Dr. Cortland Dahl

Dr. Cortland Dahl is a scientist, translator, author, and meditation teacher with a lifelong interest in the science of flourishing. His journey began in the early 1990s when he first learned to meditate. His passion led him on a journey around the world, from monasteries in Burma to zendos in Japan, as well as eight years living in Tibetan refugee settlements in Nepal and India.

During his travels, Dr. Dahl became fluent in Tibetan and became a prolific translator and scholar, receiving a master’s degree in Buddhist studies and publishing twelve volumes of translations. He went on to study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was mentored by the renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard J. Davidson and received a Ph.D. in Mind, Brain, and Contemplative Science, the first ever degree of its kind awarded by the university. He has since published numerous scientific articles, including a new scientific framework for the cultivation of well-being, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

As part of his Ph.D. dissertation, Dr. Dahl created the Healthy Minds Program, now a free mobile app that has been downloaded more than a million times and featured by the New York Times, Vogue, Sports Illustrated, and many other publications. More recently, he authored A Meditator’s Guide to Buddhism and the forthcoming Born to Flourish: How to Thrive in a Challenging World, with Dr. Richard J. Davidson. He is a frequent public speaker and leads meditation retreats and courses on the science of flourishing around the world.

Dr. Dahl currently serves as Executive Director of Tergar International, which oversees a global network of meditation centers, and is a senior meditation instructor for the Tergar community. He is also Chief Contemplative Officer for Healthy Minds Innovations and a scientist at the Center for Healthy Minds.

Dr. Dahl and his wife divide their time between Madison, Wisconsin and the boundary waters of Northern Minnesota. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, meditating in retreat, and spending time with family.