Richie Davidson is best known for his groundbreaking work studying emotion and the brain. A friend and confidante of the Dalai Lama, he is a highly sought after expert and speaker, leading conversations on well-being on international stages such as the World Economic Forum, where he serves on the Global Council on Mental Health. Time Magazine named Davidson one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2006.

His research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style as well as methods to promote human flourishing, including meditation and related contemplative practices. His studies have centered on people across the lifespan, from birth through old age. In addition, he’s conducted studies with individuals with emotional disorders such as mood and anxiety disorders and autism, as well as expert meditation practitioners with tens of thousands of hours of experience. His research uses a wide range of methods including different varieties of MRI, positron emission tomography, electroencephalography and modern genetic and epigenetic methods.

Learn more about Dr. Richard Davidson: https://www.richardjdavidson.com/
Learn about the Center for Healthy Minds: https://www.centerhealthyminds.org/
Follow the Center for Healthy Minds on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthy.minds/

00:00:30 – Sean welcomes Richie Davidson
00:03:54 – Opening words from Richie Davidson
00:05:16 – The question that began Richie’s career
00:09:14 – The Center for Healthy Minds
00:15:30 – Well-being is a skill
00:19:10 – Four key scientific themes that this work is founded on
00:23:43 – Intergenerational transmission of trauma and the possibility of transmitting awakening
00:25:41 – Bidirectional communication between mind/brain and body
00:27:10 – Innate basic goodness
00:32:30 – The urgent need for practices supportive of well-being
00:37:08 – The four pillars of a healthy mind
00:44:36 – Deeper dive into awareness, the heart of mindfulness
00:47:05 – Attention as a building block for learning
00:49:09 – The time that our mind wanders: 47%
00:53:25 – The importance of insight
00:55:33 – Recovery from negative events
00:59:54 – Summary of additional scientific findings
01:02:52 – Question: What counts as a long-term meditator?
01:03:56 – Question: Do babies born to meditating mothers have larger frontal lobes?
01:05:35 – Question: What type of control arm should I include in a quantitative mindfulness research study?
01:09:57 – Question: How do different types of meditation (i.e. loving-kindness, body scans) relate to your research?
01:13:47 – Question: How can we approach a school that does not yet have a mindfulness program for students?
01:16:30 – Question: Are you doing active research in the realm of implicit bias?
01:21:21 – Question: Is there active research being conducted on slowing down the aging process?
01:25:49 – Question: Have you seen any research on mindfulness as it relates to social isolation in older populations?
01:28:54 – Question: What are your thoughts on the viability of neurofeedback to change our brains in a holistic way?