Once nonverbal, Lina Hjalmarsson now communicates through a letter board and her own writing—sharing profound insights into love, autism, and the human spirit. In this extraordinary episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with long-time friend Helena Hjalmarsson and her daughter Lina to explore the paradox of autism, poetry born from struggle, and what it means to align with our planet and each other. Their conversation moves from the excruciating journey of learning to spell, to navigating health challenges, to Lina’s vision of compassion as the cornerstone of society.

✨ “In learning how to spell, I set high on a cloud.” – Lina Hjalmarsson

✨ “I see autism as the most profound inspiration that has ever existed. It is also the most profound challenge.” – Lina Hjalmarsson

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Lina moved from nonverbal to verbal communication through a letter board ([00:05:00])
• Why autism can be both profound inspiration and profound challenge ([00:29:30])
• Insights from Lina’s original poetry on love, suffering, and joy ([00:20:00])
• How Helena and Lina navigate mycoplasma, OCD, and anxiety ([00:46:00])
• Why expressing raw emotions can bring healing and resilience ([00:40:00])
• What autistic voices can teach neurotypical people about universal love ([00:35:00])
• Lina’s vision for compassionate leadership in her presidential essay ([00:58:00])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• Rupert introduces the episode and its unprecedented nature ([00:00:00])
• Lina shares her purpose: to spread love on this planet ([00:13:00])
• Helena reads Lina’s poem A Love Meaning to Burst ([00:20:00])
• Lina’s untitled poem about holding herself out of a hole ([00:22:00])
• Lina’s poems Incisions and Soaring on suffering and transformation ([00:27:00])
• Helena discusses mycoplasma, Lyme, and OCD in autism ([00:46:00])
• Lina’s presidential essay: why compassion should guide America ([00:58:00])
• Closing reflections – the need for autistic mentorship ([01:00:00])

📚 Projects, Writings, and Ideas Mentioned:

• Lina Hjalmarsson – Poet, student, and autism advocate
• Helena Hjalmarsson – Autism parent and advocate
• Dr. Temple Grandin – Autism pioneer and mentor
• Mary Coyle – Homeotoxicologist
• Dr. Engles – Naturopath specializing in autism and Lyme disease

🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:

• Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:

Long Ride Home:

• Website: https://longridehome.com
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems:

• Website: https://ntls.co
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

📚 Books & Resources:

• Rupert Isaacson – The Horse Boy, The Long Ride Home, The Healing Land: https://longridehome.com/books

📊 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

From hitchhiking to California with $35 in her pocket, to becoming a Stanford professor, medical doctor, and pioneer in equine-assisted programs, Dr. Beverley Kane’s story is one of resilience, curiosity, and transformation. In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with Dr. Kane to trace her journey through medicine, sports science, corporate Silicon Valley, parapsychology, and ultimately to horses—where she bridges science and spirituality.

Beverley shares how her early activism during the Vietnam War led her into medicine, what she learned working in preventive health and AI at Apple and WebMD, and why a kitchen accident opened the door to horses, play, and somatic healing. Today she teaches Qigong with horses at Stanford, guiding students and professionals into deeper connection, stress relief, and self-regulation through equanimity.

✨ “Quantum physics is the physics of love and entanglement is about connection.” – Dr. Beverley Kane

✨ “When I found therapeutic riding, for the first time it was just playful to be on horses.” – Dr. Beverley Kane

