Dharma Lab

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

  1. AMA#5 Navigating Neuroplasticity, Non-Dual Awareness, and the Neuroscience of Flourishing

    22 小時前

    AMA#5 Navigating Neuroplasticity, Non-Dual Awareness, and the Neuroscience of Flourishing

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dharmalabco.substack.com Reminder: 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 death (even near the very end of life). But here’s the twist: plasticity is neutral. Without the right conditions, it can reinforce anxiety, anger, or stress. The AMA explains how to pair plasticity with wholesome habits so change actually supports well-being * How meditation can literally rewrite emotional memories: a detailed walkthrough of memory reconsolidation, the neuroscience of why retrieved memories become editable, and a practical technique you can use at bedtime * Discover what happens in the brain during non-dual awareness: cutting-edge research on why advanced meditators show dramatic drops in prediction networks, and the crucial difference between practices that focus on experience versus practices that orient to awareness itself * Flourishing is contagious: A firsthand account of meeting a 90-year-old Tibetan master who radiates unconditional love after surviving 20 years in Chinese prison camps Detailed Chapter Guide 00:00 - Opening Meditation & New Year Intentions Brief guided meditation to open hearts and set collective aspiration for easing suffering and supporting flourishing worldwide. 02:00 - New Year Reflections: Small Steps, Daily Affordances Richie discusses why New Year’s resolutions fail and introduces the concept of “affordances”: everyday contexts that can trigger practice moments. The importance of small steps repeated consistently rather than unrealistic grand plans. 06:00 - Contagious Flourishing: Meeting Garchen Rinpoche Cort shares a powerful experience meeting 90-year-old Garchen Rinpoche in Arizona, a living example of boundless love cultivated through decades of practice, even surviving 20 years in Chinese prison camps. A visceral reminder that flourishing spreads through presence alone. 14:00 - Neuroplasticity Across the Lifespan Q: Does brain plasticity continue after age 25? Richie explains that plasticity persists from birth to death, with sensitive periods (birth, ages 4-7, adolescence) showing heightened susceptibility. The critical point: plasticity is neutral and requires wholesome focus to support flourishing. 20:00 - Buddhist Psychology Meets Neuroscience Cort connects neuroplasticity to the Buddhist concept of “bardo,” transitional periods when habitual patterns are disrupted. Why adversity often catalyzes the deepest growth, and the dual path of accumulating wisdom and creating supportive conditions. 25:00 - Memory Reconsolidation: Editing Emotional Memories Q: Can we heal trauma from infancy if we don’t remember how it formed? Richie explains how retrieved memories become temporarily fluid and re-encodable, the scientific basis for therapeutic change. 29:00 - Practical Memory Reconsolidation: The Bedtime Argument Detailed walkthrough of how to work with a difficult memory using reconsolidation principles: bringing positive associations to the same person during retrieval creates lasting change in how that memory is stored. 34:00 - Different Practices, Different Reconsolidation Effects How loving-kindness changes associations versus how awareness practices create space for memories to dissolve. Mingyur Rinpoche’s “cow dung” teaching as a metaphor for memory malleability. 37:00 - Education: Declarative vs. Procedural Learning Q: How does modern education impact neuroplasticity in children? The Western bias toward declarative (conceptual) learning versus procedural (skill-based) learning. Richie’s call for more practice-based education. 40:00 - The Surprising Value of Memorization Cort’s counterintuitive defense of traditional monastic memorization practices: how deep encoding creates attentional laser-focus and transforms understanding in ways that passive learning cannot. 44:00 - Giving, Receiving, and the Reward System Q: Is giving more rewarding than receiving at all ages? Richie confirms the data supports this across the lifespan, though strength may vary by developmental stage. 45:00 - The Science of Non-Dual Awareness Q: What happens in the brain during non-dual experiences? Cort explains non-dual consciousness as the “open sky” versus the “weather patterns” of sensory experience, orienting to awareness itself rather than its contents. 50:00 - The Brain as Prediction Machine Richie’s hypothesis: non-dual awareness may involve releasing prediction entirely. Evidence shows dramatic decreases in prefrontal activation in long-term practitioners during tasks that normally activate prediction networks. 54:00 - Subject-Oriented vs. Object-Oriented Practice Q: What’s the difference between focusing on breath versus connecting with awareness itself? Cort unpacks this crucial distinction from their published research paper. 56:00 - Two Paths of Insight Object-oriented practices reveal the conditioned, changing nature of experience. Subject-oriented practices reveal the unconditioned, spacious nature of awareness, leading to emptiness and non-dual realization. Different practices, radically different destinations. 59:00 - Brain Connectivity Patterns in Different Practice Types Richie explains how object-oriented practices strengthen connections between awareness regions and sensory regions, while subject-oriented practices strengthen awareness networks and salience networks differently. 1:01:00 - Closing Reflections & New Year Wishes Final thoughts, gratitude for the community’s questions, and wishes for health, peace, and flourishing in the year ahead. For the technical deep-dive referenced in this session, see Davidson & Dahl’s paper: “Reconstructing and Deconstructing the Self: Cognitive Mechanisms in Meditation Practice” in Trends in Cognitive Sciences. Our new book is coming out next month! Pre-order Born to Flourish and get: * Live access to an exclusive Born to Flourish Launch Event * Richie and Cort’s personal reading list on the art of flourishing * A daily protocol for training the mind to flourish * 1-year paid membership to Dharma Lab with weekly essays, research updates, podcasts, and member-only online events From the archives:

