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Dharma Lab

Modern neuroscience meets ancient contemplative wisdom, with Dr. Richard Davidson and Dr. Cortland Dahl dharmalabco.substack.com

science mental health

All Episodes

4:00

AMA#5 Navigating Neuroplasticity, Non-Dual Awareness,...

Dharma Lab ·

2026/02/05

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dharmalabco.substack.comReminder: Our Next Live Ask Me Anything (#6) with Richie and Cort will be on Feb 9th at 8pm ET. Please send questions in advance! (in comments, chat, or reply to this email)Why Listen to This Session?In our latest wide-ranging AMA, Richie and Cort explore:* Your brain can change at any age — but plasticity isn’t always good:to answer a popular question inspired by Huberman: yes, neuroplasticity lasts from birth to

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58:55

DL Ep. 23: David Yeager on Parenting Teens: What the...

Dharma Lab ·

2026/01/27

Parenting teens is hard. We often fall into styles that feel protective but end up making things worse. In our latest Dharma Lab episode, Dr. David Yeager, a leading researcher on adolescent motivation and author of 10 to 25, talks with Richie and Cort about why this happens and how to change it. We also explore the neuroscience of adolescent brains, and how the parenting strategies discussed can mirror how we relate to our own inner experience.Key concepts from the episode:* Most parents default

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43:12

DL Ep.22: The Neuroscience of “Aha” Moments

Dharma Lab ·

2026/01/20

We’ve all had moments when something suddenly clicks. A realization that doesn’t arrive gradually, but all at once. Cort remembers walking out of a movie theater on a humid summer night after seeing Schindler’s List, suddenly knowing what his life should be about. Richie recalls preparing for a talk that sparked an entirely new way of thinking about neuroplasticity and the social brain.In this episode, we explore what those “aha” moments really are, why they feel so emotionally charged, and how

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35:33

DL Ep.21: The Neuroscience of Conscious Habits

Dharma Lab ·

2026/01/13

On today’s episode of Dharma Lab, we take a closer look at the mechanics of healthy habit formation.Building on a framework we’ve outlined in previous posts—inspiration, intention, action, and repetition—we explore why each step matters from a scientific perspective, and how the process tends to break down in real life.Discussion Highlights:* How monks we encountered in Nepal had trained habits by way of intense practice * Why exceptional capacities are built through training and practice, not

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28:14

DL Ep. 20: Why Willpower Isn’t Enough - The...

Dharma Lab ·

2026/01/06

REMINDER: Live Q&A with Richie and Cort TODAY at 8pm ET on Substack. Over the next two weeks on Dharma Lab, we’ll be exploring the science and practice of meaningful change—why it so often breaks down, and how small, intentional habits can gradually reshape how we live.In today’s episode, we explore a key insight from neuroscience and psychology: our behavior is shaped less by willpower than by the affordances around us—the cues, routines, relationships, and environments that quietly invite certain

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4:17

Recording of AMA #4 with Dr. Richie Davidson and Dr....

Dharma Lab ·

2026/01/02

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dharmalabco.substack.comThank you to those who tuned into our 4th live video with Dr. Richard Davidson and Dr. Cortland Dahl! Join us for our next live AMA on Tuesday, Jan 6 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT.The discussion covered a lot of ground not limited to: Brain activity during meditation, Expectations / Non-attachment, Neuroscience of desire, Journaling + Meditation, Meditation dosage…

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36:15

DL Ep. 19: The Science of Self-Reflection

Dharma Lab ·

2025/12/30

At certain moments in life — the end of a day, the completion of a project, or the turn of a year — we naturally begin to reflect.But without intention, self-reflection can quietly slide into rumination, self-judgment, and stress.In this episode of Dharma Lab, we explore the science of self-reflection: why it’s such a uniquely human capacity, how it supports learning, empathy, and wellbeing — and why it so often goes off the rails.Drawing on neuroscience, contemplative practice, and lived

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42:55

DL Ep. 18: The Neuroscience of Giving

Dharma Lab ·

2025/12/23

In this episode of Dharma Lab, we explore the neuroscience and contemplative practice of what it means to truly give.Recorded in the middle of the holiday season, our conversation begins with a familiar arc many of us recognize: the childhood excitement of receiving, and the gradual (and sometimes surprising) shift toward the deeper satisfaction of giving. Together, we explore what’s really happening beneath that shift, psychologically, biologically, and experientially.Drawing on neuroscience,

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42:38

DL Ep. 17: Trauma, Memory, and the Brain's Capacity...

Dharma Lab ·

2025/12/16

REMINDER: Live Q&A with Richie and Cort TODAY at 7pm ET on Substack.Why do certain memories feel like they still live in our bodies years after they happened? And why do some difficult experiences become turning points for growth while others leave us feeling stuck?In this episode, we explore the neuroscience of trauma and the contemplative tools that help us reshape old emotional patterns. A central part of our discussion is the role of plasticity in both trauma and healing:“Trauma wouldn’t happen

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34:58

DL Ep. 16: Mingyur Rinpoche - Meditation is Easier...

Dharma Lab ·

2025/12/12

Mingyur Rinpoche has spent his life immersed in meditation practice — beginning a three-year retreat at 13, and eventually logging more than 50,000 hours of formal training. He was also a central participant in some of the earliest research Richie conducted on advanced meditators, work that helped open the door to much of the scientific exploration of meditation that followed.Yet despite this extraordinary background, the way he teaches is remarkably simple and down-to-earth.In this week’s Dharma

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24:30

DL Ep. 15: The False Promise of Desire - Our...

