Dharma Lab

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. 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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

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.

Explore the intriguing divide between 'wanting' and 'liking,' revealing how chasing desires often leads to more craving instead of fulfillment. Delve into the neuroscience behind our cravings and learn how to shift focus from future aspirations to savoring the present moment. Discover how even ordinary experiences can evoke a sense of awe and gratitude. The discussion also touches on practical rituals for cultivating appreciation and reframing difficult interactions as opportunities for empathy. Embrace the idea that happiness is found in being present.

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 more as a path of service, a way of showing up for others, not only ourselves.As it turns out, both ancient contemplative traditions and modern science point toward the same insight: service does not just help the world, it nourishes us too.The more we orient our lives toward helping others, the more energizing, meaningful, and joyful our own lives become.What the Research ShowsThere is now a rich scientific literature on volunteering and altruism. One influential series of studies from Johns Hopkins followed older adults in Baltimore who volunteered in local public schools. They helped children read, served lunch, and supervised the playground. They climbed stairs in buildings with no elevators. What began as a community program became a scientific window into the effects of service.After months of volunteering, participants showed improvements in cognitive functions that usually decline with age. Brain scans revealed positive changes in the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s executive network responsible for planning, focus, and emotional regulation.Other research on purpose shows similar patterns. People with a strong sense of purpose tend to report greater well-being and live longer. Purpose may be one of the most well-established predictors of longevity we have.Why Helping Others Feels GoodFrom a neuroscience perspective, generosity and compassion activate the brain’s reward circuitry. When people behave generously in laboratory studies, the neural reward network lights up more strongly than when they receive something for themselves.This matches our own lived experience. When we help someone, whether through mentoring, supporting a friend, or recording this podcast, it feels deeply energizing. At the end of the day, we often feel more alive rather than depleted.It challenges the common assumption that happiness comes from getting more for ourselves. The evidence suggests something different: when we turn toward the well-being of others, happiness tends to arise naturally.The Inner Practice of ServiceIn the contemplative traditions, this motivation is called bodhicitta, the heart of awakening. It begins with intention rather than action. Even a brief pause to remember our motivation can change the emotional tone of an entire day.You can practice it in a few seconds with a simple thought:“May this be of benefit to others.”This inner shift recruits networks related to focus and intentionality while activating reward circuits that leave us feeling open and uplifted.We both use this practice constantly:* Before recording.* Before meditation.* Before meetings.* Even before exercise.A short moment of remembering can reshape the entire experience.Service as an Everyday PracticeWe often think service requires ideal conditions, free time, or a perfectly designed opportunity. But the science and the contemplative traditions both show that service can happen in ordinary life.You can bring this mindset into washing dishes, walking through an airport, or talking to a child. It is the orientation of the mind that matters more than the setting.Research shows that when people reflect regularly on altruistic intentions, they are more likely to offer spontaneous acts of kindness in daily situations, such as giving up a seat to someone who needs it.A Shift the World NeedsWe’re all carrying a lot these days, and it’s easy to pull inward. But when we turn even slightly toward someone else’s wellbeing, something softens and the day feels a little lighter.Service doesn’t have to be dramatic. Most of the time it’s a small gesture, a quiet intention, or a moment of paying attention. Yet these moments accumulate. They change how we move through the world and how we feel inside.We would love to hear from you.What’s one small act of service or generosity that shaped your life this year?With gratitude, Cort & RichiePodcast Chapter List:00:00 – Why Generosity Activates the Reward Network00:48 – Cort Shares Two Turning Points in His Practice02:31 – Realizing Meditation Is About Serving Others03:59 – Richie on the Dalai Lama and the Shift Toward Service05:37 – Ego, Career, and the Gradual Move to Altruism07:06 – How Being Helpful Feeds Our Sense of Meaning09:14 – The Buddhist View: Self-Focus vs. Service10:04 – What Volunteering Research Shows About Well-Being11:12 – Purpose, Aging, and Longevity12:44 – The Baltimore “Experience Corps” Study14:15 – Unexpected Benefits: Purpose, Movement, Structure15:19 – Changes in Cognition and the Brain (Executive Network)17:07 – Why These Findings Matter17:38 – The Buddhist Perspective: Motivation Comes First18:52 – Micro-Practices: Bringing Altruism Into Daily Life20:07 – Bodhicitta: Vast Aspiration + Practical Action22:02 – Why This Inner Shift Feels So Nourishing24:36 – Does Altruism Activate the Reward Network?25:57 – Generosity vs. Personal Gain: What the Brain Shows27:17 – Cort’s Personal Aspiration Practice29:47 – How Altruistic Mindsets Change Your Day30:53 – Richie’s Morning Calendar Practice31:24 – “Contemplative Aerobics”: Service While Exercising33:03 – How Altruistic Mindsets Change Social Behavior34:13 – The Science of Small Everyday Acts of Service35:05 – Volunteering as a State of Mind, Not Just an Activity35:50 – Final Reflections: A Shift in View That Changes Everything36:31 – Why the World Needs More Altruism Right No This is a public episode. 