The Loudest Silence — Recognizing the Chatter in Your Head
a photo I took at our recent silent retreat
What is the sound of silence? One would think silent, right?
If you’re up for the challenge, close your eyes, place your feet on the floor and rest your hands in your lap. Take a deep, cleansing breath.
Now see how long it takes your internal commentator to enlighten you with its never-ending point of view in the next few minutes. If you set a timer, you get extra points. If you made it to five full minutes, I may have to call you Yoda the next time I see you.
The first few times sitting in silence can be anything but quiet.
Craig and I just returned from a five-day retreat, one of many over the years, where we sit in silence an hour at a time, three times a day.
You might be thinking, Why on Earth would anyone want to do that? I’m not sure “wanting” has anything to do with it. It’s more like getting a little tap on the shoulder that says, hey you, it’s time to slow it down. Or as Ice Cube puts it, “You better check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self.” This is one way to do that.
One thing I’ve discovered in silence is how easily one can make up stuff about other people without even speaking to them.
It’s like the mind gets bored and needs a puzzle to solve, so it starts inventing a storyline about everything and everyone. It’s no different than in our day-to-day lives; we perceive others and the world around us and call it reality. It’s just that when we are really quiet, we actually notice it.
If I sit in the silence long enough, eventually the non-stop commentary and play-by-play of what is happening outside of me subside. When this happens, it finally becomes very quiet within; I am at a loss for words to describe what becomes possible. I feel an overwhelming sense of inner peace and calmness, my nervous system has relaxed, and my heart and mind are open.
David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph. D. sums it up in his book, The Map of Consciousness Explained.
Through inner observation, there is the realization of Something that remains constant and the same, no matter what goes on in the external world or with the body, emotions, or mind. With this awareness comes a state of total freedom. The inner Self has been discovered. The silent state of Awareness that underlies all movement, activity, sound, feelings, and thoughts is discovered to be a timeless dimension of peace.
Once identified with this Awareness, we are no longer susceptible to the effects of the world, the body, or the mind, and with this awareness comes an inner calmness, stillness, and a profound sense of inner peace. We realise that this is what we were always seeking but did not know it, because we had gotten lost in the maze.
We had thought that we were all the phenomena of our hectic lives-the body and its experiences, the obligations, the jobs, the titles, the activities, the problems, the feelings, and so on. But now we realize we are the timeless space in which the phenomena are happening.
One of the topics we cover in our work at Momentum is addressing our internal commentator and the influence it has on our perceptions, our behaviors and our impact on others.
Spending time in silence contributes to our being and, in turn, supports whatever work we’re up to.
Inward and onward,
Fundamental of the Week #11: HONOR COMMITMENTS
Be reliable; deliver on your commitments, no matter how small. If a deadline is in jeopardy, notify others immediately and set a new agreement.
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