Were you born before the mid-1950’s, in a small town or rural community? If so, you probably miss plain, old –fashioned silence. I loved the quietude of growing up in Porterdale, Georgia. Back then, along with the wonderful people and old oak trees and front porches with rocking chairs and swings, I remember the soft, precious silence.
Or rather, I remember the many different silences. Have you ever realized how many different kinds of silence there are? A tense silence, a shocked silence, an ominous silence, a deafening silence, a contented silence: we recognize these and many different kinds of silence, and appreciate their differences.
Silence is golden but, nowadays, few people seem to know it. There is not much opportunity anymore to enjoy silence. Boom boxes emitting ear-splitting noise are everywhere you go. Then, there are traffic noises with horns honking and sirens screaming. Practically everyone you see at the mall or walking along the street seems to be yakking away on a cell phone. Most people I know keep their TV on all the time, and people seem to get positively nervous unless there is a constant blast of noise somewhere in their vicinity. A lull in the conversation is enough to give them a bad case of apoplexy.
Whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not, all this is bad, bad, bad for the health. It is a medically proven fact that loud noise damages the heart, not just the hearing. More than that, however, silence is a positive value in its own right. |
A vow of silence is part and parcel of numerous spiritual practices, including, for example, that of Trappist monks. Long ago, our forbears learned that if we shut up for a while, we can hear ourselves think, and appreciate what we feel more fully.
Did you know that, strange as it may seem, silence is often a figure of speech? Specifically, it is known as praecision (pronounced pray-KISS-sun), which means an eloquent silence, or a silence that says something. Silence speaks volumes, we say, and that old adage contains a lot more truth than is generally realized. For example, giving someone the silent treatment hurts that person’s feelings. In certain legal circumstances, silence implies consent. And observing a moment of silence in their honor is a powerful statement of respect for the deceased.
Normally, the articles I write for this column are about a thousand words long. This time, however, I am deliberately stopping short of five hundred words. SO, do yourself a favor. Find a quiet place, refrain from talking or listening to music, introspect, and relish the silence. Take the few minutes you would have otherwise spent reading and learn to appreciate the absence of sound. It’s healthy, and it is a spiritual path worth following.
Now I will be Quiet.
 Author,
researcher, teacher and world renowned expert on Near Death Experiences.
The
phrase “Life after Life” has become synomous with Dr.
Moody’s work www.lifeafterlife.com He is presenting a workshop
on his
“Reunions” work at The Inner Space Feb 24 - 26, 2006.
Call 404-252-4540 to register. |
