An Ode to Silence

There is a wonderful children’s book called The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. It’s a story about a very bored little boy who is surprised by a strange package one day — in the package was a pretend tollbooth and when the little boy, named Milo, drives his electric car through it, he is taken to a fantastical world of imagination and wonder. 

In The Phantom Tollbooth, there is a delightful passage about peace and quiet: 

“Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn? Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence when you haven’t the answer to a question you’ve been asked, or the hush of a country road at night, or the expectant pause of a room full of people when someone is just about to speak, or, most beautiful of all, the moment after the door closes and you’re alone in the whole house? Each one is different, you know, and all very beautiful if you listen carefully.” 

Our world is getting louder and more distracting each day. Our ears are unceasingly filled with noise—music, TV, radio, traffic, airplanes, smartphones…you name it. And the noise isn’t just external—there is of course, the continual chatter that happens in our own heads. In fact, in 2011 the World Health Organization called noise pollution a modern plague, and this plague, like any other, is detrimental to our health. There are very few moments in our day when we can experience complete and total silence. It’s no wonder that people are seeking moments or long stretches of silence by sitting for just 10 minutes a day, or by going on 10 day silent retreats. There is a need in our clamoring world for peace and quiet. 

Noise pollution leads to a long list of dangerous side effects like high blood pressure, heart attacks, impaired hearing, and overall bad health. Loud noises raise stress levels and releases cortisol almost constantly, which weeks havoc on our health. Too much noise causes stress and tension but research tells us silence has the opposite effect. Just taking a few minutes daily to be quiet can reduce stress significantly. 

Silence can restore our mental resources as well. The ceaseless attentional demands of modern life put a significant burden on our brains, which makes it difficult to think, make decisions and solve problems. When we are able to be silent, our brains attention centers have an opportunity to restore themselves. 

When we are quiet, we can tap into ideas, memory and emotions. We can be more creative, more empathetic, and find more meaning in our experiences. 

And finally, when we’re quiet, studies show that we can actually grow new cells in the brain. 

So as our internal and external worlds become louder and louder, we must take some time to find some peace and quiet in our day because it’s the best medicine of all. 

I want to end with this poem about Silence:

Unspoken, unheard, the voice of silence

Touches me. 

I listen, and in silence

My inner self cries out to me. 

Things I heard not by spoken word

I hear clearly now.
My soul refreshed by quiet time

Life’s noisy avenues cannot afford.

From within the deep and silent cavern of my bosom

I listen, and in silence hear

And feel things I did not know were there. 

An inner peace, and solitude

Not found in life’s crowded avenues

I found in silence everywhere. 

Were I not still but for a moment

I would have missed the echo of my soul. 

A sound of pure, sweet content. 

I listened, and in silence there, 

Resounding through the distant gorges of my mind

The music fell upon my ear. 

In silence, I found beauty everywhere.