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Hitchhiking to California with $35 and starting anew ([00:01:00])
• Dropping out of Columbia, activism, and rediscovering medicine ([00:03:00])
• Medical training at UCSF and mentorship from Nobel Prize winner Michael Bishop ([00:05:00])
• Practicing medicine in Alaska and discovering sports medicine ([00:07:00])
• Stanford preventive medicine research and corporate health at Apple ([00:12:00])
• Stories from Apple’s Great American Smokeout and early AI projects ([00:16:00])
• Moving into WebMD and the rise (and bust) of Silicon Valley dot-com culture ([00:21:00])
• Discovering horses at age 52 after an accident and entering therapeutic riding ([00:27:00])
• Finding joy and play with horses through therapeutic riding ([00:34:00])
• Bringing Medicine & Horsemanship programs to Stanford ([00:43:00])
• Teaching Qigong with horses and the Equanimity program ([00:50:00])
• Quantum physics, parapsychology, and the science of consciousness ([01:10:00])
• Why entanglement points toward love, connection, and healing ([01:42:00])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• Getting sick upon arriving in Berkeley and repaying kindness at the Free Clinic ([00:02:00])
• Lessons from Nobel Prize winner Michael Bishop on scientific breakthroughs ([00:09:00])
• Transitioning from sports medicine to preventive health research at Stanford ([00:12:00])
• A story of helping an Apple employee quit smoking to transition safely ([00:16:00])
• The kitchen accident that shifted her horsemanship to play and healing ([00:31:00])
• Dreaming of red mustangs in the desert and discovering equine-assisted learning ([00:40:00])
• Establishing equine-assisted electives for Stanford medical students ([00:47:00])
• Teaching Qigong forms with horses for stress reduction and emotional release ([00:56:00])
• Exploring quantum entanglement, ESP, and the philosophy of science ([01:26:00])
• Calling quantum physics “the physics of love” ([01:42:00])

📚 Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:
Dr. Beverley Kane – Equine-imity: Stress Reduction and Emotional Self-Regulation in the Company of Horses https://amzn.to/4nqsAJ9

The Manual of Medicine and Horsemanship - https://amzn.to/4nq2ENK

• Dr. Beverley Kane – Adjunct Clinical Professor at Stanford, author of Equanimity and manuals on Medicine & Horsemanship
• Michael Bishop – Nobel Prize-winning biochemist
• Barbara Rector – Equine-assisted learning pioneer
• Alan Hamilton – Neurosurgeon and founder of Medicine & Horsemanship
• Quantum physicist Amit Goswami – The Self-Aware Universe
• Rupert Sheldrake – Theories of morphic resonance
• Russell Targ & Hal Puthoff – Parapsychology and remote viewing research

🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:
Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:

Long Ride Home:
Website: https://longridehome.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh
Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems:
Website: https://ntls.co
Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld
Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld
YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

📊 Affiliate Disclosure:
Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

 From the rugby fields of London to the Merchant Navy, Special Forces, skydiving, aviation, and entrepreneurship—Paul Illingworth’s life has been defined by risk, resilience, and relentless drive. In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with Paul to trace a journey that spans fear, family, and the search for tribe.

Paul shares how being bullied as a child forged his fighter’s spirit, how rugby and the Navy honed his leadership, and why fear should never be allowed to rule your life. From building successful businesses—including skydiving operations and escape rooms—to exploring how community can heal a generation lost in gaming, Paul offers raw insights into courage, discipline, and finding purpose.

✨ “Fear is something you build up inside you. Push it aside—and deal with life.” – Paul Illingworth

✨ “It always comes back to tribe. Whatever your tribe is, find it and commit to it.” – Paul Illingworth

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How a childhood accident and bullying sparked resilience ([00:07:00])
• The lessons rugby taught about teamwork, leadership, and belonging ([00:19:00])
• Joining the Merchant Navy and confronting storms at sea ([00:29:00])
• Why fear must be faced head-on rather than avoided ([00:47:00])
• The leap from oil rigs to aviation and skydiving ([00:58:00])
• Lessons from flight school and pushing limits in the air ([01:00:00])
• Navigating life-and-death moments and mastering discipline ([01:06:00])
• The importance of camaraderie in high-risk environments ([01:10:00])
• Building a successful skydiving business from scratch ([01:20:00])
• Creating escape rooms as a new form of entrepreneurship ([01:41:00])
• Why gaming culture points to a deeper hunger for tribe ([01:45:00])
• Fatherhood, resilience, and passing strength to the next generation ([01:50:00])
• Why tribe and community remain central to a fulfilling life ([01:53:00])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• Paul describes being bullied and deciding to fight back ([00:07:00])
• Discovering rugby as a space for belonging and leadership ([00:19:00])
• Facing storms during Merchant Navy service ([00:29:00])
• Learning to control fear through discipline ([00:47:00])
• Stories of flying and skydiving adventures ([00:58:00])
• Building and selling businesses, from skydiving to escape rooms ([01:20:00])
• Reflections on tribe, community, and resilience ([01:50:00])