    4 分鐘

  2. 1月27日

    DL Ep. 23: David Yeager on Parenting Teens: What the Adolescent Brain Really Needs

    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 to one of two styles (and not the one we need to start embracing more called the “mentor”) * Enforcer: high demands, low support (“toughen up,” “no excuses”) * Protector: high empathy, low expectations (removing challenges to avoid distress)Both come from love, and both can unintentionally shut teens down. * What teens are actually wired to needAdolescents are especially driven by pride, dignity, and respect…and deeply averse to humiliation or shame. When they feel talked down to, they stop listening. * Why this stage is uniquely hard right nowPuberty is starting earlier than ever, while the brain systems that support emotional regulation won’t fully mature until the mid-20s. This widening gap makes misfires more likely for teens and parents. * The problem with “grownsplaining”When adults assume their experience makes them the unquestioned expert, teens hear disrespect; even when advice is well-intentioned. That dynamic fuels resistance rather than growth. * The mentor mindset offers a different pathHigh standards with real support. Less lecturing, more curiosity. Asking questions instead of delivering answers. Allowing discomfort without removing expectations. * Discomfort isn’t always a sign something is wrongAnxiety, frustration, and even tears can mean a young person is stretching toward something meaningful - not failing. What matters is whether distress comes with support or shame. * Small tools that make a big difference * Do-overs: repairing moments when we miss the mark without lowering standards * Reframing stress: helping kids interpret nerves as a sign of doing something important * Letting kids resolve conflicts: building independence instead of reflexively intervening * A surprising takeaway for parentsHow we relate to our children’s struggles often mirrors how we relate to our own inner discomfort. Learning to be a mentor to ourselves matters too. Some quotes from the discussion: “I, with a smart adult brain who has survived to at least right now, I must know what I’m doing. And therefore the contents of my logic and reasoning must be accurate and trustworthy... So now I’m just going to export the contents of my thoughts into your ill-formed brain.” - Dr. Yeager affectionately summarizes the prevailing parenting logic. “What we’re seeing today is really the first time in human history where there’s this really expanded gap between the onset of puberty and the onset of neural mechanisms that facilitate the regulation of emotion, the regulation of thought.” - Richie This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. David’s Book 10-25 Complimentary episodes from the archives: * Real change depends on context, support, and how we relate to difficulty…not sheer discipline: * What happens when the mind gets stuck, and how curiosity rather than suppression helps us regain agency: * A deeper look at reflection; not as rumination, but as a skill that helps people learn from experience: * Why insight changes us, and how it reshapes behavior more effectively than instruction: Podcast Chapter List: 00:00 – Intro: Why parenting teens affects our own wellbeingWhen things aren’t going well with young people, it deeply impacts parents and caregivers. 01:15 – “Grownsplaining”: why teens stop listeningHow adult certainty and lecturing can feel disrespectful — and shut kids down. 03:35 – Why parents feel stuck between bad optionsControl, lecturing, or stepping back — why none of these approaches really work. 05:45 – What teens are wired to need: dignity and respectWhy shame and being talked down to trigger resistance instead of growth. 08:40 – The puberty–brain gap (why this stage is harder than ever)Puberty is starting earlier, while emotion-regulation circuits mature much later. 11:00 – Parenting styles that backfire: enforcer vs protectorHigh demands with no support — or empathy with no expectations — and why both miss the mark. 13:05 – The mentor mindset: high standards with real supportWhat effective parents, teachers, and coaches do differently. 15:00 – Letting kids work through conflict (stop refereeing)Why solving problems for kids undermines independence and learning. 17:00 – The NBA shooting coach example: how real learning happensWhy elite coaches don’t over-instruct — and how asking “How did that feel?” builds internal guidance. 18:10 – Reframing stress: butterflies mean something mattersHelping teens reinterpret anxiety as readiness, not failure. 22:30 – Why suppressing emotions backfiresWhat kids learn when adults rush to stop tears, anger, or discomfort. 26:30 – Parenting teens mirrors how we treat our own discomfortHow enforcer and protector styles show up in our inner lives too. 30:10 – Mindset science: how meaning shapes motivationFrom growth mindset to stress reappraisal — why interpretation matters. 34:00 – Why teens remember respect (and forget lectures)How wise interventions actually stick over time. 39:45 – Changing the adults, not just the kidsWhy environments and expectations matter as much as individual mindset. 44:30 – Final reflections: mentorship as a lifelong practiceHelping teens grow — and learning to be mentors to ourselves. 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