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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 between doing and being — and why it’s not either/or* How effortlessness, presence, and naturalness create inner freedom* What happens in the brain when the prefrontal cortex “goes offline”* Why even short daily meditations can change brain structure* How releasing control and predictive loops unlocks creativity* Practical ways to drop into being throughout your dayDiscussion HighlightsThe continuum of being and doing:Being and doing aren’t opposites. We move along a spectrum — moments of effort give way to moments of openness. Meditation helps us recognize and expand those natural gaps.Effortlessness and the brain:When the mind lets go of control, the prefrontal cortex — the “executive” part of the brain — briefly goes offline. Advanced meditators show this pattern: they shift attention effortlessly, without strain or mental effort.Creativity through presence:True creativity arises not from trying harder, but from relaxing the constraints of thought. As Richie notes, “When we stop directing our thoughts, the mind becomes more flexible — and novel insights can emerge.”The modern predicament of too much information:We look at how our minds are flooded with information from the moment we wake up. Just as too much food overwhelms the body, too much information overwhelms the mind. True rest requires more than physical stillness. It asks for mental space, time without constant input from phones, news, or endless tasks. Finding that space to simply be gives our minds room to digest and renew.Three Ingredients of Being: Effortlessness, Presence, and Naturalness* Effortlessness: releasing mental control so the mind can rest naturally.* Presence: staying aware without suppressing thoughts.* Naturalness: allowing experience to unfold without interference.When these come together, they create the conditions for insight, creativity, and emotional healing.New research on structural brain changes from meditation:Even a few minutes of daily meditation can change the brain. Richie shares unpublished findings showing increased structural connectivity — literally new wiring — after just one month of brief practice.Practical wisdom:We share ways to weave being into everyday life: in the gaps between meetings, while waiting in line, or simply resting for a few seconds with eyes open.What we call micro-doses of being: simple, effortless pauses that reconnect us to awareness.We’d love to hear from you:* When do you find yourself shifting from doing to being?* How can you create small pauses in your day to let the mind rest?* What do you notice when you stop trying to manage your experience and simply let awareness be as it is?Share your reflections in the comments.Warmly,Cort & RichieChapter List: 00:00 – Opening reflections: The art of effortless presence01:01 – Richie returns from India & meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama01:50 – Introducing “the neuroscience of being”03:25 – What happens in the brain when we shift from doing to being?04:00 – Being vs. doing: a continuum, not opposites05:30 – Creativity and releasing mental constraints08:00 – Physical stillness vs. mental stillness10:00 – The modern predicament: information overload13:00 – The “information diet” and its effects on the mind14:10 – Three ingredients of being: effortlessness, presence, and naturalness15:20 – Effortlessness: letting go of control16:10 – What happens when the prefrontal cortex goes offline17:05 – Meditation expertise and the U-shaped curve20:00 – Novices, intermediates, and Olympians of meditation22:00 – Effortless attention and stable awareness23:20 – Training the quality of effortlessness24:50 – Presence: awareness without distraction26:00 – Thoughts are allowed – not suppressed27:00 – Creativity and novelty emerging from open awareness29:00 – The candle flame of insight metaphor30:00 – Brain network connectivity and meditation research33:00 – New Healthy Minds data: structural brain changes in one month35:00 – “It’s easier than you think” – why short practice still matters36:20 – The third element: naturalness or non-fabrication38:00 – Healing through allowing and non-interference39:00 – The brain as a prediction machine41:00 – Breaking predictive loops & spontaneous flexibility43:00 – Why research on “being” is still new43:20 – Practical ways to integrate being into daily life44:00 – Cort’s unplugging rituals and micro-pauses45:00 – Richie’s interstitial moments of awareness46:00 – The self-illuminating mind47:00 – The “bardo” or gap between activities49:00 – Don’t fill the gaps – the practice of pausing49:30 – Micro-doses of being throughout your day49:50 – Closing reflections and gratitudeRef notes: Explore the Healthy Minds program This is a public episode. 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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dharmalabco.substack.comThank 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 PracticeGuided intention-setting and brief meditation to begin the AMA.05:00 – Can Meditation Slow Brain Aging?Exploring research on meditation and brain aging, including Mingyur R…

