In an age where we have become immune to noise pollution and environmental destruction, noise is often considered an accepted and relished norm. Silence, as a result, can seem strange and abnormal. In the midst of increased noise, silence is a state we often turn our backs on. Authors who have recognized this cultural condition have written about the topic in the following books:
“Listening Below the Noise: A Meditation on the Practice of Silence” by Anne D. LeClaire: In practicing silence, author Anne Le Claire learned to listen to her deepest self. In the midst of her hectic family life, she decides to practice a day of silence the first and third Monday of every month. Her reflections reveal how freedom from distraction and silence can foster self-awareness, a deeper connection with others and with nature.
“Slicing the Silence: Voyaging to Antarctica” by Tom Griffiths: Australian environmental historian Griffiths recounts his exploration, research and management to the southernmost continent. He nimbly integrates his diary entries and essays in an effort to evoke the meditative element of his voyage. “To voyage to Antarctica is to go beyond the boundary of one’s biology toward a frightening and simplifying purity,” he writes. “It is a land of enveloping silence … To survive, you need food, you need warmth, and you need stories.”
