The Craving System

In this episode I host part 6 of an ongoing conversation between Shinzen Young, meditation teacher and neuroscience research consultant, Chelsey Fasano, a Columbia University neuroscience student, and Dr Jay Sanguinetti, Assistant Director for the Center for Consciousness Studies and Research Professor at the University of New Mexico. In this episode we take a deep dive into the dopaminergic reward system, including current thinking on its function and role, and its interaction with meditation practice and Buddhist notions of craving and suffering. We also discuss what to do after enlightenment, and speculate about the Fibonacci sequence as a universal constant. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/ep103-dopamine-meditation-fibonacci-feat-shinzen-young-chelsey-fasano-dr-jay-sanguinetti/ 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
 … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:44 - International attention and Sir Roger Penrose 02:38 - What is the reward system and how does it function? 06:45 - The punishment system 09:50 - Social media and the basal ganglia 11:09 - Meditation’s effects on the basal ganglia 14:50 - SART and the work of Dr David Vago 19:37 - Meditation and resting tonic dopamine levels 22:24 - Knytl & Opitz on meditation and negative reinforcement 25:14 - What is resting tonic dopamine? 27:04 - Leigh Brasington and Haggerty’s jhana study 30:19 - Is the Haggerty study fatally flawed? 32:21 - More to pleasure than dopamine 33:05 - The different jhana systems of Buddhism 35:36- Jay suggests a jhana study at his lab 37:26 - Integration of ecstatic experience across traditions 43:13 - Integrating the the top-down Self with the basal ganglia 45:47 - After enlightenment, what to do? 49:10 - Shinzen on measuring the endorphin rush 53:14 - Endorphins, Dopamine, and craving 55:48 - Hard and soft jhana, wet and dry vipassana 01:01:02 - Jay on in-brain competition and behaviour change 01:04:51 - Outcomes from Shinzen’s life of practice 01:07:54 - The Fibonacci sequence as the universal constant 01:21:01 - Craving, conflict, and suffering … Previous episodes in this series: - https://www.guruviking.com/ep72-shinzen-young-and-chelsey-fasano-tantra-neuroscience-and-true-enlightenment/ - https://www.guruviking.com/ep76-shinzen-young-chelsey-fasano-2-the-science-of-enlightenment/ - https://www.guruviking.com/ep81-shinzen-young-chelsey-fasano-3-orgasm-epilepsy-mystical-experience/ - https://www.guruviking.com/ep86-bliss-enlightenment-fristonian-physics-feat-chelsey-fasano-shinzen-young-dr-jay-sanguinetti/ - https://www.guruviking.com/ep94-the-enlightenment-button-feat-shinzen-young-chelsey-fasano-dr-jay-sanguinetti/ - To find out more about Shinzen, visit: - https://www.guruviking.com/ep37-shinzen-young-pandemic-edition-guru-viking-podcast/ - www.shinzen.org To find out more about Chelsey, visit: - www.chelseyfasano.com To find our more about Dr Sanguinetti, visit: - https://www.guruviking.com/ep102-dr-jay-sanguinetti-cults-science-the-dalai-lama/ - https://www.jaysanguinetti.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James