The 8-Fold Path: Why Silence?

Last week I touched on the benefits of silence. And that we don’t have a lot of silence in our daily lives. We are inundated with sound: some of our own choosing, most not. While I’m writing this, the “roar” of the forced air heating is quite significant. When it stops, there is a noticeable return to quiet for a few moments until a truck roars by on the busy county road I live just off of.

A quick search of the internet will give us dozens of reasons why silence is beneficial; physically, mentally, and spiritually. Let’s take a look at a few of the physical and mental benefits daily periods of silence can give us.

THE BRAIN

Daily periods of silence can improve our brains. A 2011 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that walking three times in a week for 40 minutes improved spatial memory.

If we can change our setting, we give the brain something different to focus on and correlate with known data.

Most of us live in urban or suburban settings. If possible, take a walk in a park or some other natural setting. The greater the difference between the manmade and the natural, the better for our brains. Manmade noise tends to grate on our nerves. Natural sounds are much more soothing.

Go walking — without the iPod — in a natural setting. Let the natural sounds lave you with peace and tranquility.

In addition, regular periods of silence can actually stimulate brain growth.

A 2013 study, published in Brain Structure And Function, found sitting in silence for at least two hours a day could stimulate the creation of the new brain cells related to our ability to learn, remember, and emotions.

At least two hours, you may say? Who has time for that? Indeed. We live busy lives. Although some of us may have the time and that is a wonderful thing. However if you do not, I think the 8-Fold Path can help you by giving you a lifestyle of silence.

STRESS

Almost all of us are stressed. We live in a stressful world. Noise can lead to elevated levels of stress hormones — and who wants that?

Sometimes we resort to relaxing music or white noise to try relieving the stress we feel. The problem is music, no matter how relaxing, and white noise are still noise.

Silence, on the other hand, is the anti-noise, as it were. A 2006 study, which appeared in Heart, found that just two minutes of silence can release tension buildup in the body and in the mind. That sounds like a good deal to me. After all it’s only two minutes. Surely we have that much time to give to relieving stress.

INSOMNIA

It’s the pits when you can’t get to sleep. I used to hate it when it happened to me. There was nothing left to do but get up and perhaps read for a while until I felt tired.

On the other hand, daily silence can come to the rescue.

A 2015 study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found older adults who meditated had fewer episodes of depression, fatigue, and insomnia. And meditation is done in silence.

Sitting in meditation breaks the routine of busyness and noise in our lives and can break the never ending monologue our minds at times embark on.

I know from personal experience sitting in meditation and letting my mind just drift through thoughts and feelings, not focusing on anything, eventually results in my mind stopping the thought process and that’s when the stress and anxiety falls away.

SENSITIVITY

From personal experience I can tell you silence increases one’s sensitivity to outside stimuli. After a week of silence and solitude, my whole body became more sensitive. More sensitive to sounds, touch, sights, and even thoughts, my own and others. I even think my poor hearing improved for a time. At least people could speak a bit more softly, until things went back to normal.

SUMMARY

Daily practice of silence can be very beneficial, both physically and mentally. A lifestyle of silence even more so. And that’s just on the physical and mental plane.

Whether you are a person of faith or not, I believe the practice of silence, coupled with its companion solitude, can do wonders for your soul. In a sense, silence can pull you out of yourself and take you to a place where you can, even for a moment, touch that which is beyond us.

The late Canadian psychiatrist, Dr R.M. Bucke, wrote of his experience in his book Cosmic Consciousness. Dr Bucke wrote that after a wonderful evening with friends, on the long ride home, late at night, he was “in a state of quiet, almost passive enjoyment, not actually thinking, but letting ideas, images, and emotions flow of themselves, as it were, through my mind.” In other words, Dr Bucke was unconsciously meditating in silence. What happened next changed his life forever. Here are his words:

All at once, without warning of any kind, I found myself wrapped in a flame-colored cloud. For an instant I thought of fire, an immense conflagration somewhere close by in that great city; the next, I knew that the fire was within myself. Directly afterward there came upon me a sense of exaltation, of immense joyousness accompanied or immediately followed by an intellectual illumination impossible to describe. Among other things, I did not merely come to believe, but I saw that the universe is not composed of dead matter, but is, on the contrary, a living presence; I became conscious in myself of eternal life.

Those of faith will see Dr Bucke’s testimony as evidence of their beliefs. Those not of faith will possibly attribute his vision to some other cause. For myself, I see a man who was not especially religious in the span of a few moments suddenly become convinced there is something beyond himself. Dr Bucke’s experience is, however, indicative of what many mystics have found to be true: silence and solitude can connect one with the beyond.

Most of us, though, are probably seeking a more day to day benefit. And silence certainly provides that. However, as with any practice, you get out of it what you put into it. If you simply want less stress and better memory, silence can help you achieve some of that. And less stress, along with better mind function, is a very good reason to start your journey into silence. And who knows where it may end.

Next time we’ll explore just exactly what is this silence I’m talking about.

Until then, take some time, each day is preferable, to just unplug and get away to a place with minimal noise. Then just let your mind drift, not focusing on anything. Let me know what you think.

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In Praise of Ear Plugs

Many of us love or wish for solitude. Usually we think we have to go somewhere to get it. I’ve gone on week long silence and solitude retreats in order to get the solitude I often crave. A week of peace and quiet and time alone.

Unfortunately, many of us can’t afford to take a week off and a weekend often doesn’t cut it. It just isn’t long enough for us to completely decompress from our work a day worlds. We are just starting to relax and — bam! — we have to go back to the grind.

When I was working for the man, I noticed it took me two or three days when on vacation or a retreat to shake off the anxiety and cares of work. At the end of those two or three days, if I was only gone for a weekend, I’d have to head back and couldn’t enjoy the quiet and solitude. It’s like smelling the steak and getting ready to take a bite, only to have the plate whisked away.

One day, many years ago now, I was looking for information on the internet and ran across a blog article extolling the virtues of ear plugs. Like me, the blogger was sensitive to noise. Living in the city, he was constantly inundated with sound.

Where I live in suburbia, I am next to a very busy county road. In the summer, with the windows open, the traffic noise is deafening. Add planes from the county airport a few miles away and there are times I cannot hear the TV or the music I’m playing. Add to the mix my tinnitus and I’m never without noise. I very much empathized with that blogger.

His solution was to start using ear plugs. I said to myself, “Why not?” A casual reading of reviews led me to the “Hearos” brand. In short, they are a magic wand.

Before I retired, I had the supreme luxury of working from home most of the time. On occasion, though, I had to go in to the office. What I realized was the office is a very noisy place. There was constant talking and often it was very loud. Out came the ear plugs and I had instant silence. Save for my tinnitus, of course. Instantly, I was filled with a sense of peace. The experience was truly amazing, awesome, and mind blowing.

In addition to not hearing the sounds around me, I felt I was alone in my cube and no one else was around. I got both silence and a feeling of solitude from those little ear plugs, which was very good for my mood. I felt more positive, less irritated, and could focus more on my work.

I am a big fan now of ear plugs. An instant silence and solitude retreat. If you live with others, and they are around when you need a break, simply tell them you are taking a half-hour break (or even fifteen minutes). Pop in the ear plugs and close the door on the room. Put a sticky note on the door to remind the forgetful. “Do Not Disturb”. You can always add “Am Praying” or “Am Meditating” or “Listening to the Sounds of Silence”.

Silence and solitude make our lives better. Earplugs and a closed door can make an everyday difference in your life. Try it! You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Do you use ear plugs? Tell us your story!

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