Stilhed er guld

by Justin Zorn, Leigh Marz

Stilhed er ikke bare fraværet af støj. Det er et nærvær, der giver os energi, klarhed og en dybere forbundethed. Leigh Marz og Justin Zorn tager læseren med på en usædvanlig færd fra Det Hvide Hus til dødsgangen i San Quentinfængslet; fra hjerneforskningen på førende universiteter til psykedelisk eksperimenterende undergrundsmiljøer; fra øde regnskove til hovedscenen på en heavy metal-festival. Alt sammen for at udforske stilhedens betydning og kunsten at finde stilhed i en hvilken som helst sammenhæng.

Stilhed er guld er en feltguide til at navigere i den moderne verdens støj – ikke kun den slags, der opleves med ørerne, men også den konstante støj fra vores skærme og i vores tanker. Med afsæt i både videnskab, erhvervsliv, spiritualitet, politik, filosofi og kunst undersøger bogen, hvordan stilhed ikke bare er afgørende for den enkeltes fysiske og mentale sundhed, men også kan gøre en forskel på et samfundsmæssigt, endda globalt, plan i forhold til bæredygtighed og velfungerende fællesskaber.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Science, Psychology, Audiobook, Philosophy, Spirituality

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2022

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s an amazing amount of information here, facts and theories and experiences of a central, crucial, important theme of silence in our lives and minds and communities. Silence as an essential right. Silence as a gift, a goal, an awakening, expanding concept. The authors interview a wide variety of people who approach the idea of silence from different perspectives. The book offers ideas of how we might support and incorporate silence for ourselves and our world. It’s definitely worth a read.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book examines noise in our society, and advocates turning down the volume. In this case, noise includes not only loud sounds, but also the many distractions of the information age, particularly online activities and mobile devices. The authors advocate “digital minimalism” as a primary way to attain a more peaceful life. They provide evidence that silence (and limiting distractions of our busy world) is a dynamic force for healing and achieving clarity of thought.

They cite the fallacies of measuring success through a nation’s Gross Domestic Product (among other indicators), which does not account for the damage done to the environment or to mental health of its citizens. They emphasize the positive attributes of mindfulness but try not to get too “new-agey.” They cite scientific studies that support the benefits of silence in refreshing the brain. There are also a variety of interesting anecdotes.

The authors support ideas I have read in other books about the need to be intentional about what “noise” we allow into our lives rather than going down internet rabbit holes, endless clicking on more inflammatory so-called “news” articles or allowing advertising to influence us. I enjoyed this book and can personally attest to the mental health benefits of digital minimalism. There are many “self-help” type suggestions, which could be useful to readers, or it can be read as a commentary on our technology-infused society and offering ideas for how to point it in a more positive direction.

[Stephanie Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really resonated with me. I found myself wholly entertained by a mixture of history, science, and story all leading the way to bring silence into my life in a very approachable manner. This book is a must read for anyone looking to "cut through the noise" of our busy world without years of meditative practice under your belt. I found myself in a state of self reflection - how does the noise in my world affect me - which led me to appreciate and look at silence differently. I highly recommend!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Golden is 348 pages long and likely could have used a bit of editing. I enjoyed the portions of this piece (admittedly much of the book) that focused on attacking the rampant noisiness of our minds and our world; I’m big on mindfulness and mediation; I’m big on vastness and nature; I’m also big on effecting change where you can and training your mind to let go of the rest. But it seemed a good 100 pages of this book dealt with systemic racism, politics, and various attempts to sound the alarm bells on climate change. I’m not saying those things are or are not worthy of contemplation, but in context of calming the anxiety of the mind talking about major issues that one person can rarely have much direct effect upon creates a lot of mental noise.

[Lizandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving this book so much. The first few chapters have totally shifted how I understand and experience Silence and Noise. My favorite words so far are, "Yet here is the thing about Silence, it is always available." and the idea and feeling behind "Notice the Noise. Tune in to Silence." Together have the power to change my experience every moment of every day. Amazing.

[Steve]

Ugh. Not sure why I requested this book from the library, must’ve read a book review somewhere that intrigued me. And I am attracted by silence. But this book felt like junk, full of pseudoscience, tons of “studies show” BS when you can just tell these are poorly designed unreplicated junk studies with n=17 or something like that. I’ll try to remember to avoid these authors in the future.

