Dharma Lab

Dharma Lab
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Feb 5, 2026 • 4min

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.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 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 campsDetailed Chapter Guide00:00 - Opening Meditation & New Year IntentionsBrief guided meditation to open hearts and set collective aspiration for easing suffering and supporting flourishing worldwide.02:00 - New Year Reflections: Small Steps, Daily AffordancesRichie 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 RinpocheCort 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 LifespanQ: 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 NeuroscienceCort 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 MemoriesQ: 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 ArgumentDetailed 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 EffectsHow 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 LearningQ: 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 MemorizationCort’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 SystemQ: 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 AwarenessQ: 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 MachineRichie’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 PracticeQ: 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 InsightObject-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 TypesRichie 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 WishesFinal 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 eventsFrom the archives:
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Jan 27, 2026 • 59min

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.” - RichieThis Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.David’s Book 10-25Complimentary 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
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Jan 20, 2026 • 43min

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 FrameworkThis 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 lifeIf 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/s41467-025-59355-4The Healthy Minds frameworkPodcast Chapter List00:00 – We Likely Have Many Insights but Don’t Remember ThemThe “candle in a hurricane” metaphor and why awareness matters00:01 – A New Paper on Insight & WisdomWhy this study immediately caught our attention01:25 – Cort’s Life-Changing Epiphany After Schindler’s ListCompassion, meaning, and a sudden shift in perspective03:18 – What an “Aha” Moment Feels LikeSuddenness, emotion, and deep certainty04:17 – Why Insight Is Deeply EmotionalWhat contemplative traditions have always known05:01 – Richie’s Scientific Epiphany at UW–MadisonNeuroplasticity, sociology, and a radical shift in thinking09:02 – Insight as an Energizing ForceWhy these moments feel alive and motivating09:16 – Meditation & Non-Dual AwarenessThe flame that illuminates itself10:50 – Why Insight Leaves Lasting MemoriesEmotion, memory, and meaning11:30 – Insight in Ancient PhilosophySocrates, Plato, Aristotle—and what we’ve lost today13:47 – The Blind Spot in Modern Wellbeing ModelsWhy insight is missing from psychology15:13 – Why Insight Is Hard to Study ScientificallySuddenness, unpredictability, and experimental challenges16:42 – The Mooney Images Experiment ExplainedHow scientists trigger “aha” moments in the lab18:28 – Insight Predicts Memory Days LaterWhy recognizing meaning changes the brain20:50 – The Brain During InsightAmygdala, hippocampus, and emotional salience23:25 – Why We Remember What MattersEmotion as the gateway to memory26:21 – Meditation, Memory Reconsolidation & InsightHow inner landscapes change28:21 – Why Insights Usually FadeEpiphany vs. memory of epiphany28:56 – The Glass Enclosure Around the CandleHow meditation helps insights last30:21 – Psychedelics & InsightPowerful sparks, fragile integration31:50 – Can Insight Become a Trait?From episodic moments to lasting change33:03 – The Dog in the Mooney ImageWhy once you see it, you can’t unsee it34:24 – Awe as a Trainable StateBeyond episodic wonder36:16 – What We Feed the Mind MattersWhy insight depends on raw materials38:01 – Creating Space to Digest ExperienceWhy insight arises when attention relaxes39:03 – Why Most Insights Go UnnoticedReturning to the hurricane metaphor40:09 – Curiosity as the Gateway to InsightBecoming a student of your own mind41:41 – 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
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Jan 13, 2026 • 36min

DL Ep.21: The Neuroscience of Conscious Habits

Explore the fascinating mechanics of habit formation, from inspiration to action and repetition. Discover how monks in Nepal exemplify the power of trained habits over innate talent. Delve into neuroscience, learning that small, consistent practices strengthen our brain's executive network. Differentiate between unconscious and consciously formed habits, and use everyday moments as opportunities for growth. Finally, find out how flourishing is contagious and the profound impact of daily tiny actions.
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Jan 6, 2026 • 28min

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 setbacks18:20 – 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
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Jan 2, 2026 • 4min

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.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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Dec 30, 2025 • 36min