📚 Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:

• Paul Illingworth – Entrepreneur, Navy veteran, business innovator (skydiving, escape rooms, aviation)
• Rupert Isaacson – The Horse Boy, The Long Ride Home, The Healing Land
  https://longridehome.com/books

🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:
Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:

Long Ride Home:
Website: https://longridehome.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh
Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems:
Website: https://ntls.co
Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld
Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld
YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

📊 Affiliate Disclosure:
Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

In this rare solo episode of Live Free Ride Free, host Rupert Isaacson shares his own extraordinary story—tracing a path from his multicultural childhood in London to horseback adventures, indigenous rights campaigns, and the creation of groundbreaking autism and equine therapy programs. Rupert weaves together vivid life experiences: from retraining an unruly ex-racehorse as a boy, to helping the Bushmen of the Kalahari win historic land claims, to transforming his son’s autism journey through horses, nature, and movement. This is a deep dive into service, resilience, and the magic of following the call of adventure.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How a childhood nervous breakdown led Rupert to horses and nature ([00:11:00])
• Lessons from growing up between multiple cultures and identities ([00:05:00])
• The entrepreneurial path to buying his first horse at age 14 ([00:13:00])
• Adventures and dangers as a young journalist in Africa and North America ([00:34:00])
• The role of indigenous wisdom in Rupert’s life and work ([00:56:00])
• Behind-the-scenes of the Bushman land claims in South Africa and Botswana ([01:00:00])
• How his son’s autism diagnosis reshaped his mission and methods ([01:36:00])
• The creation of Horse Boy Method, Movement Method, and Takhin Equine Integration ([01:39:00])
• Why service is the key to sustaining your dreams ([01:46:00])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• Meeting legendary wolf expert Rick McIntyre in Yellowstone and conceiving the Live Free Ride Free podcast ([00:02:00])
• Training an unmanageable ex-racehorse and discovering his calling ([00:14:00])
• Hitchhiking into the Kalahari and first encounters with Bushman healers ([00:57:00])
• Witnessing the unexpected twist that won Botswana’s largest land claim ([01:30:00])
• The life-changing advice from Dr. Temple Grandin on helping his autistic son ([01:34:00])
• The reindeer healer in Siberia who transformed Rowan’s progress ([01:42:00])

📚 Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:

• Rupert Isaacson – The Horse Boy, The Long Ride Home, The Healing Land https://longridehome.com/books
• Horse Boy Method, Movement Method, Takhin Equine Integration https://ntls.co
• Long Ride Home - Horse Training: https://longridehome.com

🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us: Long Ride Home: Website: https://longridehome.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems: Website: https://ntls.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

📊 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

What happens when a successful publisher hits rock bottom—and finds his way back through psychedelics, storytelling, and soul work? In this episode of Live Free Ride Free, Rupert Isaacson sits down with Ralf Daab, a Cologne-based publisher and spiritual entrepreneur, to explore how dreams, and intuition reshaped his life. From sex with his soul-self to conversations with ancient Persian sultans, Ralf shares candidly about death, rebirth, and the creative power of expanded consciousness. It’s a story of heartbreak, transformation, and discovering that the spiritual path doesn’t have to begin in the jungle—it can start with a walk past a horse paddock in Germany.

