Hurt To Healing

“I think nature is a grand mystery. Religions, to me, are a valiant attempt to explain the unexplainable but it seems that nature is the face, or the reflection in some perfect mirror, of something greater than we can conceive of. You could call it God. I believe this is what we need to do: reawaken an emotional and spiritual response to our relationship with nature.”

– Ben Goldsmith 

On this episode of Hurt to Healing – a podcast dedicated to exploring the many paths we walk through grief, trauma, and transformation – Pandora Morris welcomes the incredible Ben Goldsmith. Ben is an environmentalist, philanthropist and author of the profoundly moving book God is an Octopus, written as a response to the tragic loss of his daughter Iris.

This episode is an invitation into one man’s journey through unimaginable pain and how he found solace, meaning and even beauty on the other side. Ben shares how nature became not only a refuge, but a guide. They also explore how psychedelic experiences, including grief-related healing journeys, have offered him powerful insight and emotional release, making this a deeply relevant conversation for anyone interested in the intersection between loss, consciousness and the sacred.

Ben Goldsmith with Iris. He has written a book about his daughter and the ‘reawakening’ of his Somerset farm. © The Guardian

“Eventually, you reach a state of exhaustion and surrender to your powerlessness. When that moment comes, it’s almost a blessing because ultimately, the only way to get through terrible things happening to you is by surrendering to them, recognizing and accepting the universe for what it is, and doing the best you can with the situation you’re given.”

Even if you haven’t experienced a close personal loss, this episode holds something special. I personally haven’t lost someone close to me, yet listening to Ben speak brought me an unexpected sense of peace and faith. It’s one of those conversations that stays with you and is a beautiful reminder that healing doesn’t mean forgetting, but learning how to carry our grief with greater love and awareness.