Paula went into "the void," and returned with a question that changed her life: What if grief is actually the highest form of intelligence?

In this episode of Grief and Light, I sit down with trauma and grief therapist and artist, Paula Gasparini-Santos, to explore a different way of understanding grief, one where loss becomes a portal, and "the void" transforms us.

Paula's work sits at the intersection of trauma therapy and grief, and she brings a framework that honors how intelligent grief actually is. She shares how grief operates as a form of intelligence, and how to access what it's trying to teach us.

We go deep on the surprising relationship between grief and trauma, Paula's own journey of developing intimacy with her pain, and the growing use of AI in grief support, what it can genuinely offer, and where it keeps us at arm's length from the real work.

We also get into the difference between real curiosity and curiosity that's just fear with better PR. 

Paula explains how our information-gathering instinct, especially in grief, often becomes a way to stay safe rather than a way to grow. And she offers practices for building a relationship with emptiness, with silence, with the parts of ourselves we usually try to outrun.

If you're looking for a different perspective on grief, an ways to move through, tune in.

In this episode:

• Grief as one of life's highest forms of intelligence
• Why grief and trauma are more connected than we think
• What "intimacy with grief" actually looks like in practice
• What "the void" is, and isn't
• How to trust the unknown
• AI in grief processing: where it helps and where it doesn't
• The distinction between true curiosity and fear-based seeking
• Low-dopamine practices for reconnecting with yourself
• Why sitting with emptiness might be exactly what healing requires

💬 "If we deny grief as a universal experience, we deny the pivot point for regeneration and expansion to happen." — Paula Gasparini-Santos

Connect with Paula Gasparini-Santos: 

• Art: https://paulagasparini-santos.com/ 
• Work with Paula: https://www.theconsciousconnection.org/ 
• Substack
• Instagram
• TikTok

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Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 

🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick

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Connect with Nina Rodriguez:

• griefandlight.com
• @griefandlight
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

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