✨ “You don’t change your life in one journey. The transformation is forever.” – Ralf Daab

✨ “What if the Sultan was God, the Universe…and You?” – Ralf Daab

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why Ralf left the fast-paced world of international publishing for inner healing and mindfulness ([00:13:00])
• The unexpected impact of channeling, spiritual entrepreneurship, and synchronicity ([00:27:00], [01:04:00])
• Why ancient Persia and a mystical Sultan guided Ralf toward his creative mission ([00:36:00])
• How a recurring dream of a plane crash resolved through psychedelic insight ([00:55:00])
• What dying at age 96 on a beach in France taught him about living fully now ([00:59:00])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• Ralf and Rupert meet during a chance encounter while picking up horse poo in Germany ([00:03:00])
• Ralf’s first journey: flying with birds and experiencing Earth from space ([00:30:00])
• The Sultan appears again and says, “I am God, the Universe… and You.” ([00:39:00])
• Channeling guidance in early morning states, leading to unexpected new business ventures ([01:04:00])
• Ralf dancing on a beach in France after accepting death and realizing he was 16 again ([01:01:00])

📚 Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:

• Ralf Daab – High on Living publishing house and his book: Da Bist Ja Wieder: 32 Episoden (Self-published) https://amzn.to/3IM031z
• Rupert Isaacson – The Horse Boy, The Long Ride Home, The Healing Land https://longridehome.com/books

🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:
Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:

Long Ride Home: Website: https://longridehome.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems: Website: https://ntls.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

📊 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

Filmmaker Craig Foster (My Octopus Teacher) and wildlife sculptor-naturalist George Bumann return to Live Free Ride Free for a sweeping, soul-deep conversation on rewilding the human spirit. With Rupert Isaacson, they dive into the healing force of biodiversity, the true meaning of conflict resolution, and why tracking—not just animals, but ourselves—is essential for becoming fully alive. From snails in beer bottles to raven politics at the dump, they explore how the smallest natural encounters offer the biggest epiphanies. This episode is an invitation to reclaim our 3-million-year-old blueprint for joy, freedom, and kinship with all beings.

✨ “You feel the beating heart of the intertidal in your own beating heart.” – Craig Foster

✨ “Noticing is the beginning of healing.” – George Bumann

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why extreme biodiversity supercharges physical vitality and mental clarity ([00:04:00])
• How conflict dissolves when we're in kinship with more-than-human communities ([00:19:00])
• Why tracking—animals, people, and ourselves—is the original language of connection ([00:33:00])
• What George learned about group dynamics and animal behavior from Yellowstone’s wolves and ravens ([00:45:00])
• How sculpting, storytelling, and species documentation help heal our cultural broken-heartedness ([00:58:00])
• What happens to human consciousness when we spend uninterrupted time in nature ([01:06:00])
• Why snails, magpies, ravens, and city foxes may be more important than elephants and whales ([01:17:00])
• The myth of separation: how the illusion of “self vs. nature” feeds personal suffering ([01:30:00])
• How ego functions in wild systems vs. modern society—and how culture can recalibrate it ([01:39:00])
• How George and Craig help people rewild through art, archives, biodiversity, and beauty ([01:53:00])
• The final invitation: how noticing becomes a daily ritual of reconnection and joy ([02:03:00])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• Craig’s experience of pure vitality on a pristine research island—surrounded by mantas, sharks, and rays ([00:02:00])
• George’s intimate vocal impressions of coyotes, wolves, and elk—including one he heard that morning ([00:07:00], [01:13:00])
• What snails in beer bottles near Miami taught Craig about resilience and belonging ([02:06:00])
• The concept of Mother Nature as the ultimate shareholder of all human endeavors ([00:29:00])
• What happens when children in urban schools are given cameras—and how their perception shifts over days ([00:18:00])
• George’s ravens at the dump: what “vermin” reveal about the power of noticing ([02:09:00])
• Craig’s octopus friend who walks bipedally and eats sharks—and lets Craig film her doing it ([02:22:00])

📚 Projects, Thinkers, and Ideas Mentioned:

Craig Foster – My Octopus Teacher, Sea Change Project (https://seachangeproject.com)

1001 Sea Forest Species Project

George Bumann – Wildlife sculptor, educator, and naturalist (https://georgebumann.com)

