compassion-based meditation program can significantly improve a person's ability to read the facial expressions of others, finds a new study. This boost in empathic accuracy was detected through both behavioral testing of the study participants and through functional magnetic resonance imaging scans of their brain activity. The meditation protocol, known as Cognitively-Based Compassion Training, or CBCT, is derived from ancient Tibetan Buddhist practices, although the program is secular in content and presentation.