The Sound of Silence

I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with meditation. It’s kind of like eating healthy — I feel better when I do it, but at the time I don’t want to do it.

Would-be meditators are often told to find someplace quiet and away from distractions. I always found those directions amusing, as the human brain is the single biggest source of distraction that exists. I’ve not heard of a method that allows a person to be separated from their brain (not temporarily, anyway).

We are bombarded with thoughts, tens of thousands every day. There are so many it’s difficult to focus on one thing for any length of time, which is one reason why people practice meditation. “Practice” is the key word. Even seasoned meditators can’t turn off the thought machine, they just get better at reducing the RPMs.

Silence is an intriguing concept to me. As an introvert, I like silence. I get worn down by noise. Silence refreshes me.

But most people hate silence, or at least it seems they do. For many people there’s not much of the day unfilled by radio, TV, cell phones, or conversations. 

Why is silence so uncomfortable for so many? Perhaps silence is mistaken for loneliness. The brain (that unreliable narrator) may be saying, “There is no one around, I am alone.” In that moment, the brain forgets what Henri Nouwen said about the difference between loneliness and solitude.

Perhaps people fear silence, similar to a dark room. There is no sensory input from silence.

The brain is in a dark room called the skull. It has no connection to the outside world except through the information it receives from the senses. When that information is cut off, the brain doesn’t take it very well. Dark rooms and silence are scary because… *anything* could be in there! I mean, there’s no proof a tiger isn’t in there. The lack of information lets our imagination fill in the details, and most people don’t imagine dark rooms to be filled with a million dollars.

Maybe people perceive silence as boring. But is it more boring than most TV? I don’t think so, but I’m the introvert here.

They used to say silence is golden. I still believe that. Now maybe I can find a way to get excited about meditating.