David Graeber – The Dawn of Everything https://amzn.to/464fE6e

Bates Method – Natural eyesight restoration https://amzn.to/4kFMqhF

Dr. Chantel Prat – The Neuroscience of You https://amzn.to/3TFhPWs

Rupert Isaacson – The Horse Boy, The Long Ride Home, The Healing Land https://longridehome.com/books-ru/ 

🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:

Long Ride Home: Website: https://longridehome.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems: Website: https://ntls.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

📊 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

Dr. Ben Conner, professor of practical theology and founder of the Center for Disability and Ministry, joins Rupert Isaacson for a radical rethinking of Christianity and environmentalism. From reinterpreting "dominion" in Genesis to empowering neurodivergent voices in ministry, Ben challenges assumptions about American evangelicalism, conservation, and the role of theology in planetary healing. Together, they explore how to reconnect children, horses, and communities to a sense of sacred kinship with nature—through wonder, embodiment, and relational theology.

✨ “Maybe the vocation of a mountain is just to be a mountain.” – Ben Conner

✨ "Jesus in the wilderness was being re-nurtured by creation itself." – Ben Conner

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why many American evangelicals misunderstand the concept of "dominion" in Genesis ([00:07:00])
• The roots of Christianity’s alienation from nature: Enlightenment rationalism, individualism, and soul-saving escapism ([00:14:00])
• How children (especially neurodivergent ones) teach us to see God through curiosity and wonder ([00:48:00])
• Practical steps to re-integrate theology, land, and disability in ministry and daily life ([00:52:00])
• The theology of kinship: how mountains, rivers, horses, and people are all called into vocation ([01:07:00])
• The idea that Christianity is often more about identity and power than faith in Christ himself ([01:15:00])
• Rupert's comparison of CS Lewis and Tolkien as hidden eco-theologians ([01:26:00])
• Creating church outside: the rise of Wild Church and Refugia communities ([01:30:00])
• Ben's story of his son recovering from brain trauma and becoming his teacher in theology ([01:36:00])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• Why many American evangelicals misunderstand dominion and where that theology came from ([00:07:00])
• The Enlightenment-era origins of individualistic Christianity in the U.S. ([00:14:00])
• "You aren't seeing the rabbit anymore. You're seeing yourself and the schemes and appetites you bring to the world." – Matthew Scully, quoted by Ben ([00:35:00])
• Why start theology with children and people with disabilities ([00:48:00])
• Horses have vocations too: understanding agency, refusal, and partnership ([01:06:00])
• How Ben's son, initially disabled, became a theological teacher ([01:36:00])

📚 Books, Thinkers, and Movements Mentioned:

• Thomas Berry – *The Sacred Universe *https://amzn.to/4ltj1rJ
• David Clough – *Creaturely Theology *https://amzn.to/4kbRslF
• Victoria Loorz – Church of the Wild (and the Wild Church Network) https://amzn.to/4lx1Gyd
• Matthew Scully – *Dominion *https://amzn.to/4erqXr2
• Randy Woodley – Harmony Way & Indigenous Christianity https://amzn.to/4lv6Uuc
• Patty Krawec – *Becoming Kin *https://amzn.to/3TPCjvy
• Four Arrows – *Restoring the Kinship Worldview *https://amzn.to/4kazIXT
• Deb Rienstra – *Refugia Faith https://amzn.to/4khixUO *
• A Rocha USA (https://arocha.org)

🛍️ Contact Ben Conner:

• Center for Disability and Ministry: https://westernsem.edu/center-for-disability-and-ministry
• Faculty Page: https://www.westernsem.edu/faculty/conner/
• Podcast: Disabling the Church

🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:
Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:
Long Ride Home: Website: https://longridehome.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems: Website: https://ntls.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

📊 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

"The foundation of Western rationalism? A series of mystical dreams."

Artist, philosopher, and occult scholar Dr. Justin Sledge joins Rupert Isaacson to illuminate a forgotten dimension of Western thought. With over 870,000 YouTube followers on his channel Esoterica, Dr. Sledge has built a global audience passionate about the academic study of magic, mysticism, and esotericism. In this fast-moving and rigorously researched conversation, Justin pulls back the curtain on the mystical roots of rationalism, the dream logic behind Descartes, and how occult traditions shaped the very sciences that claim to have left them behind.

