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In Pursuit of Silence

5/14/2013

6 Comments

 
Crickets chirping in the dark.  The afternoon wind gently blowing through the palms. The steady breath of the sea rolling in and out. Just back from my annual retreat at Haramara in Sayulita, Mexico and I've never been more aware of the subtle drone of silence.  

There is no absolute silence only relative quiet, as anyone who has been in an isolation tank can tell you.  But as things become increasingly quiet, we begin to perceive the organic drone of the sonic ground and our self in relationship to it.  The harsher the drone — e.g., the screaming of an air raid siren —  the more limited our self awareness seems to be.  By contrast, as the drone of silence becomes more quiet we find ourselves capable of more subtle awareness.  
We may notice something has been  bothering us, recognize a fond memory, hear the sound of our own conscience.

With silence becoming increasingly hard to find in today's world, its passionate pursuit is showing up more and more in popular culture. in this year's world wide celebration of composer John Cage's 100th Anniversary, it was his groundbreaking composition 4'33" (four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence) that sat at the head of the table.   BAM/PFA produced an exhaustive tribute to Cage entitled "Silence" which included an exhibition of visual art, film showings and lectures inspired by his most famous piece.
In 2010 author George Prochnik wrote the book "In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise"  in which he reveals the impact of noise on our overall well-being (e.g., cardio-vascular health, obesity) and explores his own personal challenges with and benefits from quiet.  Film maker Patrick Shen is now making what looks like will be a stunningly beautiful film by the same title due for release in 2015.  Shen's Kickstarter campaign — through which he raised over $35,000 for the making of his film — is as convincing a promotion for silence as I've ever seen, and definitely worth a click on this link to see the trailer for the project. Shen asks and answers the rhetorical question What's so great about silence? "In silence we are better equipped to reflect and simply think. Research shows that silence can improve brain function and help cultivate more meaningful and healthier lives. Silence restores us."  

I would go a step further.  While in Mexico I was struck by the notion that the pursuit of silence is actually the search for Self. It is in relationship to the delicacy of quiet that we become aware of our most subtle qualities and experiences.  Moments in which we become reminded of our humanity, the humanity of others, and the ground of vibration that supports us all.


What do you think is so great about silence?  


Where do you find silence in your life?
6 Comments
Elaine
5/14/2013 07:53:00 am

Thank you for posting the John Cage interview. I had watched it during the fall semester session and enjoyed it even more today.
It seems we take so little time to find the beauty in silence--we are taught that silence is uncomfortable, that it is something to be avoided. We keep radios tuned in, TV's turned on, we sleep with "white noise".
Thank you for helping me appreciate the sound of silence.

Reply
Julia
5/15/2013 05:40:53 am

Great questions and posts. From Terry Tempest Williams' "When Women Were Birds: 54 Variations on Voice" she writes: "Silence introduced into a society that worships noise is like the moon exposing the night. Behind darkness is our fear. Within silence our voice dwells.What is required of both is that we be still. We focus. We listen. We see and hear. The unexpected emerges. John Cage sees the act of listening as the act of creation."

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Brian S Boyd
5/15/2013 05:43:15 am

I have lately been finding deep realms of silence. How am I benefiting? By bringing my full awareness, I can watch new springs of energy arise, and I then have the opportunity to look even deeper to find from where that spring of energy came. Iccha or samskara? Through all of this, I find ever greater alignment.

And chanting is a great way to dissolve samskaras, so that those springs of energy are ever purer.

Reply
Julia
5/15/2013 10:27:07 am

"To write is also not to speak. It is to keep silent. It is to howl noiselessly." Marguerite Duras

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Graham Ajit Bond
5/16/2013 10:50:57 am

I feel silence is juicy like nectar. Yes, I've also known the dark-side of alienation and despair spelt out in Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence." But that's only for beginners! Those who persist in their journey past "the mind" will absolutely find nectar on the "Dark Side of the Moon." Today as I came out of meditation there was a throbbing, healing silence pervading me that was so delicious, I didn't want to move. So that's where I find it! Silence is deliciously nourishing when it becomes a regular practice.

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Elyze Stewart
5/26/2013 02:18:08 pm

Silence is my restorer,my mother.i dissolve into silence and am reborn anew.It is the accent of all sound.
I feel its velvety richness,its vast unending expanding takes me in,its steadfast underlying of all sound, resounding.
Every day I dive into silence. It is like a pool of cool refreshing water cleansing all of me and taking me completely.
My awareness arises out of silence.
Without silence i would go mad and if i am to go mad may it take me into the rich,fecund beauty of silence.

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    Ann Dyer

    Ann Dyer is the Director of the Vak Project, a creative presenting, performing and educational initiative committed to awakening our relationship to sound and self.  

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