Dharma Lab

Reminder: Join Richie & Cort tonight at 8pm ET for our monthly AMA HERE
In today’s episode of Dharma Lab, Cort and Richie explore a radical and hopeful idea from their upcoming book Born to Flourish: that we all come into the world with an innate capacity for kindness, compassion, and human flourishing. Through personal stories, recent science, and ancient Buddhist wisdom, they reveal how reconnecting with our true nature can transform not only ourselves but also our divided world.
“It’s probably more important today than at any other time in my life to really affirm this statement: that we are born to flourish. And this isn’t vacuous hope—it’s hope grounded in practice and in science.” - Dr. Richard Davidson
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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
* Cort shares a heartwarming memory of teaching his three-year-old son about “Buddha nature” and the pure joy it sparked in him
* Richie presents stunning research showing that 100% of six-month-old babies naturally prefer kindness over meanness - scientific proof we’re wired for goodness
* How Buddhist psychology teaches that suffering often stems from forgetting our fundamental wholeness and getting trapped in limiting (and changing) identities
* Practical tips for daily life: seeing the Buddha nature in others during interactions, practicing “just like me” reflections, and shifting from a “fixing” mindset to appreciating what’s already whole
* How viewing harmful behavior as arising from confusion rather than fundamental evil can transform rage into compassion, even toward difficult public figures
* A powerful reminder that flourishing isn’t just a belief system—it’s a practice of actually seeing ourselves, others, and the world differently
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:
Podcast Chapter List
00:00 – Are We Really Born to Flourish?Why this claim matters more now than ever—and why it’s grounded in science, not blind optimism.
01:23 – Welcome to Dharma Lab + Introducing Born to FlourishCortland Dahl and Richard Davidson outline the science, meditation, and practical focus of the episode.
02:14 – A Father–Son Meditation StoryHow meditating with a three-year-old reveals something essential about human nature.
03:37 – What Is “Buddha Nature”?The idea that our true nature is fundamentally whole, good, and already present.
05:16 – Why “Born to Flourish” Sounds Radical TodayAddressing skepticism in a world shaped by violence, polarization, and fear.
06:26 – The Science of Kindness in InfantsHow six-month-old babies consistently choose kindness over harm.
10:05 – What 100% Results Tell Us About Human NatureWhy these findings are almost unheard of in psychology research.
11:00 – Buddhist Psychology and the Problem of IdentityHow misunderstanding who we are fuels stress, burnout, and suffering.
12:24 – The “Blind Spot”: What We Miss About OurselvesWhy changing thoughts, roles, and emotions aren’t our deepest identity.
13:33 – Awareness as the Constant Background of ExperienceWhy awareness, compassion, and wisdom may be innate rather than cultivated.
14:38 – Why the Brain Fixates on the NegativeHow rarity, contrast, and media bias distort our perception of reality.
16:07 – Tragedy, Memory, and What We RememberHow emotionally charged events dominate our personal narratives.
17:29 – Daniel Kahneman’s Peak-End RuleWhy we remember peaks and endings—and how this shapes well-being.
19:47 – Fixing Ourselves vs. Rediscovering WholenessThe difference between self-improvement and recognizing what’s already here.
22:24 – The Fruitional Approach to MeditationWhy flourishing isn’t in the future—and why practice can feel easier than expected.
25:11 – Everyday Practices That Reveal Our True NatureUsing meetings, meals, and daily life as opportunities for practice.
27:43 – “Just Like Me”: A Practice for CompassionHow remembering our shared humanity changes relationships.
33:36 – Seeing Harm Through the Lens of Confusion, Not EvilWhy this perspective naturally gives rise to compassion without excusing harm.
36:10 – Why the World Needs This Perspective ShiftReconnecting with common humanity in divided times—and what’s coming next.


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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:

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
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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.


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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



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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