DL Ep. 19: The Science of Self-Reflection

Explore why self-reflection is uniquely human and how it can lead to both growth and stress. Discover the roles of the prefrontal cortex in ‘mental time travel’ and how ruminating thoughts can hijack our emotional wellbeing. Learn the difference between healthy reflection and toxic rumination, and why curiosity is crucial for meaningful self-exploration. Dive into meta-awareness, which can restore intentionality in our thoughts, and uncover practices that integrate reflection into everyday life for empathy, creativity, and personal growth.
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Dec 23, 2025 • 43min

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-practicesDiscussion HighlightsFrom Getting to GivingAs 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 BrainAcross 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 SufferingWe 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 StateIn 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 AttentionOne 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 GivingGenerosity 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: TonglenWe 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 ContagiousWhen 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 InvitationRather 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 & RichiePodcast Chapter List00:00 – 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
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Dec 16, 2025 • 43min

DL Ep. 17: Trauma, Memory, and the Brain's Capacity to Change

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 if there wasn’t plasticity. The same quality that allows experience to wound us also allows us to heal.”We look at how emotional memories are encoded in the brain, why they can resurface with such force, and how memory reconsolidation creates a natural opening for change each time a memory returns. We also share a powerful experience from a recent meditation retreat, where a long buried emotional imprint surfaced and released through simple, spacious awareness.Again and again, we come back to one insight:Our emotional past is not fixed.Each time we remember an experience, the mind updates it. The state of our mind and body in that moment influences how it is stored again.Meditation helps create the conditions for this shift. A calm and open nervous system changes how old patterns settle in the body. Presence and care make the difference between a memory that stays tight and one that begins to loosen.In this episode we explore:* Why trauma exists on a spectrum and why we are more resilient than we often believe* How emotional memories form and how sensation, context, and meaning become linked* The science of reconsolidation and why remembering a memory makes it editable* How meditation supports emotional release and re-patterning* What happens in the hippocampus and amygdala during emotional release* Simple practices that help us reset between activities or at the end of a day* How offering ourselves the same caring presence we offer others can shift deep patternsA final takeaway:Reconsolidation shows that nothing in our emotional history is final. Each encounter with the past becomes a chance to update it. When a memory returns in a calmer mind, it settles differently.Warmly, Cort + RichiePodcast Chapter List00:00 Why memories change every time we recall them 01:21 Opening greetings & Center for Healthy Minds 02:34 Introducing today’s topic: trauma & old baggage 03:00 How neuroscience defines trauma 04:03 Trauma, neuroplasticity, and brain change 05:40 Trauma as a spectrum, not a binary 07:44 Innate resilience and basic goodness 09:11 When difficult experiences become patterns 10:55 PTSD vs. post-traumatic growth 11:52 Personal stories of challenge and insight 12:58 Why some adversity overwhelms us — and some transforms us 13:32 Growth mindset & the belief that change is possible 15:33 Why we get “stuck” with old emotional residue 16:07 Cort’s retreat experience: when old pain resurfaces 17:20 Open awareness and effortless presence 18:00 Memories, emotion, and bodily release 19:08 What’s happening in the brain during emotional release 20:06 Consolidation vs. reconsolidation 22:03 The hippocampus and encoding emotional experience 23:53 Retrieval, reconsolidation, and the chance to reshape memory 25:36 Why memory is always an interpretation 27:08 Re-encoding old memories in a calm body 28:40 How meditation creates a new emotional context 29:38 Care + presence: the healing alchemy 30:52 Can reconsolidation be disrupted entirely? 32:22 What animal research shows about memory deletion 33:00 Emotional memory without emotional charge 34:06 How meditation alters hippocampus–amygdala pathways 36:00 Updating anxiety and old narratives through practice 37:05 Practical tools: daily resets 38:30 Micro-pauses between activities 39:33 Mealtime gratitude as nervous system reset 40:53 Finding small spaces for awareness in busy lives 41:33 Shifting from “doing” to “being” 42:00 Final reflections & gratitude 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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Dec 12, 2025 • 35min

DL Ep. 16: Mingyur Rinpoche - Meditation is Easier Than You Think

Mingyur Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation master, shares his playful approach to meditation. He discusses how initial struggles in meditation indicate progress, debunking the myth that it should always feel peaceful. He introduces the 'monsoon river' metaphor to explain the clarity of thoughts. Rinpoche emphasizes that even a few minutes daily can bring meaningful changes, encouraging listeners to embrace distractions as part of practice. His light-hearted guidance reminds us that meditation is about awareness, not achieving specific states.

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