HEARD IN SILENCE
The modern world is drowning in noise. Technology has set up stage in everyday life, with no intention of turning the music down. Information is now inescapable, and in times of uncertainty the population is compelled to remain connected to the source, making personal life secondary. Yet you don’t need to know so much about the happenings of the world. You don’t need to know the political standpoint of every online celebrity. You don’t even need to know what you’re cooking for dinner tonight. All you need to know is yourself, and the only way to do this is to unplug from all the noise and find solace in silence.
Easier said than done, I know. With such easily accessible information at our fingertips, an infinite supply of television to binge and the fear-indulged circus of politics, our minds become more and more dependent on external guidance. Of course, there are many important and relevant voices to be heard out there, but to rely on them to lead the way is to render yourself immovable otherwise. Gorging on dependency starves responsibility, and in so doing we become more susceptible to persuasion, coercion and lack of creative thought. As the world becomes more novel, creative thought is not something we can afford to leave behind.
With an overabundance of information reinforcing, dismissing and contradicting itself, the mind becomes an echo chamber for white noise. Too much information makes the mind incapable of coherent processing, and why should it, when we consider that most of human history lived only within the confines of their immediate culture. The same is true of choice, in that exposure to too many options proves more detrimental to peace of mind than it does beneficial. Powerful though the brain is, overabundance can spread the mind too thin, causing a collapse in consciousness.
The weaker the mind becomes the less resistance it has against the whirlwind of white noise around it. In turn, your voice, getting pulled into its vortex, becomes indistinguishable from all the others. Yet behind all the noise a voice can still be heard. However, to resist the whirlwind’s pull the mind must create its own centre of gravity. This comes only through independent thought, achieved when both the mind and the body can seek refuge in silence.
Silence is indeed a difficult destination to reach as the world becomes louder and louder. The chattering mind – the ego – that we have developed through endless external stimulation depends heavily on more chatter to fuel itself. Noise becomes addictive. Like a child desperate for attention, the ego constantly needs to reassure itself that it exists. It tells us that if we were to ignore it, even momentarily, life would fall into ruin. Therefore it needs to be constantly informed, constantly stimulated and constantly reinforced for survival. It knows nothing of silence. It is neurological narcissism.
The ego, then, must be given less to talk about, less justification for fuelling itself further. Knowing only noise, no amount of “control” over its situation will ever silence it, but direct the noise onto the next problem it yearns to solve. Therefore the ego must learn to leave its world on autopilot, because no amount of control or neurosis will ever satisfy its hunger. It has to eventually come to terms with the fact that the world is going to unfold as it will anyway, as it has always done, whether interacted with or not. A leap of faith is thus required, for the ego has to surrender to the process, letting everything happen on its own.
To the ego this sounds fatalistic. Surrender, after all, is a form of passivity. Yet we must remind ourselves that Nature is far more complex than we are, and far more self-reliant, working on levels no human mind can comprehend. It didn’t need your ego to form galaxies, solar systems, tidal movements or pollination. That happens of itself, in the same way your entire body functions without you guiding every cell and atom within it. To impose control over the world – no matter how problematic the dilemma may be – is to pick at an open wound, and wounds heal once left alone.
Of course, times of change demand action. But action alone will not suffice. Action is futile when driven by muddy-headedness, anger or impulse, as every dictator and tyrant in history has proven. Conversely, as every prophet and saint in history has proven, action is insurmountable when it is driven by the clarity that comes from a deeper self-awareness. This self-awareness is to be found within the silence of solitude, and in its darkness the creative imagery comes forth.
Solitude, here, needn’t be anything grandiose. The luxury of hermitage isn’t easily afforded in the noisy Western world, although extreme levels can be accessed depending on personal preference and discipline. Either way, simple measures can still have dramatic effect. It could be as simple as logging out of social media or turning off the phone indefinitely. It could mean devoting an hour or two to sitting uninterrupted at home or in nature; no longer watching television (or watching far less of it); seeking specific and alternative news-related information rather than accepting the buffet the media dishes out. It could even be meditation, contemplation or illustration. Whatever route you take, the key is to soften the analytic mind and allow the creative, subconscious mind to surface. It is a gradual process, often uncomfortable. But comfort, as we know, is not for the creative.
It is difficult to talk about what can be heard in a silent mind submerged in solitude. However, what can be guaranteed is that you will hear something. Every mind is unique, and one alone has a universe of possibilities to draw upon. Furthermore, every mind is subjective, so interpretation of what you hear is solely up to you. This in itself is a blessing, for you are handed a specific responsibility – yours and yours alone – to act out in a noisy, external world. With responsibility comes clarity, and clarity strengthens your centre of gravity in this whirlwind of white noise. The more gravity to play with, the less the whirlwind can throw you. As if iron boots were laced around your feet, step-by-step you will reach the eye of the storm. The eye of the storm, of course, is the calmest position to be in: centre stage! And only from there can you act.