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“Hello darkness, my old friend I’ve come to talk with you again Because a vision softly creeping Left its seeds while I was sleeping And the vision that was planted in my brain still remains Within the sound of silence.” “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel primarily explores themes of isolation, communication breakdown, and the superficiality of modern society. The lyrics critique a world where people talk without truly communicating, hear without listening, and are disconnected from one another. The “sound of silence” represents a stifling, oppressive atmosphere where genuine connection is absent.
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“Come away with me. Let us go alone to a quiet place and rest for a while” -Mark 6:31.
In this passage, Jesus invites his disciples to take a break from the crowds and rest in a secluded location. This invitation highlights Jesus’s care for his followers and the importance of rest and reflection.
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What do these passages have in common?
Both passages speak about the power of quietness and connections. In the first, the connection is with others, and the second passage concerns connecting with self and Creator.
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Besides Silence creating a cool title for a song, what’s the function of silence?
This is a relatively easy question for me. I’ve had direct experience with the power of silence, having been involved with Ignatian retreats for over 40 years. Most of my retreats have been completed at Manresa House of Retreats in Convent, La. This retreat center specializes in three-day preached retreats, steeped in silence, and rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola.
One of the core concepts of an Ignatian retreat is Silence. This concept of Silence in relation to faith is not new or unique to the Jesuits, or even to Catholicism.
I don’t want readers to feel this blog is a thinly veiled promotion for Christianity, Catholicism, for the Jesuit retreat process. This blog focuses on the power of Silence.
Silence holds a significant and cherished value in numerous religions and spiritual traditions. Silence often facilitates introspection, spiritual growth, and communion with the divine.
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Christianity
Silence is an integral part of contemplative prayer and meditation practices, like Centering Prayer, where individuals quiet their minds to connect with God’s presence within them. The Bible highlights the importance of quietness and stillness, as seen in passages like Psalm 46:10, which encourages being still and recognizing God.
Buddhism
Silence is a cornerstone of Buddhist meditation practices, like Vipassana and Zen meditation (zazen), where practitioners quiet their minds to cultivate awareness, insight, and ultimately, enlightenment. Buddhism distinguishes between external silence and inner silence, emphasizing the cultivation of a still and quiet mind as a path to wisdom and compassion.
Hinduism
In Yoga and Hindu philosophy, Mauna (the discipline of silence), goes beyond refraining from speech and embraces inner stillness, promoting introspection, mindfulness, and a deeper connection with the self and the divine. Meditation practices, including Dhyana, focus on the contemplative examination of the mind and are often intertwined with periods of silence.
Islam
In Sufism, silence is a pathway to heightened consciousness and communion with the Divine, seen as a space where the ego subsides and divine truths can emerge.
The Prophet Muhammad himself practiced reflective silence, and Islamic teachings encourage believers to speak what is good or remain silent.
Judaism
Jewish traditions have historically incorporated meditative practices, including those focused on visualizing the Divine Presence and reflecting on the meaning of the Torah. Jewish texts, like Proverbs 21:23, emphasize the importance of guarding one’s mouth and tongue, highlighting the value of thoughtful and restrained speech.
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Why would I want to spend time speaking about not speaking? That’s a good question.
For the men who attend retreat at Manresa, Silence has become very special.
During our retreat, Silence means more than simply not speaking. Men attending retreat understand that silence means not acknowledging others while moving around the grounds of Manresa. Men also observe silence by not slamming doors or letting items drop on the floor.
But, most importantly, silence means, quieting oneself mentally and physically.
Most people are surrounded daily by the sound of traffic and emergency vehicles, communicating with other people, and intrusions by televisions, telephones, and social media. Silence in the outside world is very elusive!
Even during retreat, silence is hard to maintain for people who are not used to being silent. But, being silent allows amazing things to happen.
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*For lack of a better term, remaining silent for several days allows someone to “recharge” their battery. My profession requires constant communication and explanation. Most people are not aware of dental problems or fully understand the scope of their needs. Each of these things needs to be communicated to every patient. I was never aware of how much energy was needed to communicate each day until I was no longer required to speak. One of the first things I realized was that being silent revealed how physically and emotionally fatigued one can become. Not having to communicate for several days allows both mental and physical rehabilitation. Men on retreat are encouraged to rest!
Remaining silent for several continuous days allows someone to confront themselves.
In a world constantly filled with noise and distraction, it is hard to find quiet time for contemplation. Prior to one retreat, my wife and I were trying to decide whether to purchase a new house. I realized I would not become silent until this particular decision was resolved in my mind. I spent the time needed to come to a decision. After making the decision, I cleared my mind and moved forward with my retreat.
On some retreats, I’ve had a lot of things on my mind to work through, and on some retreats, I’ve had very little on my mind to work through. Each retreat provides time to work through these problems, and then confront yourself once your mind is clear. This is the hard part, but also the main crux of the retreat. Life always seemed to get in the way, and I never had enough time to confront myself. What kind of person do I want to be? How do I want to treat others? How do I want to be treated by others? How important is my faith? How important are my family and friends?
Having several days alone in silence allowed me to confront these questions. I had time to resolve the question about the kind of person I could and should become. We are all in progress!
*The second important concept of silence is that it facilitates the evaluation of deeper emotional and spiritual areas. I feel I have become a better person because of the time spent in my retreats, considering these deeper areas. The retreat process helps each person to realize that we are human, we make mistakes, but we are still loved. The process is about becoming a better person, not becoming perfect.
*Therefore, the power of Silence can be formative. During each retreat, I spend time in silent reflection. I write down what I have accomplished in the past year, and what I want to accomplish in the next year, the next three years, the next five years, and the next 10 years. Doing this each year for the past 40+ years has allowed me to evaluate my progress on a continuing basis.
*The power of Silence and balance. In the past blog and podcast titled SEEKING HAPPINESS: EXPLORING THE CROSS OF LIFE, I wrote and spoke about creating balance between four life forces: work, love, play, and worship. I can’t say that my cross of life has always been balanced. Having a quiet period to consider where you are and what is truly important has made all the difference. Spending quiet time in reflection has allowed me to realize the importance of keeping one’s Cross of Life in balance, and has helped me to make the adjustments to keep my own cross of life in balance.
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Final Thoughts
In a world filled with noise, the absence of noise can be very disconcerting. It’s hard for many people to become quiet internally and externally.
My retreat experiences of 40+ years have helped me to realize the importance of spending time in quiet reflection.
Most religions recognize the power of quiet reflection and encourage time spent alone in self-evaluation.
There are positive benefits associated with spending time alone in quiet reflection.
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