After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. ~Aldous Huxley
What is silence? I’ve been chasing silence since I was 20 years old. But why is it important and what can you learn from it? Is it, as some research suggests, essential for our health?
Many people think of silence as just the absence of noise and sound. Is it that or is it the presence of something other than sound? Could it be merely the echo of the empty desolate void?
I think the answer is much more complex than any of those. Silence isn’t a static thing. In my experience, it’s dynamic. Just like you’ve probably heard how the eskimos have 100 words for snow, I think it’s the same with silence.
There are a hundred, maybe a thousand, different qualities, shades, and moods to silence.
The Treasures of Silence
But one thing is for sure. A key aspect of meditation is that you become more sensitive to the subtle and ever-changing sound of silence. And, if I may be so bold, there are riches to be found there. What kind?
The list of life-enhancing benefits from silence is long. There are physical, emotional, and psychological benefits. Silence is to your spiritual health what sunlight is to photosynthesis. It’s difficult (if not impossible) to have the latter without the former.
Your brain, your creativity, your extraordinary powers of attention and concentration—they all benefit, grow, and thrive through periods of sustained silence.
The Science Behind Silence
Researchers have definitely found that silence is important for our health. In fact, some studies have focused on the healing effects of silence by studying the deadly effects of noise. One article on the healing properties of silence states that:
Experts believe that noise is deadly because it raises the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline in the body. High stress hormone levels have been linked to heart failure, strokes, high blood pressure, and immune problems.
Some statistics show that over 70% of disease is stress-related. Given the noisy nature of our world today, it’s no wonder stress is reaching epidemic levels.
As you probably know already, sitting silently in meditation is one of the most effective ways that you can reduce stress.
A Meditation On Silence
Today, we explore the rich and complex mystery of silence. Of course, given the subjective nature of the topic, we can only scratch the surface of a topic like this. But one thing is for sure, silence is more important than we think and many of us are missing out.
And because I love silence so much, this is in some ways more of a meditation on the transforming, healing, and restorative power of silence.
During the show, I explore silence in 5 parts.
Part 1: Silence Will Transform You
Part 2: The Secret Power Of Not Talking
Part 3: Gravity Accumulates In Silence
Part 4: Silence Is All Around You
Part 5: Silence Is A Bridge Between The Inner And Outer
Show Notes
- Pick up two free guided meditations as part of our Meditation For Life Experience.
(Photo Credits via Flickr Creative Commons: James Whitesmith)
That was absolutely beautiful Morgan. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Anu,
Thanks a lot for your feedback and letting me know! I’m really happy you liked it.
Wow excellent silence is not a automatic response
Hi Leslie, Thanks. Yes, totally agree!
Hello Morgan
I so agree Silence is so crucial to health and mind .
Hi David, thanks so much for your comment and for sharing your shared value of silence.
Wow, thank you so much for this beautiful podcast, Morgan. Even in listening to the podcast I felt something unlock in my awareness. I remembered my own moments of solitude and silence in nature, and recalled how steady and grounded within myself I felt afterwards. I will be exploring this whole new realm of possibility a lot in the coming days, months and years 🙂 Thanks again.
Hi Michaela,
That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing your experience. And thrilled to hear the podcast affected you in that way. Good luck and keep us posted!
Morgan thank you, I found this session most interesting and it has left me with much to think about. I do value silence and spend a great deal of my time in it BUT I have never analysed it before and will enjoy this new challenge.
Hi Shirley!
That’s really cool. I’m glad to hear it. I find the same thing. I can be in silence and not with silence or really appreciate it until I tune in. And then something shifts – I move out of my head and into the world and the soundscape and listen to the biophony or just notice where I am. There’s so much in the silence…
That was so beautiful the world we live in focuses our lives on noise of one kind or another and people are so afraid of silence they have to create noise to feel secure.
I am totally hooked on silence now. I live alone and have many days without seeing or speaking to anyone this used to frighten me but now i use it to my advantage and it is so rewarding. This should be taught in schools, imagine what a beautiful generation it would produce.
Hi Celia,
Gosh, I couldn’t agree more. In some ways it seems so basic and so primary to the human experience but at the same time vastly overlooked and underappreciated. I really like the way you talk about using it to your advantage. And I agree, it really should be taught more in schools. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.