It is the state in which there is no noise or no voice is heard, it is also the absence of news or words on a subject, as defined by the dictionary. But it is almost impossible that in our lives “there is no noise”, especially when we strive to fill the space we inhabit with any kind of noise and turn on the radio or television or connect the computer or some electronic device with music or whatever something that helps us not feel so alone, thus avoiding the encounter with ourselves, without knowing that silence helps our creativity, gives us depth of thought by giving us the opportunity to be reflective and offers us the opportunity to connect with the other person when you want to share your ideas with us.
Silence has a power to transform our consciousness through internal listening that allows us to connect with our essence, thus identifying the essential feelings for coexistence, such as compassion, joy, anger, fears …
The experience of silence is not always pleasant, in most cases it becomes uncomfortable, because we are not used to keeping intense and deep silences, for example, in a room occupied by people and at the moment there is the absence of words and more one will try to interrupt with some noise, eye contact, body movements, but they will hardly be ready to enjoy the moment, to relax, to internalize the experience and internal dialogue.
It is possible that we are thinking that to make interior silence we must find a place free from external noises. This environment is ideal, but to be silent, many times we must incorporate the noises rather than fight with them. This I learned through a person who accompanied me at one time, to improve my prayer life. Most of the time it is not in our hands to be able to control external noise and much less internal noise, because “the crazy woman in the house”, as Saint Teresa of Jesus called the mind, takes us from one thought to another and we wear ourselves out wanting to silence them, so it is better to accept those thoughts, incorporate them and put them aside, without spending more time on them.
To achieve inner silence, it is not necessary to perform heroic acts, although we know that anechoic chambers exist, they are enclosures isolated from any external noise and capable of absorbing the reflections produced by acoustic waves inside and they exist in universities such as Harvard and Salford. The idea is not to produce artificial environments to achieve what we must obtain as a balance of the usual environment of our existence. Achieving interior silence will require the systematic practice of habitual behaviors, incorporating or modifying habits and behaviors, such as having moments without music or opinion programs while we move in the vehicle, getting home and moving in our habitat and locating without need to turn on the television or electronic devices for a while, walk through the streets without headphones in the ears, lie in our bed horizontally and stare at the ceiling without thinking about anything for a moment … and thus, discover spaces and moments that help us connect with ourselves.
With the practice of silence we can obtain various benefits; On a physical level, silence helps us to regenerate vital neurons for brain health, in addition to releasing tension both in the brain and throughout the body. On an emotional level, it helps us to generate empathy and feelings of love towards oneself and towards others. At a spiritual level, regardless of our tradition or scheme for contact with God, without silence there is no listening, in silence we can consent to the presence of God who arrives and his passage transforms us, without apparatus, without magical displays, it is only the breeze soft that Elijah felt and covered his face because he was before his holy presence (1RE 19, 12-13).