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

    1月20日

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

    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 they can reshape the course of our lives. Drawing on a fascinating neuroscience study, we look at what happens in the brain when insight arises—and why these moments are remembered so vividly days later. We also reflect on how insight and wisdom once sat at the center of human flourishing—from Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to Buddhist psychology—yet are largely absent from modern models of wellbeing. In fact, as Richie points out: “No current model of psychological well-being that is in the psychological research literature includes insight, except for the model that we’ve developed.” Dr. Richard Davidson, Dharma Lab Ep.22, speaking about The Healthy Minds Framework This leads to a deeper question we explore together: What if insight isn’t rare…but simply unnoticed, forgotten, or unsupported in daily life? Episode Highlights * Why what we feed our minds matters: the raw materials of insight come from the conversations we have, what we watch and read…but only if we create space to digest * How we likely have many insights each day but lose them in distraction; and how contemplative practice acts like a glass enclosure around a candle, helping us notice, remember, and stabilize insights before they flicker out * Why psychedelics are often effective at igniting insight, but not always at helping it become a durable way of seeing * Why insight is deeply emotional, not just intellectual * The difference between a fleeting epiphany and a lasting shift in how we experience life If you enjoy these topics, check out our new book Born to Flourish, available for pre-order (arrives March 2026). Related Posts From the Archives: Reference Notes: Becker, M., Sommer, T., & Cabeza, R. (2025). Insight predicts subsequent memory via cortical representational change and hippocampal activity. Nature Communications, 16, 4341. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59355-4 The Healthy Minds framework Podcast Chapter List 00:00 – We Likely Have Many Insights but Don’t Remember ThemThe “candle in a hurricane” metaphor and why awareness matters 00:01 – A New Paper on Insight & WisdomWhy this study immediately caught our attention 01:25 – Cort’s Life-Changing Epiphany After Schindler’s ListCompassion, meaning, and a sudden shift in perspective 03:18 – What an “Aha” Moment Feels LikeSuddenness, emotion, and deep certainty 04:17 – Why Insight Is Deeply EmotionalWhat contemplative traditions have always known 05:01 – Richie’s Scientific Epiphany at UW–MadisonNeuroplasticity, sociology, and a radical shift in thinking 09:02 – Insight as an Energizing ForceWhy these moments feel alive and motivating 09:16 – Meditation & Non-Dual AwarenessThe flame that illuminates itself 10:50 – Why Insight Leaves Lasting MemoriesEmotion, memory, and meaning 11:30 – Insight in Ancient PhilosophySocrates, Plato, Aristotle—and what we’ve lost today 13:47 – The Blind Spot in Modern Wellbeing ModelsWhy insight is missing from psychology 15:13 – Why Insight Is Hard to Study ScientificallySuddenness, unpredictability, and experimental challenges 16:42 – The Mooney Images Experiment ExplainedHow scientists trigger “aha” moments in the lab 18:28 – Insight Predicts Memory Days LaterWhy recognizing meaning changes the brain 20:50 – The Brain During InsightAmygdala, hippocampus, and emotional salience 23:25 – Why We Remember What MattersEmotion as the gateway to memory 26:21 – Meditation, Memory Reconsolidation & InsightHow inner landscapes change 28:21 – Why Insights Usually FadeEpiphany vs. memory of epiphany 28:56 – The Glass Enclosure Around the CandleHow meditation helps insights last 30:21 – Psychedelics & InsightPowerful sparks, fragile integration 31:50 – Can Insight Become a Trait?From episodic moments to lasting change 33:03 – The Dog in the Mooney ImageWhy once you see it, you can’t unsee it 34:24 – Awe as a Trainable StateBeyond episodic wonder 36:16 – What We Feed the Mind MattersWhy insight depends on raw materials 38:01 – Creating Space to Digest ExperienceWhy insight arises when attention relaxes 39:03 – Why Most Insights Go UnnoticedReturning to the hurricane metaphor 40:09 – Curiosity as the Gateway to InsightBecoming a student of your own mind 41:41 – Using Simple Affordances to RememberThe finger counter as an insight cue 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