Why should we care? Because the stories we’re told about history shape the world we live in now—and as it turns out, much of what we consider to be modern, empirical, or secular is deeply rooted in visions, divine languages, and hermetic transmissions.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why Descartes founded modern philosophy after a mystical dream ([00:14:58])
• How John Dee “downloaded” an angelic language and changed history ([00:11:15])
• What Judaism really says about the afterlife—and how it’s changed over time ([01:44:00])
• Why ancient aliens and Atlantis myths persist despite zero evidence ([01:02:29])
• The origins of Western esotericism and how they shaped Newton, Leibniz, and Spinoza ([00:13:00])
• Why witch trials targeted women, but occultist men survived with status ([00:50:00])
• How occult philosophies were hidden in plain sight in Enlightenment thinking ([01:10:00])
• What Gobekli Tepe, Egyptian afterlife myths, and Enochian grammar have in common ([01:22:00])
• The mystical tension between religious tradition and rational skepticism ([01:33:00])
• How Justin grew a massive global audience for deep esoteric study on YouTube ([02:00:10])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• "If you wake up in heaven, you should be angry. That’s hell." ([01:36:01])
• Justin describes reading 16th-century Latin texts as a teenager ([00:11:15])
• Rupert confronts academia’s discomfort with magic’s role in rationalism ([00:20:00])
• Justin explains why he believes religion creates meaning—not literal truths ([00:27:00])
• A conversation about Yahweh’s evolution from tribal god to sole deity ([00:40:00])
• Justin's take on Gobekli Tepe and why its burial is stranger than its building ([01:22:00])
• How Judaism splits the afterlife timeline: Sheol, Heaven, Reincarnation ([01:44:00])
• "The past isn’t dead. It’s not even past." – William Faulkner quoted ([02:14:00])

📚 Books, Films, Causes & Contact:

Dr. Justin Sledge: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEsotericaChannel
Website: https://www.justinsledge.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/esotericachannel
Rare Bookstore: https://www.esotericaoccultbooks.com/
Study Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/

Related Episodes: Craig Foster – My Octopus Teacher & Amphibious Soul: https://youtu.be/X1-tZ_XhvUo
Emelie Cajsdotter – Talking to Forest Spirits: https://youtu.be/YOUR-LINK-HERE
Warwick Schiller – Journey On Podcast: https://youtu.be/sTeXpmGc8Ls

🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:

Long Ride Home: 
Website: https://longridehome.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh
Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems: 
Website: https://ntls.co
Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld
Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld
YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

🎧 Browse Our Playlists: Live Free Ride Free: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUcRPFFblvSlyVsZX682F63uQ5WpiZNfu
Equine Assisted World: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8f9kQxaWe5Fv25usp3pXM9rLZR2VyUYz

💡 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. This does not affect the price you pay and helps support the podcast.

Artist, regenerative grazier, and rewilding facilitator Nick Viney joins Rupert Isaacson for an expansive conversation from the wilds of Dartmoor to the edges of imagination. With boots-on-the-ground wisdom from 20 years of land restoration, livestock management, and community-building, Nick makes a compelling case for restoring ecosystems through play, art, and radical listening. This episode is a masterclass in how to bring trees back, slow the water, and let the wild shape us.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The forgotten role of imagination in restoring landscapes (Starts at [00:03:00])
• How regenerative grazing works and why it's not “just moving cows” (Starts at [00:12:36])
• A real-world experiment: 40 years of non-grazed land on Dartmoor (Starts at [00:31:16])
• The critical role of beavers and why they’re returning to the UK (Starts at [00:47:00])
• Why reintroducing wolves might be inevitable — and good for everyone (Starts at [01:13:00])
• How art can spark environmental change and communicate complexity (Starts at [01:27:00])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• How she revived her artistic self after years of working for others ([00:02:00])
• Nick describes the joy of animals grazing fresh pasture every day — "It's pristine every single day" ([00:12:36])
• Rupert and Nick debate whether Britain is still a forest landscape or not ([00:19:25])
• What a bramble patch teaches us about songbirds and tree nurseries ([00:32:00])
• The haunting power of glow worms and how they reflect land recovery ([01:45:00])