Dharma Lab ·

2025/12/02

We spend so much of life chasing the next moment… and missing the one we’re in.This week on Dharma Lab, we dig into the neuroscience of wanting vs. liking, explore how to shift from chasing the next thing to savoring what’s here, and discuss how awe can show up in the smallest, most ordinary moments.Episode Highlights:A big part of the conversation centers on two quiet assumptions that shape so much of how we live.The first is the belief that chasing what we want will finally make us happy—that

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37:02

DL Ep. 14: The Neuroscience of Service

Dharma Lab ·

2025/11/25

In this week’s Dharma Lab conversation, we’ll dive into the science and contemplative wisdom behind generosity, purpose, and everyday altruism.How Serving Others Nourishes UsThere are moments in life that quietly change everything. For both of us, one of those moments was realizing that meditation was never just about us.At first, practice was personal, a way to calm the mind, relieve stress, and find clarity. But over time, something shifted. We began to see practice less as self-improvement and

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50:18

DL Ep. 13: The Neuroscience of Being - Turning...

Dharma Lab ·

2025/11/18

What does it mean to simply be?In this episode of Dharma Lab, we explore the neuroscience and contemplative practice of being — that effortless, natural presence that can transform anxiety into insight and turn ordinary moments into gateways of creativity.Fresh from Richie’s trip to India and a meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we sit down for a free-flowing, unrehearsed conversation that bridges ancient meditation wisdom and cutting-edge brain science. Together, we explore:* The difference

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4:00

Recording of AMA#3 with Dr. Richie Davidson & Dr....

Dharma Lab ·

2025/11/13

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dharmalabco.substack.comThank you to those who tuned into our 3rd live video with Dr. Richard Davidson and Dr. Cortland Dahl! Join us for our next live AMA on Tuesday, Dec 16 at 7pm ET / 6pm CT.Chapter List for AMA #3:00:00 – Opening PracticeGuided intention-setting and brief meditation to begin the AMA.05:00 – Can Meditation Slow Brain Aging?Exploring research on meditation and brain aging, including Mingyur R…

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37:56

DL Ep.12: Dosage of Meditation

Dharma Lab ·

2025/11/05

Episode Highlights:1. Small doses make a difference. Even a few mindful minutes a day can reshape the brain. Recent MRI research shows that short, consistent practice can lead to measurable structural changes in the brain in just four weeks.2. Consistency matters more than duration. Across studies from 2003 to today, longer sessions didn’t necessarily lead to better outcomes. What really counts is showing up — the rhythm of practice, not the clock.3. “Short times, many times.” Ancient manuals never

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51:44

DL Ep.11: Meditation Apps - The Promise, The...

Dharma Lab ·

2025/10/31

In this episode of Dharma Lab, we sit down with our friend and colleague Dr. Simon Goldberg, one of the world’s leading researchers on meditation apps. Together, we explore what the data really say about digital practice — what’s working, what’s not, and how even a few minutes a day can reduce stress and support wellbeing. It’s a conversation about technology, habits, and the ways meditation is quietly transforming our minds and bodies — changes that science can measure only in part, but that reach

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10:51

AMA Recording #1: Guided Practices & Q&A

Dharma Lab ·

2025/10/25

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dharmalabco.substack.comWe’re so grateful to everyone who joined us for our very first Dharma Lab AMA with Dr. Cortland Dahl and Dr. Richard Davidson in early September. You’ll find in the recording two guided practices (one each from Cort & Richie), as well as the full recording of Q&A. Below you’ll find a summary of the conversation, written up in a Q&A format so it’s easy to follow. It’s not a perfect or complete transcript, so please

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35:47

DL Ep. 10: Loneliness as Deadly as Smoking 15...

Dharma Lab ·

2025/10/16

In this episode of Dharma Lab, Richie Davidson and Cortland Dahl dive into one of the most startling findings in modern science: that loneliness and social disconnection can be as harmful to our health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day.They explore what makes loneliness so toxic—not just for our mental well-being, but for our physical health—and how ancient contemplative wisdom and modern neuroscience converge on the same insight: connection is medicine.From the biology of stress and resilience to

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48:09

DL Ep.9: Overthinking and Rumination (Part 2)

Dharma Lab ·

2025/10/03

In this Dharma Lab episode, we pick up where we left off—moving from why our minds get so restless to what we can actually do about it, exploring three strategies from Buddhist psychology for working skillfully with overthinking: Remove, Transform, and Transcend.See chapter list below.If you’d like to begin with Overthinking and Rumination (Part 1), you can find it here:Podcast Chapter List0:00 - Intro2:30 - Cort & Richie share personal experiences with rumination8:41 - Overview of the three

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30:11

DL Ep.8: Overthinking and Rumination (Part 1)

Dharma Lab ·

2025/09/26

In this week’s podcast, Cort and Richie explore why the mind so often gets stuck in rumination, how our evolutionary wiring and contrast-detecting brains fuel it, and what contemplative practices can do to shift us from anxious loops into clarity and balance. Reminder: our second AMA (ask me anything with Cort + Richie) is on Tuesday, September 30th at 8pm ET. Please send your question in advance!See chapter list below.In case you missed it, check out a written contextual summary of this podcast

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