    43 分鐘

  4. 1月13日

    DL Ep.21: The Neuroscience of Conscious Habits

    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 innate talent * How small, repeatable actions strengthen the executive network so we are “in the driver’s seat” of our mind, emotions, and impulses * The distinction between unconscious habits and consciously trained habits * A neuroscience-informed framework for habit formation: inspiration, intention, action, and repetition * Where habits most often break down, and how to use moments of everyday life as affordances for practice * Malcolm Gladwell’s framework for exceptional performance: Practice, Practice, Practice, and starting at small levels daily to achieve a compounding rate * How Flourishing is contagious If you enjoy this topic, there will a whole chapter devoted to it in our upcoming book Born to Flourish (available for pre-order now, arriving March 2026). We will deep dive into the 4 stages of developing conscious habits - inspiration, intention, action, repetition. A framework as a recipe to develop a conscious habit. Recent Posts: · From the Archives: Podcast Chapter List: 00:00 – Intro: The “Tomorrow” Trap of ProcrastinationWhy inspiration so often gets postponed — and how habits stall before they begin 02:20 – What Meditation Masters & Peak Performers Have in CommonPractice, not talent: how extraordinary people are trained, not born 04:55 – How Small Daily Practices Change the BrainNeuroscience shows even 5 minutes a day can create measurable change 06:10 – What Are “Conscious Habits”?The difference between automatic habits and habits built with awareness 08:45 – The Four Stages of Building HabitsInspiration → Intention → Action → Repetition (a science-backed framework) 10:20 – Inspiration: Finding the Spark That Sustains ChangeWhy inspiration must be renewed — not assumed 13:10 – Intention: Turning Vision Into a Clear PlanWhy vague goals fail and specificity matters for habit formation 16:00 – Action: Why Small Steps Beat Big PlansLetting go of grandiosity and taking one doable step now 18:50 – Repetition: How Habits Rewire the Brain“Neurons that fire together wire together” — the science of consistency 22:05 – Why Habits Often Collapse (Even When We Care)Busyness, breaks in routine, and the missing role of inspiration 24:40 – Using Everyday Life as an Affordance for PracticeHow brushing your teeth or doing chores can become training moments 27:10 – The Neuroscience of Flourishing as a SkillWhy wellbeing isn’t circumstantial — it’s trainable 30:00 – From Autopilot to the Driver’s Seat of the MindHow conscious habits strengthen emotional regulation and awareness 33:20 – Final Reflections: Practicing Wisely, Not Forcing ChangeWhy flourishing grows through patience, repetition, and care 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

