THE SILENCE this morning felt like warm, translucent gold. And cushioned my mind like soft, deep velvet. I started going deaf in my 30’s and, the sound of silence became stronger and deeper. That sound of silence took on different tones depending on where I was. When I went to meditate at the end of the road with the Buddhist group I’m now part of, the silence during meditation felt like the dawn chorus. The room seemed full of birds singing the day alive. Of course it wasn’t, but this was just the way my body and mind were experiencing the sound of silence in the room, the tonal quality of it. I know this sounds odd, but maybe if you’re partly deaf it will make sense.
So interesting to read your experience with the changing sound of silence, Lucy. I don't think I have hearing loss (rather, seem to have hearing that's too acute for my liking in most situations). And yet, I'm fascinated by the sound of silence and how it shifts. I'm most present with this during my nightly meditation, but it's always there...if I take a moment to check in and there's not too much overriding machine-made noise. When I pay close attention, I also notice that the texture of the sound is different from one ear to the next.
Lovely, nourishing, thought-inspiring post as always!
So interesting to read your experience with the changing sound of silence, Lucy. I don't think I have hearing loss (rather, seem to have hearing that's too acute for my liking in most situations). And yet, I'm fascinated by the sound of silence and how it shifts. I'm most present with this during my nightly meditation, but it's always there...if I take a moment to check in and there's not too much overriding machine-made noise. When I pay close attention, I also notice that the texture of the sound is different from one ear to the next.
Lovely, nourishing, thought-inspiring post as always!