Only got to page 23 but there was no hint that things were going to get better.

[Jay Newton-small · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're daunted by meditation and all the noise around mindfulness, this books helps you find and celebrate the silence in our lives on a daily basis. Loved it!

[Jove · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely remarkable contribution to society – presenting a tangible solution that I think could help us reduce polarization across the country.

[Eilish Nagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly engaging and thorough exploration of what some may call the ineffable quality and impact of silence in every aspect of living. It blends so gracefully the spiritual, the sensory, and the scientific. So many deep stories of our experience with silence, and such fun compelling SCIENCE that supports their argument that silence is essential to a whole society and planet. Who knew Pythagoras required his students to enter a five-year period of silence as part of their engagement with his work?? So many surprising discoveries. Leigh Marz and Justin Zorn are true stewards of this study--it is such a pleasure to read, and the audiobook is read by the perfect voice for this important work.

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely devoured this incredible book. Each chapter put words to a question i had been grappling with but unable to put into words. Science and philosophy interspersed with stories of real and very diverse humans navigating our world of noise (some with hilarious insights). A book for seekers of sanity, solace and solutions to the world today provided without judgement, agenda or preaching. Can’t recommend highly enough.

[Colette de Gagnier · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Quiet: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise" by Justin Talbot Zorn and Leigh Marz is an extraordinary book with profound implications for our world. Beautifully written, expansive in its scope, moving and enlightening...highly recommended!

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a beautiful offering to the world. It explores the gifts of silence, introspection, inner quiet and reflection--those moments that take us out of the noisy ordinary world and drop us into a deeper non-ordinary state. Leigh Marz and Justin Zorn introduce us to an extraordinarily diverse range of people, places and things that have known or provided a deep experience of these soul-shifting moments of silence. The book is both entertaining and transformative, which is quite the feat. Both well researched and written, Golden is a delightful exploration of how we can best experience and integrate these critical moments of depth and healing including a 33-point guide to finding your own version of silence at the end. Highly recommend.

[Ashley Person · Rating 4 out of 5]

silence/quiet can be either expansive or constricting. did you know there was such a thing as "rapturous silence"? it's where we can find inner quiet and calm in environments that may not reflect those same qualities.

"think about the last time you remember sitting quietly, how did you feel?" is the opening line of the book and it stuck with me throughout the reading. the world is full of a ton of noise, both external and internal. this book challenges the reader's notions on how to find quiet in their personal life; giving space for conversations to flow naturally, resisting the urge to do everything as fast as possible for the sake of efficiency, challenging racing thoughts and attempting to organize them, expanding on the ideas of how noise can be oppressive to communities, etc..

this book is for everyone! it's a great reminder to decentralize oneself. noise affects all of us personally, professionally, environmentally, and religiously/spiritually.

[Anas Hawari]

أجمل ما في هذا الكتاب أنه يعرض أفكاره المهمة بصيغة تجارب حية لأشخاص حقيقيين بعيداً عن التعمق في الكلام النظري والفلسفة وهو ما يميز الروح الأمريكية عموماً ويضفي طابعاً عملياً على الكتاب.
الكتاب يتحدث عن الصمت الداخلي أكثر من الصمت الكلامي ويحاول طيلة الكتاب التفريق بينهما وبشكل مكرّر ومملّ أحياناً.
كثير من القصص المسرودة في الكتاب - ربما عدا قصة أو قصتين- أخذت من أشخاص نخبويين في مجتمعهم وكثيرون منهم أكاديميين أو رجال أعمال أو سياسيين وهذا ربما يجعل أفكار الكتاب بعيدة عن الواقع البائس عند الكثيرين في الطبقات المتوسطة والفقيرة.
يبقى بالرغم ذلك كتاباً مهماً ولطيفاً وسلس القراءة أنصح به كل من يبحث عن ركنٍ هادئ بعيداً عن ضجيج العالم اليوم.

[SJ L · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book details a 2014 study where people had to spend 15 minutes in a quiet room. 67% of men and 25% of women chose to shock themselves rather than sit in silence. WTF?