    36 分鐘

  5. 1月6日

    DL Ep. 20: Why Willpower Isn’t Enough - The Neuroscience of Sustainable Change

    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 actions while discouraging others. Rather than asking why we “lack discipline,” we look at how everyday contexts—from our physical surroundings to the people we spend time with—continually nudge our habits, often outside of awareness. When those affordances stay the same, even the strongest resolutions tend to fade. We also explore a more hopeful possibility: that working with affordances doesn’t have to feel rigid or effortful. Approached with curiosity, it can be creative—even fun. Experimenting with small changes, playful rituals, and supportive friendships can turn habit-building from a struggle into something that feels alive and sustainable. Next week, we’ll continue the conversation: * discussing conscious habits, and * the four steps make flourishing a habit: Inspiration, Intention, Action, and Repetition. You can read more about these in our recent post, as well in our upcoming book Born to Flourish (available for pre-order now, arriving March 2026). Recent Posts: Podcast Chapter List: 00:00 – Approaching New Habits with Curiosity and CreativityWhy motivation fades, even when intentions are sincere — and why willpower alone isn’t enough. 01:00 – Introducing Dharma Lab & the Science of Habit ChangeDr. Richard Davidson and Dr. Cortland Dahl on the neuroscience and contemplative science of lasting behavior change. 02:35 – A Daily Ritual for Motivation (Bodhicitta Practice)Why small rituals help anchor habits — and why remembering to begin is often the hardest part. 04:15 – The Brain Is Sensitive to ContextHow habits are shaped less by intention and more by environment. 05:20 – What Are “Affordances” in Neuroscience?Why cues in your environment quietly drive behavior — often outside awareness. 06:45 – Why Changing Intention Isn’t EnoughWhy resolutions fail when the environment stays the same. 07:40 – Causes and Conditions: A Buddhist Psychology ViewWhy behavior change depends on assembling the right conditions, not forcing outcomes. 09:00 – Practical Example: Supporting Healthy EatingHow what we listen to, read, and talk about reinforces or undermines habits. 10:00 – Small Steps Repeated Many TimesWhy modest, sustainable habits outperform dramatic transformations. 11:20 – The “Too Much, Too Fast” ProblemWhy ambitious resolutions (like 45-minute meditations) rarely last. 12:45 – Designing a Baseline You Can SustainHow to choose habits that are “almost too easy” — and why that works. 14:00 – Planning for Lapses (The Road Goes Up and Down)Why setbacks are not failure — and how awareness means the practice is working. 15:30 – Working with Low Motivation & the DipWhy the real practice happens when motivation disappears. 16:00 – Impermanence & MotivationWhy planning for fluctuating motivation is the wise approach. 17:20 – Three Core Principles for Lasting Habits * Create supportive conditions * Take small, repeatable steps * Plan for difficulty and setbacks 18:20 – Curiosity, Patience, and Creative Habit DesignWhy approaching change with lightness and curiosity makes it sustainable. 19:50 – Everyday Life as PracticeHow meals, exercise, chores, and daily routines can become training for awareness and compassion. 22:10 – Turning Mundane Activities into MindfulnessWhy boredom itself can become interesting — and transformative. 24:10 – Feeding the Mind: What We Consume Shapes HabitsHow reading, listening, and information diets support long-term change. 25:30 – The Power of Community & Social SupportWhy habits rarely last without relationships that reinforce them. 27:15 – Closing Reflections & What’s Next on Dharma LabPreview of upcoming episodes and the habit-change model from Born to Flourish. 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

    28 分鐘
  6. Recording of AMA #4 with Dr. Richie Davidson and Dr. Cortland Dahl

    1月2日

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

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dharmalabco.substack.com Thank 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…

