The Nonviolence Lab

The Nonviolence Lab Discovering what works... for the planet, animals, ourselves, and people we love. https://genastdavid.substack.com/
https://www.genastdavid.com/

07/03/2026

What does a murmuration of starlings have to do with nonviolent direct action?

My daughter Gracie drew this image for The Nonviolent Brain. Every time I share it with audiences, it's the one folks are most excited to talk about.

Here's why.

What ripples do you imagine your own nonviolence could create? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And if this one resonates, save or share it with someone who needs it.

Last Saturday, I had the gift of reading from The Nonviolent Brain to a small, warm audience at Casa de Luz in Austin, T...
06/30/2026

Last Saturday, I had the gift of reading from The Nonviolent Brain to a small, warm audience at Casa de Luz in Austin, TX. This latest piece from The Nonviolence Lab invites you to enjoy portions of the talk.

"Picture a flock of starlings. A murmuration. A thousand birds in flight, moving as a single body—no collision, no conductor, no central command. Each bird is attuned only to its six or seven nearest neighbors. And the result is breathtaking. That's what nonviolence looks like at scale."

What if nonviolence isn’t swimming against the current? What if, once our nervous system discovers it, it becomes the current?
Tell me your thoughts. And share an experiment in nonviolence you tried--especially if it failed! Grateful to be on this learning journey with you, friends.

Full link in the first comment.

The Nonviolent Brain is out today! Why does nonviolence feel so good? I've been asking this question for years, through...
05/26/2026

The Nonviolent Brain is out today! Why does nonviolence feel so good? I've been asking this question for years, through research, in conversations with students, and in my own life.

Now, after dozens of interviews with people across the globe who've cracked the code of everyday nonviolence, I’m getting to place what I discovered into your hands.

This book weaves cutting-edge neuroscience with the deeply human stories of real people, maybe people like you, who are finding their way into nonviolence toward the planet, animals, and themselves. Gloriously human brains like ours, with surprising breakthroughs.

If you've ever wondered whether a more nonviolent world is actually possible, what it will take to get there, and how good it can feel, I wrote this book for you and for us. I'd love to listen to your thoughts.

I'm so grateful for this community. Your creativity, your stubborn love for the planet, animals, and fellow humans, and your innovative practices shaped every page.

Kindle and paperback available today. Link in the first comment below.

Listening with you.

Just for today...
05/24/2026

Just for today...

What's happening in the brain of a gun violence survivor who lovingly confronts the shooter? A wildlife court judge who ...
05/21/2026

What's happening in the brain of a gun violence survivor who lovingly confronts the shooter? A wildlife court judge who raises money for former poachers' children? A political refugee who labors to protect a single honeybee?

These are everyday people. And their brains are doing something remarkable.

Thirty people from across the globe, living nonviolently toward animals, the planet, and each other. I'm excited to share what I discovered they’re doing in common.

And the neuroscience that explains why it works, and why it feels so good. Because it turns out that becoming nonviolent is what we’re built for.

Listening with you.

05/14/2026

My new book, The Nonviolent Brain: Unlocking Our Capacity to Save the Planet, Animals, and Ourselves, is almost here! It may be available as early as next week!

These days, many of us are concerned about the frequency of violence in its thousand different forms, and also the chaos of unpredictable violence - like when violence was unleashed toward nonviolent protesters like in Minneapolis, or peaceful rescuers trying to help save beagles in Wisconsin, or school children in Tehran, or thousands of civilian casualties around the globe.

The Nonviolent Brain is based on stories of 30 people like you, across the globe, committed to nonviolence toward humans, animals, and/ or the planet, and asks a simple question:

How do they pull it off?

What's happening in their lives and brain and nervous system that feels good?

How can that also happen in ours?

Some of the stories are funny, some are inspiring. It's what many of us need in the midst of the stress we're living under.

You can help by spreading the word. Share your thoughts about the book online. Give it to a friend who needs a dose of inspiration, entertainment, and hope.

I love you. I love us. We can do this. Listening with you.

05/02/2026

They're free!

1,500 beagles are leaving Ridglan Farms! The first vans rolled out yesterday. These dogs have never felt grass beneath their paws or loving touch. That's all changing now—they’re heading to shelters and rescues across the country.

Everyday people—grandmothers, college kids, preschool teachers—refused to give up on the beagles.

We trained for nonviolent action. We got tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed (that wasn’t on my bingo card!). Austin was arrested. The dogs remained trapped. Saving them seemed impossible.

And then, tectonic plates shifted. Legal pressure. Public pressure. You helped. Everyone who made phone calls, sent emails, shared the story—thank you!

Violence can feel intractable. Too powerful to change. Then creative, loving, persistent people come together—and suddenly the impossible becomes possible.

If you're in Wisconsin, consider fostering or adopting—link in comments. And the work continues. Beagles in other facilities still need our help.

But for these pups from Ridglan—love, joy, and family start today! Tag a friend who loves dogs.

Would you be interested to help with a nonviolent action to rescue more?

A year ago, a sidewalk confrontation shook me up and sent me running home to make laminated cards with scissors and yarn...
04/10/2026

A year ago, a sidewalk confrontation shook me up and sent me running home to make laminated cards with scissors and yarn.

In this latest piece, I share what a roadside scuffle in downtown Austin taught me about why it's nearly impossible to think creatively under fire — and what Diane Nash and the Nashville lunch counter students knew that I've had to learn the hard way.

The brain can't access what it hasn't practiced. Courageous nonviolence isn't improvised. It's conditioned.

The article's now live: "What a Sidewalk Scuffle Taught Me About Courage" - link below.

Would love to hear from you: How do you prepare yourself — or recover — when conflict catches fire?

03/25/2026

I’ve been asking a quiet question for years:
What helps us become more nonviolent, in politics and also in everyday life? The Nonviolence Lab is a new space to explore the answer together.

What helps us live more peacefully with the planet, animals, ourselves, our loved ones - and, yes, even our enemies?

If you’re interested in thoughtful, grounded conversations about what actually works, I’d love for you to join me. Subscribe to The Nonviolence Lab below, ask me a question, join the chat. Let's explore solutions.

🔗 https://substack.com/

Introducing a new series called Lab Notes: brief, timely observations about the impact of everyday nonviolence on wellne...
03/17/2026

Introducing a new series called Lab Notes: brief, timely observations about the impact of everyday nonviolence on wellness and the brain.

What is a "three-leaf clover" approach to nonviolence? Until recently, nonviolence research has tended to study nonviolence toward people, the planet, and animals as three distinct practices, but these practices may be less separate than we've been led to believe.

Full post here:

https://open.substack.com/pub/genastdavid/p/lab-note-three-leaf-clover-nonviolence?r=1gufww&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

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