Quotes
Speech is of time, silence is of Eternity. - Thomas Carlyle 5
Here’s the thing about silence: it’s always available. It’s in the breath. It’s in the gaps between breaths, between thoughts, between words exchanged among friends in conversation…we can start to encounter this open space by noticing where there’s noise and turning down the volume, day by day. 8
Data is increasing, our ability to process it is not. Fifty years ago, the scholar Herbert Simon put it plainly: “What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” 18
There’s an opportunity - an invitation - for each of us to become connoisseurs of creation. 30
Silence is humility. It’s a stance of not-knowing, a place of letting go. Silence is accepting that it’s okay not to fill the space. It’s good to just be. 40
Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. -Victor Frankl 41
One cannot help feeling that nearly half the misery of the world would disappear if we, fretting mortals, knew the virtue of silence. Modern civilization has taught us to convert night into day and golden silence into brazen din and noise. What a great thing it would be if we in our busy lives could retire into ourselves each day for at least a couple of hours and prepare our minds to listen to the Voice of the Great Silence. The Divine Radio is always singing if we could only make ourselves ready to listen to it, but it is impossible to listen without silence. -Gandhi 54
In the 1970s, the pioneering environmental psychologist Arline Bronzaft found that the reading test scores of Manhattan middle schoolers whose classrooms faced high-decibel elevated subway tracks lagged up to a year behind those of students in quieter classrooms on the opposite side of the building. 83
This is good news. We can make our default state less noisy. We can build the skills to do so and, with practice, the capacity for our inner environment to be less conscrictive and more expansive. 99
In intensive silence, we surface our ferocious beasts. We summon the hungry predators that have been lurking in the understories of our own psyche. If we live our lives in noisy distraction - in diversion - then we let the beasts surreptitiously run amok, wreaking havoc from unseen places. When we enter profound silence, we’re not necessarily seeking to slay these beats. We are raising them up from the depths so we can bring them to the light. 120
“And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, a still small voice.” -1 Kings 19:11 [notice that God’s voice is a quiet, small voice, not the loud destruction]
[Words are an imperfect tool] Rumi called silence “the voice of God” and all else “poor translation.” Black Elk, a great visionary medicine man of the Oglala Lakhota people, asked, “For is it not silence the very voice of the Great Spirit?” The Tao Te Ching says that “the name you can say isn’t the real name,” and analysis of the Kabbalah speaks of the “silence, fertile void” as the “Source” and the “divine womb of all being.” 131

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Golden articulates the zietgeisty feeling that our world and our minds are too daggum noisy. We need less less less, and we need things to quiet down. In this book, authors Zorn and Marz diagnose the problem, look at the benefits of silence, and then provide examples of how to bring more silence into our environment. By environment, I mean internal, communal, and global.

First, what is silence? The authors make the point from the very beginning that silence isn’t the absence of noise so much a fullness of something else. (This is similar the related idea that peace isn’t the absence of violence or disagreement, but a kind of communal fullness or wholeness.)

What’s in the way of silence? Everything! All the usual culprits – social media, Big Business, the U.S.’ general insistence on extraversion and contribution and production as a means of proving value. Even the Reagan administration takes a few hits here. The book also spends time exploring the idea that silence can be scary. What happens when we’re truly quiet in our minds and see things more as they are? We might not like what we see!

The authors seek solutions from across the globe and across time. Many religious ideas and texts get some nods, including a falsely accused prisoner who turned to Buddhism to find silence in the noise, the iconic Christian mystic text The Cloud of Unknowing as a guide for finding peace in the unease of silence. If religion isn’t your thing, there’s also mention of silent dance retreats! And lots of nature.

I have a feeling that this book will mostly reinforce the convictions and practices of people already looking for silence, rather than converting others to it. However, I did find several of the little practices immediately helpful.

(Example: If a podcast stops streaming, just enjoy the silence instead of trying to fix it or launching a new one. The larger idea here is to observe silence in everyday instances rather than filling our aural spaces with unnecessary noise.)

(Example II: Bringing walking shoes to work so I can enjoy the sunshine on my lunch break. The idea here is even quick fixes of nature – trees and birds and wind and sun – are helpful for us.)

