Ep103: Dopamine, Meditation, & Fibonacci - feat. Shinzen Young, Chelsey Fasano, & Dr Jay Sanguinetti

In this episode I host part 6 of an ongoing trialogue between Shinzen Young, Chelsey Fasano, and Dr Jay Sanguinetti.

GuruViking · Ep103: Dopamine, Meditation, & Fibonacci - feat. Shinzen Young, Chelsey Fasano, & Dr Jay Sanguinetti

In this episode we take a deep dive into the dopaminergic reward system, including current thinking on its function and role, and its interaction with meditation practice and Buddhist notions of craving and suffering. We also discuss what to do after enlightenment, and speculate about the Fibonacci sequence as a universal constant.

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

---

Topics Include:

00:00 – Intro
00:44 – International attention and Sir Roger Penrose 
02:38 – What is the reward system and how does it function?
06:45 – The punishment system
09:50 – Social media and the basal ganglia 
11:09 – Meditation’s effects on the basal ganglia 
14:50 – SART and the work of Dr David Vago
19:37 – Meditation and resting tonic dopamine levels 
22:24 – Knytl & Opitz on meditation and negative reinforcement  
25:14 – What is resting tonic dopamine?
27:04 – Leigh Brasington and Haggerty’s jhana study 
30:19 – Is the Haggerty study fatally flawed?
32:21 – More to pleasure than dopamine 
33:05 – The different jhana systems of Buddhism
35:36- Jay suggests a jhana study at his lab 
37:26 – Integration of ecstatic experience across traditions 
43:13 – Integrating the the top-down Self with the basal ganglia 
45:47 – After enlightenment, what to do?
49:10 – Shinzen on measuring the endorphin rush 
53:14 – Endorphins, Dopamine, and craving
55:48 – Hard and soft jhana, wet and dry vipassana 
01:01:02 – Jay on in-brain competition and behaviour change 
01:04:51 – Outcomes from Shinzen’s life of practice 
01:07:54 – The Fibonacci sequence as the universal constant 
01:21:01 – Craving, conflict, and suffering

---

Previous episodes in this series:

• https://www.guruviking.com/ep72-shinzen-young-and-chelsey-fasano-tantra-neuroscience-and-true-enlightenment/

• https://www.guruviking.com/ep76-shinzen-young-chelsey-fasano-2-the-science-of-enlightenment/

• https://www.guruviking.com/ep81-shinzen-young-chelsey-fasano-3-orgasm-epilepsy-mystical-experience/

• https://www.guruviking.com/ep86-bliss-enlightenment-fristonian-physics-feat-chelsey-fasano-shinzen-young-dr-jay-sanguinetti/

• https://www.guruviking.com/ep94-the-enlightenment-button-feat-shinzen-young-chelsey-fasano-dr-jay-sanguinetti/

To find out more about Shinzen, visit:

• https://www.guruviking.com/ep37-shinzen-young-pandemic-edition-guru-viking-podcast/

• www.shinzen.org

• SEMA Lab in the Guardian

To find out more about Chelsey, visit:

• www.chelseyfasano.com

To find our more about Dr Sanguinetti, visit:

• https://www.guruviking.com/ep102-dr-jay-sanguinetti-cults-science-the-dalai-lama/

• https://www.jaysanguinetti.com/

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James