This was such a well thought out, well-presented exploration of silence. I appreciate the comparative views you included. The Australian perspective is one I had not heard before and it resonates with an indigenous perspective that I recently read about. You connected science, modern-day thinking, ancient views, and reminded us there is hope because of neuroplasticity. I'm very inspired by the way you weaved the whole spiral together. It stood out to me the honor that you gave to Ancient understanding- that it wasn't waiting to be corrected by modern information; science does seem to be slowly catching up to what they already knew.
Thank you for this! Silence is so important. I’ve meditated for many years now, and it’s been life changing. Now I can truly sense when I’ve gone a couple of days without it, my brain starts buzzing in higher frequency right away.
The older I get the more I enjoy silence. This morning in my meditation I noticed a moment when all the mental chatter ceased. I hadn’t noticed that it was there until it was gone. It wasn’t even me thinking about anything, but it was a layer of noise that flipped off like a switch. My biggest dream right now is to move to a home in the forest without the sound of traffic or neighbors nearby so I can enjoy the true sounds of nature.
I've experienced those same moments, and you're right. There's often this subtle layer of noise we don't even notice until suddenly it's not there. It's like the difference between a room with a fan running that you've stopped hearing, and then someone turns it off, and you realize how present the hum was all along.
This morning, I was gifted with something touching your forest dream. Two deer wandered through our front yard while four more roamed in the back, yards from the house. I stood in the morning silence, completely present with them, and they weren't alarmed by my presence at all. There was this quality of oneness to it, where the boundary between observer and observed seemed to soften. No mental commentary, no internal narrative, just the shared stillness.
Nature has a way of resetting us. Not because it's silent, exactly, but because its rhythms are the ones we evolved with.
This post renews my commitment to internal silence practices and to being in nature. I love the truth set forth that the mystical dimension of all faiths lead us to the same Divine Presence within! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Daniel!
I’m writing this on the last day of my 5 day experience of silence and solitude in the NC mountains!🙏
I really enjoyed reading this! I remember when I first started meditating now 8 years ago I slowly realized that I really feared silence. When I was going to sleep I needed to play a podcast to fall asleep listening to it. I switched from one task to another and when I was going outside I played music on my headphones. Still today I notice this resistance before going into meditation, as if I had to fear the silence that awaits there and it takes a few minutes to get into the fullness of presence to realize there is nothing missing there.
This was such a well thought out, well-presented exploration of silence. I appreciate the comparative views you included. The Australian perspective is one I had not heard before and it resonates with an indigenous perspective that I recently read about. You connected science, modern-day thinking, ancient views, and reminded us there is hope because of neuroplasticity. I'm very inspired by the way you weaved the whole spiral together. It stood out to me the honor that you gave to Ancient understanding- that it wasn't waiting to be corrected by modern information; science does seem to be slowly catching up to what they already knew.
This is essential reading for all stressed out moderns. A clear summary of where we are and what to do about. There are so many great lines! THANKS!
Well done. My heart resonates with the words you have woven with love and compassion. Oodles of love.
Thank you for this! Silence is so important. I’ve meditated for many years now, and it’s been life changing. Now I can truly sense when I’ve gone a couple of days without it, my brain starts buzzing in higher frequency right away.
The older I get the more I enjoy silence. This morning in my meditation I noticed a moment when all the mental chatter ceased. I hadn’t noticed that it was there until it was gone. It wasn’t even me thinking about anything, but it was a layer of noise that flipped off like a switch. My biggest dream right now is to move to a home in the forest without the sound of traffic or neighbors nearby so I can enjoy the true sounds of nature.
I've experienced those same moments, and you're right. There's often this subtle layer of noise we don't even notice until suddenly it's not there. It's like the difference between a room with a fan running that you've stopped hearing, and then someone turns it off, and you realize how present the hum was all along.
This morning, I was gifted with something touching your forest dream. Two deer wandered through our front yard while four more roamed in the back, yards from the house. I stood in the morning silence, completely present with them, and they weren't alarmed by my presence at all. There was this quality of oneness to it, where the boundary between observer and observed seemed to soften. No mental commentary, no internal narrative, just the shared stillness.
Nature has a way of resetting us. Not because it's silent, exactly, but because its rhythms are the ones we evolved with.
This post renews my commitment to internal silence practices and to being in nature. I love the truth set forth that the mystical dimension of all faiths lead us to the same Divine Presence within! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Daniel!
I’m writing this on the last day of my 5 day experience of silence and solitude in the NC mountains!🙏
Well, except for evening dining out experiences!😆
I really enjoyed reading this! I remember when I first started meditating now 8 years ago I slowly realized that I really feared silence. When I was going to sleep I needed to play a podcast to fall asleep listening to it. I switched from one task to another and when I was going outside I played music on my headphones. Still today I notice this resistance before going into meditation, as if I had to fear the silence that awaits there and it takes a few minutes to get into the fullness of presence to realize there is nothing missing there.
Its so nice to hear that you have rediscovered the silence. Enjoy that fullness of presence!