If you think this might be the book for you, it probably is. At least check it out from the library and jot down some of the “Thirty-Three Ways to Find Silence” at the end of the book. But, you know, don’t rush around to do it.

PS – I listened to the audiobook version. Narrator Prentice Onayemi understood the assignment, as they say. Talk about some dulcet, soothing tones!

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting but not particularly unique addition in the growing subgenre of books about practicing mindfulness as a strategy to maintain focus and mental clarity in our very boisterous world. My favorite parts of the book were the profiles of prominent and less prominent people who made or make regular periods of conscious silence part of their routine.

For books that touch upon very similar themes, see:
Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention- and How to Think Deeply Again - Johann Hari
Modern Mindfulness: How to Be More Relaxed, Focused, and Kind While Living in a Fast, Digital, Always-On World - Rohan Gunatillake
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - Susan Cain
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World- Cal Newport (cited several times in this work)
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World - Cal Newport
Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction - Chris Bailey

[Greg Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the world broke down in March 2020, one video from youtube ended my flickering mind from google and reddit headlines. The Thai monk Ajahn Brahm sat alone in a meditation hall to discuss the opportunity for wisdom and peace. The opportunity within this pandemic. In a video entitled “Emptiness is the Greatest” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK6aT...), he explores the opportunity from intrusions and the ability to connect deeply with our true self. No longer able to be with our coworkers or friends, we had the opportunity to know ourselves.

“Golden :The Power of Silence” explores the sacredness of silence . Inviting the reader to explore the question “what is the deepest silence you know”, the book offers answers from the science and spiritual leaders regarding the power of silence. What appears from the outside as absence can be experienced from the insider as the presence of the heart.

Words and representations at some point fail at replicating the experience of the deep peace from silence. At some level, it may be a signal we are trying to recapture – maybe some deep seeded authenticity or connection with God. The evasive and illusory societal scripts of society – accumulated capital, sexual conquests, tik tok streams, they may just be different allocators of noise, unable to get us to the primordial signal. Given the access of spirituality toward this ineffability, we may find ability to describe our fractured selfs, but unable to give lip service to tranquility. As the Zen priest Roshi Joan Halifax states “silence is a real and practical way to dethrone the ego from its assumed perch at the center point of everything” (p.35).

This book excellently captures working with the physics of vibration. When we seek presence, we encounter ways to make friends with our direct encounters in all manifestations. Silence’s ability to be a force for social good – instead of an assumed acquiesce - is explored through the work of Gandhi and the civil rights movement for black Americans. As Gandhi said, “nearly half the misery of the world would disappear if we, fretting mortals, knew the virtue of silence. (p.103).

There are plenty of books on mindfulness, but I have rarely encountered a book that is asking the deeper question of presence. Surely we don't meditate just to meditate - there is a value add of honing the attention mechanism. Full participation in our creative project is another way to consider the work of presence. The last part of the book explores exercises for presence, which are nugget size and instructive. There is exploration of cultural ideas (“Ma”, “tribal democratic patterns) and new pattern seeking with microflow activities. But truthfully, the whole book is a wonderful guide through the modern lens of ancient wisdom.

[Sonia189 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trouxe este livro da biblioteca porque o tema me pareceu interessante e porque ao folhear as páginas, notei nomes próprios e pensei que fosse um livro com casos reais, algo que sempre me cativa em não-ficção.
Contudo, ler este livro foi um bocado secante e achei que há muita informação repetida e aleatória. Fiquei apenas contente de ter acabado e nao gostei lá muito.

[Yolanda Benito · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s impossible to listen without silence. The busier you are, the more you need silence. Silence allows for clarity, connection and creativity.
What is the deepest silence you’ve ever known? No need to overthink it.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I intentionally savoured this book because—very early into it—I realized everything the authors spoke about was my entire heart and life’s work/mission. I couldn’t be more overjoyed and grateful for the awareness they are bringing to our noisy world. It truly gives me hope. Silence is my best friend and she’s always so difficult to find. I pray it becomes easier for me and the collective to spend time in her presence. I believe that “Golden” is a gateway to a more peaceful, compassionate, and introspective world.

