# DL Ep.32: Dopamine Isn’t Your Problem with Dr. Richard Davidson and Dr. Cortland Dahl

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/dharma-lab-7434763/dl-ep-32-dopamine-isn-t-your-problem-with-dr-richard-davidson-and-dr-cortland-dahl
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/dharma-lab-7434763/dl-ep-32-dopamine-isn-t-your-problem-with-dr-richard-davidson-and-dr-cortland-dahl.md
Podcast: [Dharma Lab](https://stenobird.com/podcast/dharma-lab-7434763)
Published: 2026-05-21T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.dharmalab.co/p/dl-ep32-dopamine-isnt-your-problem
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/198347482/0ed5d5acf427a80b31372370792de555.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/dharma-lab-7434763/episodes/dl-ep-32-dopamine-isn-t-your-problem-with-dr-richard-davidson-and-dr-cortland-dahl
Duration seconds: 2933

## Resource

In this episode, Richie Davidson and Cortland Dahl unpack a very misunderstood molecule in popular culture: dopamine . Often blamed for craving, scrolling, distraction, and the endless loop of wanting more, dopamine is not something we can “detox” from or simply turn off . It is essential to motivation, aspiration, learning, and even the desire to practice meditation . Together, Richie and Cort explore what dopamine actually does in the brain, why wanting and liking are not the same thing, how novelty keeps us hooked, and how savoring may help us step out of compulsive loops and reorient toward what is genuinely nourishing. Enjoy! Watch on YouTube ; Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts . If these conversations are useful, please consider subscribing to our YouTube channel . CHECK OUT EPISODE COMPANION FLASHCARDS! Podcast Chapter List (00:00:00) – Dopamine is not something we can turn off (00:03:46) – What is a neurotransmitter? (00:06:04) – Dopamine as neurotransmitter and neuromodulator (00:08:20) – Why the brain is too complex for simple chemical stories (00:12:02) – The awe and mystery of the brain (00:15:51) – Dopamine, motivation, and the myth of dopamine detox (00:17:04) – Wanting vs. liking (00:19:24) – Doom scrolling and the loop of seeking (00:22:32) – Does dopamine explain why we keep scrolling? (00:24:21) – Experiential fusion and mindless behavior (00:25:42) – Why one molecule is never the whole story (00:26:57) – Novelty and reward prediction error (00:29:00) – The Easter egg example: seeking, finding, and disappointment (00:30:23) – Dopamine in different brain circuits (00:35:37) – What actually helps with compulsive loops? (00:37:47) – Savoring as a way out of wanting (00:39:24) – Meditation, breath, and the practice of savoring (00:43:20) – Letting go of…

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