God Is An Octopus: Loss, Love and a Calling to Nature

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He takes the hallucinogenic drug ayahuasca (the title of the book is one of the insights from that experience). Plunging into the cold water of a pond, while subsumed by grief he notes, “I felt nature enveloping me, reassuring me, beneath a sun that shone hot even as it approached the conclusion of its long, daily descent westwards”. Just reading the review I am amazed by your courage to commit to paper and share with the world such a devastating experience. Unfortunately, after this section, I felt that I was reading the words rather than taking in what was being described.

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As the seasons continued to change and the world carried on without Iris, Ben sought ways to come to terms with his grief. Tom Stoppard [A] moving account of how reconnecting with nature helped [Goldsmith] rebuild a capacity for joy. Goldsmith has written an extraordinary book, God is an Octopus, about his journey through grief and his exploration of the afterlife. Ben Hoare * BBC Countryfile * [Goldsmith’s] personal experiences and thoughts feel vividly real to the reader . The 9 Step Negativity Detox is a powerful series that will teach you the nine simple steps to free you from the unnecessary causes of negativity in your life.

Citizens of the global north often feel out of our depth and out of touch with our esoteric roots, but in Goldsmith’s quest to find meaning in his daughters passing and something eternal to the human soul, he explores various faiths, mysticism and concepts of the afterlife. When it fills with rain for the first time, he’s greeted by “an unfamiliar sense of joy that coyly hovered, tentatively awaiting permission to wash over me”.Rebecca Hardy * The Daily Mail * Goldsmith has written an extraordinary book, God is an Octopus, about his journey through grief and his exploration of the afterlife. Whilst many people during Covid absorbed the powerful psychological effects of being in nature, our travel restrictions were giving wildlife more space and a flurry of viral videos and photos and academic studies, showed species venturing further into urban centres and altering their activity patterns to take advantage of quieter and less crowded cities. Struggling to comprehend the shocking death of his teenage daughter, Ben Goldsmith finds solace in nature by immersing himself in plans to rewild his farm. The people of Japan believe that everyone has an ikigai - a reason for being; the thing that gets you out of bed each morning.

Benedict Macdonald, Winner of the Wainwright Prize for Global Conservation A heartbreaking yet ultimately inspiring memoir of the personal spiritual odyssey. I was surprised that he recounted his visit to a spiritual medium - so honest - but I was compelled to tread along the path of discovery with him as he sought solace in myriad ways.The ultimate cliché of rich, perfect , beautiful, privileged people torn apart by grief and their glorified learnings from it . His 15-year-old daughter Iris, who he had left at home with a friend, had been in an accident on one of his farm vehicles. The start of this book is an upsetting and difficult read, making you cling to your children a little tighter when you hug them good night or wave them off to school.