Science Says Silence is Vital for Our Brains

The Proof that Silence Heals

The value of silence is felt by everyone at some point in their life. Silence is comforting, nourishing and cosy. It opens us up to inspiration and nurtures the mind, body and soul. Meanwhile, the madness of the noisy world is drowning out our creativity, our inner connection and hampering our resilience. Science is now showing that silence may be just what we need to regenerate our exhausted brains and bodies.

Studies show that noise has a powerful physical effect on our brains, causing elevated levels of stress hormones. Sound travels to the brain as electrical signals via the ear. Even when we are sleeping these sound waves cause the body to react and activate the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with memory and emotion, leading to the release of stress hormones. So, living in a consistently noisy environment will cause you to experience extremely high levels of these harmful hormones.

Interestingly, the word noise is said to come from the Latin word nausia, (disgust or nausea) or the Latin word noxia, meaning hurt, damage or injury. Noise has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, tinnitus and loss of sleep. We’ve all experienced the detrimental effects of noise pollution. Excessive noise can be a major affront to the physical senses and today, more and more people are identifying as highly sensitive and unable to function in chaotic and noisy environments. But now science has the proof not only that noise hurts, but also that silence heals.

The Effects of Silence

In 2011, the World Health Organisation (WHO) examined and quantified its health burden in Europe. It concluded that the 340 million residents of Western Europe (about the population of the United States), were losing a million years of healthy life every year, due to noise. WHO also said that the root cause of 3,000 heart disease deaths was due to excessive noise. A study by Professor Gary W. Evans from Cornell University, published in Psychological Science, charted the effects of airport noise on school children near Munich’s airport. The study showed that children exposed to noise developed a stress response which actually caused them to ignore the noise. He found that the children ignored both the harmful noise of the airport, along with other more everyday noises, such as speech.

This study is among the strongest, probably the most definitive proof that noise–even at levels that do not produce any hearing damage–causes stress and is harmful to humans. – Professor Gary Evans.

Scientists didn’t actively set out to study the effects of silence but instead discovered its benefits by accident. Silence first began to appear in scientific research as a control or baseline, against which scientists compare the effects of noise or music. Physician Luciano Bernardi studied the physiological effects of noise and music in 2006, making a startling discovery. When the subjects of his study were exposed to the random stretches of silence in between the noise and music, they experienced a powerful effect. The two-minute pauses were far more relaxing for the brain than the relaxing music or the longer silence that was in place before the experiment started. In fact, Bernardi’s ‘irrelevant’ blank pauses became the most important aspect of the study. One of his key findings was that silence is heightened by contrasts.

Many meditation teachers and practitioners can attest to this, and spiritual teachers advise students to take frequent meditative pauses throughout the day. Though we may think of silence as a lack of input, science says otherwise. The brain recognises silence and responds powerfully. Later research by a Duke University regenerative biologist, Imke Kirste, discovered that two hours of silence per day prompted cell development in the hippocampus, the brain region related to the formation of memory, involving the senses.

Taking Time to Switch Off

According to the Attention Restoration Theory, when you are in an environment with lower levels of sensory input, the brain can ‘recover’ some of its cognitive abilities. With our digital world, our brains get less time to switch off. We are constantly processing enormous amounts of information. Research has shown the constant demands of modern life are placing a lot of stress on our prefrontal cortex–the part of the brain responsible for making decisions, solving problems and more. When we spend time alone in silence, our brains are able to relax and release this constant focus.

Researchers found that silence helps new cells to differentiate into neurons and integrate into the system, and that when we experience silence, our brains are able to work at better understanding our internal and external environments. We can make sense of our lives and gain perspective, something that is vital for our overall wellbeing.

While noise creates stress, silence relieves stress and tension in the brain and body. Silence is replenishing and nourishes our cognitive resources. Noise makes us lose our concentration, cognitive powers and causes decreased motivation and brain functioning (as backed up by research into the effects of noise), but studies show that spending some time in silence can amazingly restore what was lost through exposure to excessive noise. The ancient spiritual masters have known this all along; silence heals, silence takes us deeply into ourselves, and silence balances the body and mind. Now science is saying the same thing.