Small doses of meditation can yield significant brain changes, according to recent research. It turns out that consistency trumps duration; even brief moments of awareness throughout the day can be transformative. Ending your practice on a positive note fosters a desire to return, while a mindset of friendship with your mind reduces struggle. Intention is key—start and end with a beneficial aspiration. Ultimately, the best practice is the one you’ll stick with, proving that meditation doesn’t need to be lengthy to be impactful.

Dr. Simon Goldberg, a leading researcher on meditation apps, shares insights on how digital mindfulness tools can enhance mental health. He reveals that just five minutes of daily meditation can significantly lower stress and improve emotional balance. The conversation delves into the biological effects of meditation, highlighting reduced inflammation and positive shifts in gut health. They also discuss the democratization of meditation through technology and explore the long-term benefits and engagement challenges with apps, sparking a fascinating dialogue on the future of digital mental health.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dharmalabco.substack.comWe’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 up in a Q&A format so it’s easy to follow. It’s not a perfect or complete transcript, so please forgive any typos and brevity, but we wanted to capture the spirit of the dialogue and share the key insights with all of you for those who prefer to read rather than watch the episode.Podcast Chapter List0:00 - Intro3:12 - Opening Guided Practice by Cort to set intention for the session8:28 - Questions & Answers with participants. Question 1: where do you draw the line between mental health and social health? Is it where your epigenome is modified by social interactions, no matter how you perceive them? Or is it where your perception is modified, no matter what state your epigenome is in? 16:03 - Question 2: Cort, how did you go from a socially anxious teenager to an executive director and overall friendly happy being?21:44 - Question 3: When practicing analytical meditation—examining a difficult situation through words, sensations, emotions, images, and beliefs—do physical sensations and images enhance the process? And if someone can’t access those, is it related to trauma, like PTSD?37: 39 - Question 4: Judd Brewer talks about the trigger–behavior–reward cycle. How do we interrupt undesired behaviors?42:31 - Question 5: Please say more about holding and being with the first arrow from Buddhist psychology, particularly for worry or concern about the health of a loved one and not shooting that second arrow yourself. 50:03 - Question 6: Why do retreats often show stronger measurable effects than the same number of hours practiced as short daily sessions? Could sleep or changes in everyday habits explain that difference?56:26 - Closing Practice with RichieTranscript Q&A SummaryQ1: Dear Richie, where do you draw the line between mental health and social health? Is it where your epigenome is modified by social interactions, no matter how you perceive them? Or is it where your perception is modified, no matter what state your epigenome is in? Since the epigenome can be modified by food, drugs, social interactions, and spiritual experiences, is social health determined by social relationships?A (Richard Davidson):This is a wonderful and complex question. It’s so rich that I plan to write a Dharma Lab essay about it. But briefly:* The epigenome refers to parts of the genome that can be modified by environmental or internal factors. These modifications affect whether a gene actually produces its protein.* For example, in animal studies, researchers have bred strains of rats to be highly anxious or very relaxed. But if an “anxious” rat pup is raised by a nurturing mother (one who does a lot of licking and grooming), its gene expression changes. Despite genetic predisposition, that nurturing care alters its brain chemistry and activation, and the rat becomes less anxious.* This shows that the old split between “nature vs. nurture” is outdated. Social interactions—how we are cared for—literally modify biology.So mental health and social health are deeply interwoven; the line between them is blurred.Q2: Cortland, you’ve mentioned before that you struggled with anxiety when you were young. How did you get from being that socially anxious young man to leading an international nonprofit and becoming the friendly, grounded person you are today?