Meditation and the Science of Wellbeing: An Interview with Cortland Dahl

In the last week of March, Cortland Dahl will be in Brazil for the first time to speak about meditation and the science of wellbeing. We took the opportunity to ask him some questions about how science has come to understand the relationship between mindfulness practices and the brain, possible misconceptions in cultivating our wellbeing, and how these practices might influence society as a whole.

Lojong: How can we cultivate more genuine wellbeing without falling into the extreme of rejecting any difficult experience that happens to us, or even rejecting our own negative emotions?

Cortland Dahl: One of the most important qualities of lasting wellbeing is self-acceptance. We often oscillate between two ways of relating to thoughts and emotions: we identify with them and are carried along by them, or we try to suppress and reject them. Scientific research on mindfulness suggests that we can take a more balanced approach by transforming how we relate to our minds. Instead of blindly following our thoughts, impulses, and emotions, or confronting them, we can train our minds to bring a welcoming mindful attention to these experiences. We learn to observe them with curiosity and openness, and this shift in perspective completely transforms our experience.

Lojong: When beginning this path, how do we know if we're actually undergoing a real transformation, reaching a state of tranquility and equanimity, or if we're simply deceiving ourselves by forcing "positive thinking" while suppressing what we're actually feeling?

Cortland Dahl: There's a significant difference between "positive thinking" and mindfulness. Positive thinking generally focuses on imagining what we want, and believing that thinking these thoughts makes those desires real. Mindfulness, on the other hand, doesn't focus on what we'd like to have; it focuses on what we already have. The basic assumption is that we are not fundamentally flawed. The mind isn't broken, and mindfulness isn't trying to fix anything. Mindfulness is a tool that helps us see dimensions of experience that are already here. We don't have to wish them into reality. We simply learn to see ourselves more clearly, and as our capacity for being attentive and present grows, the belief that we need a different experience beyond what we already have in order to be complete and satisfied begins to soften. We start to trust that who we are and what we have in this present moment is enough.

Lojong: Science has already attested to countless benefits of meditation practice, and many studies are being conducted in this direction. How do you see the future of this field, and from your perspective in terms of the global society, what would be the "ideal" to achieve? A world where everyone meditates?

Cortland Dahl: Our research at the Center for Healthy Minds suggests that anyone can benefit from meditation. We've conducted research with young children, police officers, students, workers, and many others. We're beginning to see signs that major institutions are recognizing the value of training the mind through practices like meditation. Our aspiration is that we teach these principles and practices to young children so they have tools to work with their own minds and reach their full potential. It's not necessary that everyone practice sitting meditation; that's just one of several ways to train the mind. But ideally, everyone should learn some of these approaches and how to apply them in daily life.

Lojong: How does meditation practice work with people who have ADHD? What can be done in this regard?

Cortland Dahl: Research suggests that meditation can alleviate ADHD symptoms. In fact, mindfulness meditation has been shown to impact the same brain regions involved in ADHD and trains attention-related skills that are underdeveloped in those with ADHD. Our research also shows that those who struggle with attention, anxiety, and related issues have greater room for growth and perceive greater benefits from meditation. There is still much we don't understand from a scientific perspective, but there are good reasons to think that meditation can be of great benefit in this area.

Lojong: Much is said about neuroplasticity and how meditation "changes" the brain, yet any new activity also modifies the brain, and it's constantly changing. What specific areas does meditation actually alter, and why is that positive?

Cortland Dahl: That's very true. Neuroplasticity isn't necessarily a good thing. Any repetitive activity will modify the brain, as will environmental influences if we're repeatedly exposed to them. When it comes to meditation, the first thing to note is that there are many different forms of meditation, and only some of these styles have been scientifically studied. At this point, mindfulness is the form of meditation that has been most widely studied. Our research, and the research of other scientists around the world, suggests that mindfulness practice impacts brain regions associated with self-regulation. These include areas like the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is involved in goal-directed behavior and in regulating attention and emotion, as well as the anterior cingulate cortex, which is involved in monitoring experience and is important for noticing distraction, for example. The patterns and activity in these regions suggest that mindfulness meditation increases our ability to monitor and regulate thoughts, impulses, and emotions. These capacities are central to many other aspects of wellbeing, such as having healthy relationships, maintaining focus and motivation at work, and making good choices related to physical health.

Lojong: Much is said about the natural and innate qualities of consciousness such as compassion and equanimity, yet the teachings also speak of impermanence, how all things are composite and transient, and the absence of some kind of immutable essence in us. How do these teachings communicate with each other?

Cortland Dahl: Research shows that even very young children demonstrate the capacity for kindness, compassion, and empathy, and these qualities emerge long before the capacity to think and reason. In a sense, you can compare these qualities to the capacity for language. Every human being has the capacity to learn language, but if we're not surrounded by the right conditions, we won't express that capacity. The same is true for kindness and compassion. Research suggests that these are very basic innate capacities that all of us have, but that doesn't mean they're fully expressed. In other words, these capacities are always present, but the way we experience them is always changing.

Lojong: What is the main advice you give to someone who wants to start meditating?

Cortland Dahl: The most common thing I hear from people is that they're too busy or too distracted to meditate. But that's precisely why we meditate. It helps us manage our minds better so we don't get distracted so easily. It helps us manage our lives better so we can handle the pressures of daily life more effectively. To start, it's important to keep things simple. Try just 5 minutes a day. Try to be consistent. And if you miss a day, don't worry. That's life. Just pick it back up and start again the next day. Over time, try to meditate a bit longer. Things really changed for me when I started doing 20 minutes twice a day. That probably sounds like a lot of time, but it made the rest of my life better, so it doesn't feel like much. So that's my advice. Keep it simple. Start small. Be consistent. Then build from there.

Cortland holds a doctorate in Mind, Brain, and Contemplative Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he studied under Richard Davidson, and a master's degree in Buddhist Studies from Naropa University. Currently, Cortland serves as a researcher and director of the Center for Healthy Minds, also at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and as president of Tergar International. As an author and translator, he has published numerous scientific articles and books on Buddhist practice. He has practiced and studied Buddhism for 25 years, currently under the guidance of Mingyur Rinpoche.

The events will include teachings on simple meditation practices that help us recognize and nurture the natural qualities of consciousness, compassion, and wisdom of the mind, as well as discussions on the science of self-transformation and the cultivation of wellbeing.