I give this book a rating of “all of the stars in the sky”!

It is officially my favourite nonfiction book of all time.
(The Alchemist is my favourite fiction book… just in case you were wondering. 😉)

[Jose Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly informative

This book will captivate readers by bringing into perspective the importance of silence, in a world thats constantly fighting for our attention.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little woo woo at times but overall I enjoyed it and am trying to incorporate more pauses into my life and thinking. That's always a good idea.

[Shekinah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous read, great research into this interesting topic of silence. It helps the reader to see the power of quiet and all the wonderful place you can find it. It gives you access to many tools and ways that you can find quiet in this world of noise even for a few precious moments.

Anyone who is bombarded with noise in this world will love and appreciate this book for it gives you access to another world that is healing and nuturing for your soul.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend for anyone looking for more peaceful living. Great suggestions and science behind the ideas.

[Valeria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A living transmission on the nature of silence. Marz and Zorn write articulately, thoughtfully, and even spaciously. The very reading of it drops me into a sense of inner spaciousness that's so hard to come by in our culture today. In a world where there's so much noisiness, so much clutter, reading this is like a breath of fresh air.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Silence is the language of God” (Rumi). “A seeker after truth has to be silent.” (Gandhi). What a great book to start the new year and encourage/support my goal of making time for more stillness, pondering, and meditation. This book discusses the power of silence from a variety of angles with the purpose of helping us utilize silence to more fully connect with nature, one another, and life. It discusses both external and internal noise, which is especially needed in this age of excessive information and distraction (contributing to the epidemic of “continuous partial attention”). I like the discussions on deep listening, self-transcendence, creating small pockets of silence (like taking a deep breath before you start doing a new task), deep reading (with moments of silence to ponder…), and expansive fulfillment. I think there is something here for everyone. Would recommend.

Notes and quotes:

-“A wealth of information causes a poverty of attention”

-“I want to deepen my own understanding of how I am meant to live, and then having done that, go out to do the work that I’ve been shaped to do.”

-“He tells us that getting his heart ready to receive higher inspiration requires moving beyond the clutter that fills our days and our consciousness. It requires a certain detox to happen, a turning from constant distraction toward the pursuit of truth.”

-“We have filled our world with a multiplicity of noises, a symphony of forgetfulness that keeps our own thoughts and realizations, feelings, and intuitions out of audible range. She laments all we’re missing when we drown out silence. Silence is where we learn to listen, where we learn to see.’”

-“Gandhi’s weekly day of silence - “A seeker after truth has to be silent.”

-“What a great thing it would be if we, in our busy lives, could retire into ourselves each day for at least a couple of hours and prepare are minds to listen in to the voice of the great silence. The divine radio is always singing if we could only make ourselves ready to listen to it. But it is impossible to listen without silence.”

-One remedy for distracted mind: placefulness or bioregionalism. “It’s the practice of paying attention to the place you live: the flora and fauna, the climate, the terrain, the ways the landscapes interact with the cultures.”

-“…the mid-range frequencies become harder to hear, in other words, under duress, we actually stop hearing one another.”

-“1-Connect with something bigger than yourself, like a towering tree, or the stars in the night sky. 2-Connect with something smaller than yourself, like a new blossom, a trail of ants, or a sparrow. Reconnecting to nature helps us to right-size, to diminish the ego itself, as we simultaneously connect with the vastness of life.”

-I like the idea of adding a warning to social media’s login page, based on research findings like the warnings on cigarette packages: “On the Facebook login page describing how the product uses sophisticated tools to intentional manipulate your brain chemistry for the purpose of selling advertisements.”

-Expansive fulfillment - “We tend to seek and glorify emotions of excitement. While there’s nothing wrong with being excited, it’s a contracted state. Excitement does not equal happiness. There exists a deeper and more sustainable kind of joy that’s grounded in something beyond the fleeting rush. Aristotle spoke of a kind of happiness called eudaimonia, the experience of human flourishing that’s rooted in virtue and truth. It’s the goodness we feel when we’re expanding beyond the limited interests of the individualized self. It’s a vast and penetrating happiness full of clarity and calm.”

-“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Gandhi

-Deep reading: “Notice how good writing leaves silence in its wake.”

