Science-Based Meditation Tools to Improve Your Brain & Health | Dr. Richard Davidson

Dr. Richard Davidson, PhD, is a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a pioneer in the scientific study of meditation. We discuss how meditation changes your brain and body, how just 5 minutes daily can improve focus, stress resilience and your overall health, and we cover different types of meditation. We also address common myths such as the idea that meditation is to "clear your mind." And we discuss common challenges with meditation and how to overcome them. This episode offers both the science and the practical tools to build a consistent meditation practice to improve your mental and physical health and help you flourish.

Articles

• The role of attention in meditation and hypnosis: A psychobiological perspective on transformations of consciousness (International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis)
• Hypnotic enhancement of slow-wave sleep increases sleep-associated hormone secretion and reduces sympathetic predominance in healthy humans (Communications Biology)
• Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America)
• Sitting and Active Meditation Practice: Utilization and Associations with Outcomes in Naturalistic and Clinical Trial Data (Mindfulness)
• Naturalistic experience transforms sensory maps in the adult cortex of caged animals (Nature)
• Promoting prosocial behavior and self-regulatory skills in preschool children through a mindfulness-based Kindness Curriculum (Developmental Psychology)
• A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Smartphone-Based Well-Being Training in Public School System Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Journal of Educational Psychology)
• Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One's Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity (Journal of the Association for Consumer Research)
• Neural Signatures of Pain Modulation in Short-Term and Long-Term Mindfulness Training: A Randomized Active-Control Trial (American Journal of Psychiatry)
• A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
• A wandering mind is an unhappy mind (Science)

Books

• Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body
• Born to Flourish: How New Science and Ancient Wisdom Reveal a Simple Path to Thriving
• The Eden Project: In Search of the Magical Other
• Under Saturn's Shadow: The Wounding and Healing of Men
• Martha Beck books

Other Resources

• Kindness Curriculum for Kids
• Free Healthy Minds Program
• Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory
• Summary

Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned

• David Choe: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/transform-pain-and-trauma-into-creative-expression-david-choe
• James Hollis: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-james-hollis-how-to-find-your-true-purpose-create-your-best-life
• Martha Beck: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-martha-beck-accessing-your-best-self-with-mind-body-practices-belief-testing-imagination
• Martin Picard: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/improve-energy-longevity-by-optimizing-mitochondria-martin-picard

People Mentioned

• Rick Rubin: record producer
• Richard Pryor: comedian, actor
• Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: psychologist, father of “flow”
• Joe Strummer: musician
• Vivek Murthy: physician, former US Surgeon General
• Giulio Tononi: director of Wisconsin Institute for Sleep and Consciousness