Silence Is... Rare!

Years ago, I went to the Ontario Science Centre and visited the Quiet Room. It was a place which blocked out virtually all outside noise. In fact, once you made your way through the maze of baffles and sound-absorbing materials, the only sound you heard was the blood pumping through your ears! It was almost too quiet! In fact, quite a few people exited as fast as they could; it was so disturbing for them.

What happens when things get quiet around you? Do you turn on the TV or music to fill the void? Do you find it uncomfortable? Intuitively, I think most of us really understand that silence is a threatened commodity. Finland developed their newest marketing theme to take advantage of something that most felt was a disadvantage: it’s really quiet there. The theme is “Silence, Please.”  Visitfinland.com is putting its money on silence as a destination, as a luxury.

We are bombarded with sound continuously. Someone even coined the term “noise pollution” back in the 60s. At the same time, we seek out our own private sanctuaries, through noise-cancelling headphones or silent retreats or libraries. Much research has been done into sounds – of all kinds – and their effects on the brain. But only by accident have the researchers realized that the silence between the sounds can be equally - even more - valuable. When we are focused on specific sounds, our brains slow down the background scanning that goes on all the time. When we get into a quiet place, we can reflect on our experiences, develop our personalities, solve problems. One study showed that the brain creates more neurons during silence than when stimulated by sensory inputs.

Psychologists are concerned about our noisy culture and, in particular, its impact on young people. The constant input provided by smart phones, music, conversation (in-person, remote, or virtual), and life in general keep adolescents from the self-reflection that is so essential for development of identity and the discovery of meaning.  In her book, Alone Together, and a TED Talk, MIT prof Sherry Turkle points out that, ironically, we connect to avoid feeling alone; but we need to be alone in order to really connect.

Does silence scare you? Do you crave it? Either way, we should all make the effort to find some time and someplace where we really can turn off the stimulation and spend time with our thoughts. As the old saying goes, “Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.” It’s all good!