    4 分鐘
  7. DL Ep. 19: The Science of Self-Reflection

    2025/12/30

    DL Ep. 19: The Science of Self-Reflection

    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 experience, we explore how self-reflection can be guided by intention rather than left on automatic — and how moments of awareness restore the capacity to steer the mind. Episode Highlights: In this conversation, we explore: * Why self-reflection is one of the most unique — and potentially troublesome — capacities of the human mind * How the prefrontal cortex enables “mental time travel” into the past and future * The difference between healthy reflection and toxic rumination * How stress impairs intentionality and leaves the mind running on autopilot * Why curiosity and intention are key ingredients in constructive self-reflection * The role of meta-awareness in restoring choice and flexibility * How perspective-taking supports empathy and compassion * Why self-reflection is central to psychotherapy, learning, and creativity * How analytical meditation trains reflection without losing awareness * Simple ways to practice healthy self-reflection in daily life In the coming weeks, we’ll continue exploring how reflection, when held skillfully, can begin to shape the habits and patterns that guide our lives. We’d love to hear from you: What are ways you’ve learned and grown over the past year? What methods help you engage in self-reflection in a positive way? Warmly, Cort + Richie As you reflect on the year, consider our recent post on turning resolutions into habits: From the Archives: Podcast Chapter List: 00:00 — Why Self-Reflection Is Uniquely HumanHumans’ unparalleled capacity for self-reflection — and how it can help or harm us. 01:53 — Natural Moments of ReflectionWhy reflection arises at transitions: days, projects, and years. 02:23 — When Self-Reflection Goes Off the RailsHow reflection turns into self-judgment, negativity, and rumination. 03:27 — The Neuroscience of Mental Time TravelThe prefrontal cortex and our ability to reflect on the past and imagine the future. 05:35 — When Reflection Becomes RuminationHow negative reflection hijacks the mind. 06:11 — The Salience Network and Emotional “Charge”Why rumination activates threat circuitry in the brain and body. 07:30 — Self-Reflection as an Umbrella TermWhy healthy and toxic reflection can feel radically different. 09:23 — Intentionality: The Missing IngredientHow lack of intention leads to runaway mental loops. 10:48 — Curiosity vs. Judgment in Self-InquiryWhat distinguishes healthy reflection from toxic rumination. 12:03 — Stress, the Prefrontal Cortex, and Habitual MindWhy stress shuts down intentional control. 13:10 — The Sailboat Without a RudderA metaphor for the mind on autopilot. 14:11 — Meta-Awareness: Finding the RudderWhy awareness of awareness is the starting point. 15:16 — Everyday Examples of Meta-AwarenessReading, driving, and the moment we “wake up.” 17:05 — Flexibility and the ‘Eye of the Storm’What continuous meta-awareness feels like in daily life. 18:43 — Expanding the Aperture of AwarenessHow presence widens experience rather than narrowing it. 20:46 — Why Meta-Awareness Enables ChangeWhy we can’t change the mind without knowing what it’s doing. 22:15 — The Benefits of Healthy Self-ReflectionWhy reflection is central to therapy, recovery, and growth. 23:42 — Perspective-Taking and EmpathyHow reflection helps us see beyond our own viewpoint. 24:48 — Training Empathy Through ReflectionCort’s retreat experience and learning to take other perspectives. 28:31 — Why the World Needs This Skill NowSelf-reflection, polarization, and social division. 29:06 — Building on Innate CapacitiesWhy these qualities are already within us. 29:33 — Small Moments, Not RetreatsHow to practice reflection in everyday life. 30:12 — Curiosity as a Driving ForceBecoming a student of your own mind. 31:13 — Analytical Meditation and the Dalai LamaIntentional self-reflection as a contemplative practice. 33:58 — Combining Awareness and ReflectionWhy this combination is “magical” for daily life. 34:36 — Closing Reflections and A Question for YouInviting healthy reflection at year’s end: “What have I learned this year? How have I grown?” 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