📚 Books, Films, Causes & Contact:

Websites:

• Nick Viney Art & Projects: https://nickviney.co.uk
• Glamping & Land Connection: https://rewildingfutures.co.uk
• Beaver Watching & Rewilding Coombeshead: https://rewildingcoombeshead.co.uk

Other Rewilders Mentioned:

• Róisín Campbell-Palmer
• Gerhard Schwab (Bavaria)
• Derek Gow (UK)

Books:

• Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm by Isabella Tree – https://amzn.to/43j3Dbj

Conferences:

• "If Not Now, When: See Beyond" (July 25–27, 2025) – Rewilding Coombeshead
• Rewilding Coombeshead Conference by Derek Gow (July 26–27) – https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/keep-it-wild/t-kraexje

🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:

• Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:

Long Ride Home:

• Website: https://longridehome.com
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems:

• Website: https://ntls.co
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

💡 Affiliate Disclosure:

• Links to books and products may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. This does not affect the price you pay and helps support the podcast.

Farrier, ultra-runner, and Derby training guide Stevie Delahunt joins Rupert Isaacson for a surprising, funny, and soulful conversation that gallops through Patagonia, Mongolia, Oregon, and the inner landscapes of fear, boredom, and awe. They unpack the difference between trauma and triumph, how endurance sports can help rewire the brain, and what it means to truly listen to animals, land, and spirit. Whether you’re derby-curious, nature-hungry, or wondering how to make a more meaningful life with your horses, this one’s a ride.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Type 2 Fun, Trauma, and Triumph (Starts at [00:02:00])
  • Stevie explains the now-legendary classification of fun and how it relates to challenge, fear, and resilience.
• How Endurance Racing Became a Spiritual Path (Starts at [00:06:00])
  • From half-marathons to the Mongol Derby, Stevie shares how testing her body helped her discover her spirit.
• The Mongol Derby and the Ego Question (Starts at [00:24:00])
  • Rupert and Stevie unpack why winning might not be the point, and what spiritual seekers are really after.
• Why Boredom Might Be the Enemy of Mental Health (Starts at [00:35:00])
  • A deep dive into boredom, awe, loneliness, and the human need for challenge and connection.
• Psilocybin and the Herd: Inter-Species Conversations (Starts at [01:06:00])
  • Stevie describes what happens when she microdoses with horses present and what they've taught her.
• Spiritual Mentors, Trees, and Land Consciousness (Starts at [01:40:00])
  • From reindeer in Mongolia to juniper groves in Oregon, Stevie discusses what it means to hear land and trees speak.
• Nomadism and the Restoration of Wonder (Starts at [01:55:00])
  • Why mobility may be the cure for modern malaise, and how Stevie is redesigning her life and business accordingly.

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• Rupert and Stevie explore how trauma and triumph often share a border zone of spiritual insight ([00:05:00])
• What Stevie learned about love from a mare named Sparta under the influence of psilocybin ([01:08:00])
• A snowstorm in Patagonia turns life-threatening, and fire becomes salvation ([01:33:00])
• Rupert and Stevie debate whether the spiritual path should involve competition at all ([00:26:00])
• The surprising intelligence and opinion of a horse named Sonic who wants to roam free ([01:11:00])
• Why we may need risk and awe as much as we need oxygen ([01:13:00])

📚 Books, Films, Causes & Contact:

Websites:

• Stevie Delahunt’s equine training & coaching: https://intergalacticequine.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/adventuristbarbie

🌎 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:

Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:

Long Ride Home

• Website: https://longridehome.com
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems

• Website: https://ntls.co
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

💡 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. This does not affect the price you pay and helps support the podcast.