The healing benefits of nature and stillness are well documented, but now we can add to this quest for health and wellbeing, the nourishment of our brains. The simple yet ancient experience of silence could be just the healing balm we need to quell our crazy modern lifestyle.

Silence is an empty space. Space is the home of the awakened mind. – Buddha

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What is your relationship with silence? Has this article changed or affirmed your own feelings about it? We would love to hear your thoughts, and experiences with silence in the comments below.

With love and quiet peace,
Team UPLIFT

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Silence can be medicine for the busy mind - Healthier Bodies
1 year ago

[…] **https://uplift.love/science-says-silence-is-vital-for-our-brains/ […]

Alison w
2 years ago

Completely agree , have just read a book by Sara mainland on the subject of silence. It should be valued more in society

Teresa
5 years ago

This is an interesting article. I actually own a float spa which provides a reduced sensory environment. I absolutely thrive in this silent retreat space.

Glen Evans
5 years ago

Noise is not the opposite of silence. I love a quiet environment, but would hate to be deaf. I love the sound of a babbling brook, the laughter of a child, mellow music. Sound is a good thing.
To move into the metaphysical realm, I do not accept that silence is necessary to hear God. I have absolute faith that my God, creator of thunder, is perfectly able to speak to me, always, regardless of my environment.

Ri
5 years ago

For everyone suffeting tinnitus…I have one solution: ear plugs.

The more you protect your ears from the noise, the more this issue heals. At least this is my case. I suffered all my life, but protected my ears all my life as well. When tinnitus is bad, I protect them more, even outside.

Now, when reading this…I noticed tinnitus first time for…..months….more than a year. I had forgotten it and hadn’t even paid attention. Sometimes I thought it had gone. Now it game back…makes me wonder <3

Ziane
5 years ago

Thanks for this informations.

Diana
5 years ago

For those of you who suffer from tinnitus, put both your hands over your ears so that the fingers tips touch each other on the back of your head, then tap the back of your head with your finger tips.

You’re welcome.

jing marcos
5 years ago

does listening to affirmation whilst sleeping considered noise as well?, pls clarify. thank you.

EB
5 years ago

Yes, I have the pricey Bose sound canceling headphones and sometimes I find myself sitting with them on and not realizing that the audio or music has ended. Silence is golden as they say and it is very addicting.

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Curiosity arises out of not knowing.

Curiosity is our natural ability to look at things with fresh eyes.
Forgoing opinions, previous ideas, or expectations,
approaching all with the wonder and innocence of a child.
Being curious brings us into a natural, open, and vast space of freedom
to explore:

“What is this?”
“What am I experiencing?”
“What am I feeling?”

4. Bring more awareness to what you are feeling. Focus on your felt experience and the qualities of the Inner Resource as you embody it. Resist the habit to analyze. Simply feel your body and emotions. 

5. Be open to your current experience, whatever it is, without judgment. Just ride the wave of the experience.

6. Remember that the quality of your attention and what you are feeling are more important than the content. Notice how your attention changes, waxing and waning, growing stronger, and sometimes getting distracted. No worries, simply bring your awareness back to the moment, take a deep breath, and focus on the Inner Resource.

7. Become familiar with the feelings and sensations of the Inner Resource you have chosen. Feel what is showing up in your physical body and your emotional body. Be curious to discover how this Inner Resource will support you in your life, to be who you really want to be, and feel how you really want to feel. It is through feeling the Inner Resource that you activate the frequency of it. 

Take 5 Deep Breaths

1. Feel your body.

2. Relax your shoulders.

3. Choose a word that makes you feel peaceful, such as om, peace, or love.

4. Inhale slowly while mentally saying the word you chose. Pause before starting the exhalation.

5. Exhale slowly while mentally saying 1 with the first breath. Exhale saying 2 with the second breath, up to 5 or more.

Feel Your Body

Relax your body, and just be aware of how your body feels. Without changing anything, notice what you are feeling, and where you are feeling things in your body. Resist analyzing or explaining anything to yourself, just notice what you feel. If your body wants to adjust a little, let it. 

Notice the texture and color of what you are feeling and where you are feeling it. Note the quality of what you are feeling; it might be tingly or sharp, squeezing or rippling, or anything else. Be curious about what is happening in your body.

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