x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Dharma Lab

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

science mental health

All Episodes

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

en

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

en

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…

en

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

en

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

en

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

en

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

en

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

en

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

en

24:09

DL Ep.7: The Science of Micro Practices

Dharma Lab ·

2025/09/19

One of the questions we hear most often is: how much practice do I really need to do? Do the benefits of meditation only come after logging hours on the cushion?The science—and lived experience—tell a different story. In fact, in the very first randomized controlled trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) back in 2003, researchers expected that more minutes of daily meditation would predict bigger changes in well-being. But the data showed something surprising: there was no relationship

en

51:24

DL Ep.6: The Science of Uncertainty

Dharma Lab ·

2025/09/11

In this week’s podcast, Cort and Richie discuss how fear shrinks our perception, but harnessing awareness widens the lens again. See chapter list below.In case you missed it, check out a written contextual summary of this podcast here:Podcast Chapter List0:00:00 - Intro 2:28:00 - How the brain reacts to uncertainty 7:33:00 - Amygdala activation: narrowing perception to potential threats 8:54:00 - Physical responses to fear and the spiral of anxiety 12:41:00 - Evolutionary origins: the brain as a

en

29:20

DL Ep.5: Meditation Is Not What You Think

Dharma Lab ·

2025/09/04

Richie and Cort discuss how small shifts in perspective lead to lasting changes in the brain and experience Get full access to Dharma Lab at dharmalabco.substack.com/subscribe

en

23:02

DL Ep.4: The Science of Discomfort

Dharma Lab ·

2025/08/28

Notes from Dharma Lab* Please see written primer below on The Science of Discomfort (released Tuesday 8/26)Ep.4 Chapter List:0:00 Stories of Discomfort: MRI & Dentist5:24 The Science of Pain & The Two Arrows8:23 The Suffering Equation: Pain x Resistance10:05 Your Brain on Pain: Shifting Resistance12:59 How Meditation Changes Pain & Distress14:35 Can Beginners Really Change Their Experience?18:52 Discomfort as a Mindfulness Hack20:24 Meditation as Mental HygieneDharma Lab is reader-supported. To

en

59:29

Beyond Burnout - Research Discussion

Dharma Lab ·

2025/08/20

Get full access to Dharma Lab at dharmalabco.substack.com/subscribe

en

35:22

Dharma Lab Episode 2: Your Brain on AI

Dharma Lab ·

2025/08/13

Listen on Episode #2 on Youtube, Spotify, Apple:YoutubeSpotifyApple PodcastsEpisode 2 Chapter List:0:00 Intro0:32 Episode Overview by Cort2:35 “This is Your Brain on AI” — and How the Media Spins the Negative4:07 Historical Precedent: Handwriting vs. Typing5:44 MIT Study: How Large Language Models Impact the Brain15:06 Will Certain Skills Become Obsolete with AI?17:38 The Role of Intention and Full Awareness21:24 Unintended Consequences — Lessons from Buddhist Monks on Memory and Focus24:04 Using AI

en

62:04

Dharma Lab Episode 1: The Most Important Thing

Dharma Lab ·

2025/08/02

Richie and Cort discuss The Most Important Thing in Episode #1 of Dharma Lab. 02:22 – "My religion is Kindness" 05:25 – Kindness is the most important thing — apply a "kindness acid test" to all you do 08:08 – How kindness and compassion have (or haven’t) been studied in neuroscience 12:44 – Defining "kindness" and "compassion" in scientific and Buddhist terms 18:55 – Changing your focus from empathy to compassion can reduce burnout 26:49 – Empathy vs. compassion: toddler study example 29:10

en

16 results

Similar Podcasts

Classic Radio Science Fiction

solgoodmedia.com

Mission to Mars

Inception Point Ai

The 365 Days of Astronomy

365DaysOfAstronomy.org

Creek Devil

william Jevning

UFO Chronicles Podcast

Nik Hunter