Listen Like a Dog by Jeff Lazarus

Author:Jeff Lazarus
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: make;mark;world;Jeff Lazarus;loyal;dog
Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.
Published: 2016-03-01T16:00:00+00:00

The Soundness of Silence

The benefits of silence could fill several books, but here are just a few.

Silence builds clarity and understanding. The human brain requires time and space to assimilate information. That does not happen when we assail it with data on a continual basis; the brain is so busy keeping up with the new input it can’t process the old. Taking periodic pauses in the midst of a meeting or conversation allows the brain to catch up and “deal with information that was acquired during previous active states,” says Andrei Medvedev of Georgetown University Medical Center.3 After making sense of what it’s been fed thus far, the brain can then ready itself for new input.

3 http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/10/18/when-youre-at-rest-your-brain-right-side-hums/

Silence allows us to focus. Processing sound waves is hard work for the brain. The more sound we hammer it with, the less processing power it has available for other tasks. Do you ever notice yourself turning down your car radio when you’re lost or driving under stressful conditions? That’s a natural instinct; you’re buying more bandwidth for your brain to focus on what’s important (in this case, not driving your Chevy Blazer into a signpost).

Silence aids creativity. Artists and writers have long sought silence as a way to aid the creative process. Note, for instance, that very few writers’ retreats are held in bowling alleys or Zumba studios. Silent creativity is not just for solitary artists, though. Silence can lead to creative group ideas as well. Again, brain science may hold the key. According to an article in FoxNews.com’s Health section, “Researchers found that during periods of wakeful rest, the right hemisphere of the brain chatters more to itself than the left hemisphere does. It also sends more messages to the left hemisphere than vice versa.”4 The significance of this is that the right side of the brain is the one most associated with creativity. And it feeds on silence and stillness.

4 Ibid.

Silence is good for our health. Though not directly related to communication, there is growing evidence that silence has enormous health benefits. “Noise, and especially noise over thirty decibels, is associated with high blood pressure, anxiety, and stress,” says Dr. Paul Haider of OmTimes magazine.5 Stress is known to lead to maladies such as depression, weight gain, heart disease, sleeplessness, high blood pressure, and a variety of ailments. Silence reduces stress. Formal practices of silence, such as meditation, have been scientifically shown to produce benefits such as stronger immune systems, reduced inflammation, lower blood pressure, faster healing, and increased fertility 6—just from shutting up and letting the brain be quiet. This should serve as a wake-up call.

5 http://omtimes.com/2012/10/the-health-benefits-of-silence-simple-yet-profound/

6 http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/7-health-benefits-of-meditation

Coincidental note: dogs are good for our health and they reduce stress. The silent companionship of dogs is powerful. Far more than just irresistible cuteness.

Silence ignites appreciation. A busy, noisy brain is incapable of appreciation. This is perhaps why museums are typically quiet and why a “moment of silence” is universally observed to show honor and appreciation for someone who has passed away.

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