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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

52:23

DL Ep.29: Daniel Goleman on Practicing Before Life's...

Dharma Lab ·

2026/03/27

Dr. Richie Richard Davidson, Cortland Dahl, Dan Goleman DiscussionChapter Summary:00:05:51 — Dan Goleman returns from India and meets Richie Davidson at Harvard00:06:38 — Studying meditation in academia when the field dismissed it00:07:11 — Their careers diverge: journalism at the New York Times and neuroscience research00:08:08 — The Mind & Life Institute and first meetings with the Dalai Lama00:09:20 — Paul Ekman’s surprising transformation after meeting the Dalai Lama00:12:03 — Richie’s quiet

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30:46

Neuroscience & Practice discussion / takeaways from...

Dharma Lab ·

2026/03/20

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dharmalabco.substack.com/subscribe

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30:22

DL Ep. 28: Mingyur Rinpoche - Are You Drained Or Are...

Dharma Lab ·

2026/03/12

We are so honored to welcome Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche to another episode of Dharma Lab. In today’s conversation with Cort and Richie, Rinpoche shares practical ways to stay present in a busy life: a powerful metaphor (“time is like a rubber band”), an “inner sky” teaching for working with anxiety and emotional storms, and a simple micro-practice you can try in under a minute.They also explore why meditation can increase energy and effectiveness, how altruistic intention can transform stress into

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50:24

DL Ep. 27: Jon Kabat-Zinn

Dharma Lab ·

2026/03/06

Jon Kabat-Zinn joins Richie and Cort for a wide-ranging conversation on mindfulness, science, and what it means to fully inhabit your life.From the launch of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in a hospital basement in 1979 to more than 1,000 scientific papers a year on mindfulness today, this episode traces how a simple practice entered mainstream medicine and reshaped the way we understand stress, healing, and human potential.Along the way, the conversation moves from chronic pain and

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47:48

DL Ep.26: Four Science-Backed Skills to Deal with...

Dharma Lab ·

2026/02/24

Flourishing is multi-dimensional. In today’s episode of Dharma Lab, we apply the four dimensions of flourishing (awareness, connection, insight, and purpose), to something we all experience: anxiety.When these skills are at our fingertips, we can deploy different ones in different contexts, or bring several to bear at once. Together, they form a rich set of practices to enhance well-being in everyday life.Our discussion explores anxiety as an evolutionary feature of the human brain rather than a

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37:18

DL Ep 25: Flourishing is Contagious

Dharma Lab ·

2026/02/17

In this episode of Dharma Lab, Cort and Richie explore one of the core ideas behind Born to Flourish: that our inner state doesn’t stay inside. It ripples outward…shaping classrooms, workplaces, families, and even measurable outcomes like student achievement.Through personal stories and groundbreaking research from public schools, they unpack how awareness, connection, insight, and purpose don’t just transform individuals, they transform systems.Podcast chapter list:00:00 – Intro: Can Flourishing Be

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36:56

DL Ep.24: Born to Flourish - The Science of Human...

Dharma Lab ·

2026/02/09

Reminder: Join Richie & Cort tonight at 8pm ET for our monthly AMA HEREIn today’s episode of Dharma Lab, Cort and Richie explore a radical and hopeful idea from their upcoming book Born to Flourish: that we all come into the world with an innate capacity for kindness, compassion, and human flourishing. Through personal stories, recent science, and ancient Buddhist wisdom, they reveal how reconnecting with our true nature can transform not only ourselves but also our divided world.“It’s probably more

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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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