CONTEMPLATE
Why Are We So Afraid of Silence?
It’s seriously undervalued and there needs to be more of it
I recently visited Lightning Ridge, an Australian town famous for its hot Artesian springs. The long-established and well-maintained facility is freely available for visitors and locals to take in the seemingly endless therapeutic benefits.
The idea of soaking in warm mineral-rich water rising directly from the earth’s core was irresistible to me. It seemed like the ultimate meditation.
It seemed like something you would want to do in silence.
But as I stepped out of the car and saw the steam rising from the pool, I also heard the chatter dispersing through the air.
As a solo visitor, I was outnumbered, my fellow bathers clustered in groups of 4 or 5. I inserted myself between them, maximizing the buffer of space as much as I could.
I could shut my eyes but I couldn’t shut out the noise of their chatter.
I resolved to come earlier the next day, confident my plan of arriving at 6.30 am to watch the sun rise would guarantee a quiet experience.
But it was not to be. It turned out that the time of day had no bearing on people’s propensity to fill the space with the noise of…
