Dharma Lab

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 ep...

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 habit...

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 t...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.dharmalab.co 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, Journa...

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 — a...

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 happ...

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 ce...

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 ex...

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...

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 Us There 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,...

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 th...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.dharmalab.co Thank 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 Practice Guided intention-setting and brief meditation to begin the AMA. 05:00 – Can Meditation Slow Brain A...

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...

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...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.dharmalab.co We’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...

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 neur...

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. In case you missed it, check out a written contextual summary of this podcast here: Podcast Chapter List 0:00 -...

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!...

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 pr...

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 List 0:00:00 - Intro 2:28:00 - How the brain reacts to uncertainty 7:33:00 - Amygdala activation: narrowing perception to potential threats 8:54:00...

Richie and Cort discuss how small shifts in perspective lead to lasting changes in the brain and experience This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dharmalab.co/subscribe

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 & Dentist 5:24 The Science of Pain & The Two Arrows 8:23 The Suffering Equation: Pain x Resistance 10:05 Your Brain on Pain: Shifting Resistance 12:59 How Meditation Changes Pain & Distress 14:35 Can Beginners Really Change Their Experience...

Dear Dharma Lab readers, Join Richie and Cort in Dharma Lab Episode 3 in a wide ranging research discussion on the findings from the JAMA article announced earlier this week on Burnout. Joining us are friends of the pod Daniela Labra and Leandro Chernicoff. Full Discussion Below: Chapters: 0:00:00 – Intro and overview of the study in Mexico: Digital Well-Being Training With Health Care Professiona...

Listen on Episode #2 on Youtube, Spotify, Apple: Youtube Spotify Apple Podcasts Episode 2 Chapter List: 0:00 Intro 0:32 Episode Overview by Cort 2:35 “This is Your Brain on AI” — and How the Media Spins the Negative 4:07 Historical Precedent: Handwriting vs. Typing 5:44 MIT Study: How Large Language Models Impact the Brain 15:06 Will Certain Skills Become Obsolete with AI? 17:38 The Role of Intent...

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 empa...