    36 分鐘
  8. DL Ep. 18: The Neuroscience of Giving

    2025/12/23

    DL Ep. 18: The Neuroscience of Giving

    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, Buddhist contemplative traditions, and lived experience, we discuss: * Why giving leads to more sustained well-being than receiving * How generosity cultivates an inner sense of abundance rather than scarcity * What the brain reveals about extraordinary altruists, and their ability to detect suffering * How generosity is a trainable capacity * How small, everyday acts — including giving your full attention — can become powerful micro-practices Discussion Highlights From Getting to Giving As we grow older, the thrill of receiving often fades, while the joy of giving deepens. Neuroscience helps explain why: the brain rapidly adapts to getting what we want, returning us to baseline, while the “warm glow” of giving tends to linger. Giving and the Brain Across many studies, people instructed to spend money on others consistently report greater and longer-lasting increases in happiness than those who spend the same amount on themselves. We also discuss how our brains are prediction machines, and receiving tends to meet expectations and quickly normalizes; whereas giving often involves situations with a higher discrepancy between what you predict and what actually happens. Extraordinary Altruists and the Detection of Suffering We explore research on “extraordinary altruists” — people who donate a kidney to a stranger — who show heightened sensitivity in brain systems involved in detecting suffering. Compassion, it turns out, may begin less with moral reasoning and more with perception. In contrast, psychopathy appears to involve reduced sensitivity to others’ suffering — not necessarily cruelty, but a kind of blindness. This comparison reframes generosity not as virtue versus vice, but as a capacity that exists along a spectrum and can be cultivated. Generosity as an Inner State In Buddhist psychology, generosity is defined less by outward action than by an inner sense of abundance. Fixation on getting reinforces scarcity; giving evokes the feeling that there is enough to share. That inner shift may be one reason generosity is so nourishing. The Gift of Attention One of the simplest and most powerful forms of giving is attention. Putting the phone away. Listening without planning a response. Being fully present, even briefly. Attention communicates care — and people feel it as a gift. Micro-Practices of Giving Generosity doesn’t require dramatic acts. We explore small, repeatable practices: doing routine tasks as acts of service, offering presence in everyday interactions, reframing ordinary moments as opportunities to give. Over time, these micro-practices can turn generosity from a fleeting state into a stable trait. Counterintuitive Practices: Tonglen We also discuss tonglen, the Tibetan practice of breathing in others’ suffering and breathing out care. Though counterintuitive, practitioners often report feeling stronger, less fearful, and more abundant. Rather than depleting us, generosity appears to dissolve deep fears of inner poverty. Flourishing Is Contagious When we cultivate generosity — even briefly — it changes how we show up. Those changes ripple outward, influencing relationships, families, and communities. As we like to say: flourishing is infectious. A Simple Invitation Rather than asking how much you can give, we invite a quieter question: Where can generosity enter your day — through attention, presence, or small acts of care? Warmly,Cort & Richie Podcast Chapter List 00:00 – Opening reflections: from receiving to giving01:45 – Childhood memories and the holiday shift toward generosity03:15 – Why giving feels more nourishing than getting05:10 – Abundance vs. scarcity as inner states07:00 – Giving as a contemplative practice09:10 – Flourishing is contagious11:00 – Micro-practices and everyday generosity12:40 – Attention as a gift14:20 – Research on giving and sustained well-being17:00 – A personal story of generosity and the “warm glow”20:00 – Prediction, expectation, and why pleasure fades22:15 – Tonglen: the counterintuitive power of giving25:30 – Detecting suffering and compassion27:00 – Extraordinary altruists and amygdala sensitivity29:30 – Psychopathy, blindness to suffering, and compassion32:00 – Plasticity: generosity as a trainable capacity34:30 – Compassion without overwhelm37:00 – Rituals of giving in daily life39:30 – Imagination and generosity practices 41:30 – Dedication and carrying generosity into the world42:30 – Closing reflections 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

    43 分鐘
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簡介

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

資訊

  • 創作者
    Dharma Lab
  • 活躍年代
    2025年 - 2026年
  • 集數
    27
  • 年齡分級
    兒少適宜
  • 版權
    © Dharma Lab, LLC TM
  • 節目網站
    Dharma Lab

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