-“When you find yourself grappling with a problem that is both urgent and important, go against the grain. Slow down. Rather than amping up sound and intensity, seek quiet. If it’s possible, take a break or have a nap. Read some poetry. Play catch with your dog. Make art. Head out into nature. Take a bath. Rest. Engage in an activity or nonactivity that helps you feel and be expansive. In this expanded state, open yourself to new information. Invite in divergent thinking. Let ideas marinate over one good night’s sleep. Then gather again to focus on the issue. Notice what emerges.”

-Be present in your daily activities, get out of the outcome and into the process; sensory satisfaction; find an experience of the sacred in the ordinary

-Nature prescription - find silence in listening to nature; forest bathing

-Reserve a few hours to be in silence by yourself, possibly in nature or somewhere peaceful to pray, rest, relax, meditate, contemplate important issues, write; clear away internal noise before entering this time of silence

-Personal Retreats - varying amounts of time … nap, cloud watch, read, think, write, be present, feel, notice, watch , behold

-Observe sabbath/day of rest; silence, nap, reading, write, no social media; sanctuaries

-Deep work - study and writing; Set aside time that you cannot be interrupted to focus, no people or electronics

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We’ve come to believe that silence is essential for renewal. It’s a requirement for doing what’s right on a sustainable basis.”

Why can't everyone just be quiet for once? is a question that runs through my brain at least three times an hour. In a world so inundated with noise, from the simplest HVAC system to cars outside to the planes going overhead to sirens to chattering to people for some reason needing to listen to their music full blast on the subway while the carriages are screeching along the tracks...you might get overwhelmed.

But noise isn't just what we hear. It's what we see. It's clutter, it's the constant nagging for attention, it's advertisements, it's bright lights. Our brains are getting pulled in so many different directions that we now have coined terms like 'decision fatigue' and 'burnout'. What would happen if it would all just stop?

A lot of things, actually. Silence, as Zorn tells us, can help rebuild the elasticity of our brains. Our ears have a chance to recover. Our attention spans have the opportunity to expand.

With a plethora of studies and interviews, Zorn makes a case for integrating silence back into our lives and how we can do that. Some are as simple as turning our phone off and going for walks in nature. Some require systemic change or a shifting in values, like moving out of the city or waiting for social media companies to stop using us as products.

This book pairs well with Stolen Focus by Johann Hari and some time well spent in a park.

[Srikanth · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've all heard the quotation "Speech is silver and silence is golden", but I'd not realized the perspective that the authors of this book are trying to depict which is that silence isn't just the absence of sound, but a valuable thing in itself, filled with potential. The authors show how we measure progress and productivity in present-day society using the metric of GDP, which is just insane. The pristine forests, silence in our personal lives and the quality time we spend with our loved ones are some examples of entities that are of zero value from the GDP perspective and thus are useless to the 'system'. So, the so called 'system' only tries to disrupt the pristine moments of silence and quality in our lives.

I have wondered for a long time whether the concepts of 'Flow' and 'Mindfulness' were both different states altogether or if they had something in common. This book answers that question by saying that both states result in internal silence. They also explain how mindfulness can help us attain the state of flow much more easily and more often. The commonality between the two is that 'self-consciousness' is dropped in both these states and that there is the experience of a union with something larger than ourselves and in that union we find our greatest peace. This is what creates the sense of lightness and time just flies by as the worrying nature (the personal self) is absent or forgotten.

This is definitely a book I would recommend to readers interested in contemplation and are on a quest for a deep insight into life.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book, and found many of the anecdotes and scientific studies discussed to be especially relevant for the internal and external noise I deal with. That being said, I had difficulty connecting with a substantial portion of it. Some sections tended to meander a little aimlessly, and I felt like it could have been much shorter without sacrificing its message.

A smaller issue I had was with how the content was organized. Examples where auditory silence is necessary for a particular experience (like being extremely observant/present in the moment) were interspersed with examples where external noise has little impact (like flow state during a basketball game), making it unclear at times what exactly the overloaded terms "silence" and "noise" were referring to. It would have been easier for me to digest the information if the book had been broken up based on the type of noise, as opposed to whether the experience is individual or with a group of people.