The Power of Silence
Have you ever struggled with the thought of complete silence? What do you do when everything goes quiet? Does it drive you crazy? Do you turn on the music or talk to yourself? Do you keep busy, always on the go, constantly moving from activity to activity so silence never catches up with you?
If you are uncomfortable with the thought of silence, you are not alone. The society in which we live is vastly uncomfortable with silence. Scientists at the University of Virginia discovered that many people would prefer to endure physical pain than to be left alone in silence for fifteen minutes. They sent participants of their study into a small room to be alone while being attached to electrodes. They were to remain alone in the room for the fifteen minutes and if they were bored they could shock themselves. All the participants had experienced this shock before being sent in alone, and yet the majority of them ended up shocking themselves again after having said they would never want to experience that jolt again! The research showed, “when left alone with their thoughts, two thirds of the men hurried the time along by shocking themselves at least once more” (Carter).
The idea that people would rather electrically shock themselves instead of being alone with their own thoughts is ludicrous in my mind. Why would you shock yourself instead of sitting alone in the silence of the empty room? What has happened to our current society that we are not okay with the silence?
This question lead me to explore the concept of silence and its relevance for today. What I discovered is that the deficit of silence in our lives is directly impacting our mental health! According to research done by the National Research Council and Institute for Medicine, the mental health of adolescents is rapidly declining. Approximately fifteen to twenty percent of adolescents are suffering from mental or emotional issues (NRC). This staggering number is the generation of adolescents who will be tomorrow’s adults. Fifteen to twenty percent of them already struggling with mental or emotional issues before they have even become a part of the general workforce! The future development of American society is already at considerable risk.
How has a lack of silence contributed to the mental health crisis?
A psychologist from the University of Utah performed a study on time in nature away from technology and the impact it has on our brains. This research revealed the tremendous amount of stress that our brain is under with constant connection to life at the office and around the world. The prefrontal cortex of the brain is the processing center with which we function. With no time in silence, the prefrontal cortex is taking a tremendous amount of stress daily without time to relax and rejuvenate. In this study, the researchers discovered that it takes three days out in nature for the prefrontal cortex to slow down and rest! (Williams).
This research is troubling at best. Our brains are under a tremendous amount of stress with the consistent screen time, and there is no time for our brain to go into quietness to revitalize itself. Quietness is a very real struggle in our current culture and yet is a necessity for the brain to continue to function at its ultimate capacity.
Being alone in silence is surprisingly difficult for many people. Yet, to be alone or to be in silence is the one cure for the mental fatigue that so many of us experience. I would advocate that silence is a necessary component to be functioning at a healthy mental capacity.
I also believe silence is a necessary component to spiritual health. As one of the many spiritual disciplines, silence is a particularly difficult discipline to practice in a fast-paced culture. It has become undervalued in the race to do the next big thing for Jesus.
Jesus knew the power of silence and he practiced silence often. When the crowds became too much, he wandered out onto the mountain to be alone. When the weight of responsibility was on his shoulders, he went alone into the garden to pray. He knew that he could not handle life without taking moments to refresh Himself and spend time alone. This time of solitude with His Father was the breath that kept Him focused on His mission.
What is our invitation as believers who live in a world where silence isn’t valued or even practiced?
I believe the Lord invites us into an opportunity to practice the power of silence in our spiritual lives. Silence is a spiritual discipline and yet also a physical discipline. It is a practice that continues to shape our brain and our soul. We desperately need silence to function well.
Silence is the invitation to step into a moment and “free myself from the addiction to and distraction of noise so I can be totally present to the Lord” (Calhoun 107).
It was only a few weeks ago, I had the incredible opportunity to pursue this discipline by pulling away from school, work, and social life and spend time resting alone in the wilderness. As I considered leaving, responsibilities tugged hard, life protested with a thousand reasons, and constant demands faced me every day. In the middle of all that pressure, I laid aside those responsibilities with one clear focus, to spend time alone in the wilderness with God. Being alone in the wilderness changes something inside of me every time I pack my bag and head out the door.
For five days, I paddled the lakes of Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada. In those five days, I experienced the rest my brain so desperately needed from the constant demands of office life. The beauty that surrounded me has been sinking deeper and deeper in to the depth of my soul since that trip. The mental weariness has lifted, the spiritual connection with God came alive as He spoke deeply to specific areas in my life where I have failed to see His goodness at work in the brokenness. From sunrise to paddling into the sunset, I experienced the freshness of nature that speaks of life that my tired soul so desperately longs for. The mist off the lakes in the morning, the loons calling eerily, and the millions of stars shining at night testify to the handiwork of God. I was and still am deeply impacted and my soul responds with a glorious shout of praise. In the silences, God showed up and in those moments, spiritual life awakened and I am forever changed.
The silence can be deafening at times.
It can cause incredible discomfort.
It can force us to meet ourselves and discover who we really are.
It can intensify our pain.
It can intensify our longing.
It can feel like a demon who is out destroy the person we have created ourselves to be.
Yet, in the silence healing comes to the brain and the soul. Silence can heal if we would only allow it to do so.
I believe silence is an invitation to experience God. To be silent before Him allows us to see who He really is. It is in that moment of silence of brain and soul, we really come face to face with God.
Why then are we consistently running from the thing we so desperately need? Why do we try so hard to avoid being silent?
Perhaps we haven’t experienced the silence long enough to know God is there. Could it be that we run from silence because we are terrified of the presence of the living God? The presence of God has the power to touch and transform your life. Do we sit long enough to allow Him to show up? Do we sit still enough and are we quiet enough to clearly hear Him if He does show up?
The invitation I see is to pull away from the ringing phone, the constant emails, the unending to do list and be in silence. This silence may feel deafening at first, but as you sit in silence a new wave of power will begin to surge into your brain. As you engage in the practice of silence, a refreshing stream will flow into your weary soul. You will find new energy, motivation, encouragement to continue to press into the vocation into which you have been called.
This invitation to practice silence is really an invitation to heal. It is an opportunity to engage with life at a new level. As follower of Christ I long for a deeper understanding of His life and a fuller capacity to live in His presence. I desperately long for a life that has His imprint. For me the invitation to be silent is an invitation into the presence of the Holy One. This invitation is meant to be an opportunity to know Him more deeply. It is the highest honor to be invited into the presence of a Holy God.
I invite you to show up and meet God in the silence. Silence is a not only a survival technique in our current society, but a way to thrive. Silence is a place to be still and meet the Holy Lord. Silence, uncomfortable as it may seem at first, really is a way to find deep healing and peace.
References:
Calhoun, Adel Ahlberg. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us. IVP Books, an Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2005.
Carter, Clint. “There’s No Wi-Fi in Paradise.” Men’s Health, vol. 30, no. 10, Dec. 2015, pp. 115–126. EBSCOhost.
National Research Council. Preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders among young people: Progress and possibilities. National Academies Press, 2009.
Williams, Florence. “This Is Your Brain On Nature.” National Geographic, vol. 229, no. 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 48–69. EBSCOhost.
