The first thing I noticed about Ben were his huge headphones. Ben was a new, cute sixth-grader in our classroom, consisting of five other students on the autistic spectrum.
Like a lot of people with autism, Ben suffered an abnormal sensitivity to sounds. Whenever the school bell rang, a backpack was dropped, or the classroom door was slammed, Ben became hysterical, ran around the room, hid under his desk, where he cried uncontrollably. Noise caused severe anxiety and fear in Ben. Finally, with the help of noise-canceling headphones, he could participate in daily classroom activities.
Not just people with a sensory disorder but more and more ordinary people feel anxious when exposed to traffic, construction, and industrial noise. High noise levels trigger a fear response in the amygdala, a region of the brainstem, which releases cortisol, a stress hormone, and an involuntary startle reaction. Exposure to loud noise can cause high blood pressure, sleep disturbances, and hearing problems.
Silence is a precious commodity; even more, these days, it is a luxury.
A few years ago, it was trendy for European CEOs and heads of big companies to take a sabbatical in a monastery. They did not go for a religious retreat but tranquility. What those influential people appreciated most about their stay was the great silence they observed for 12 hours daily. As one participant put it, "living in silence is very powerful."
Today everybody is talking about forest bathing. Forest bathing or "shinrin-yoku" gained popularity in Japan in the 1980s as an antidote to tech-boom burnout. It is the practice of "bathing" in the atmosphere of the forest. Participants in "shinrin-yoku" experience simple walks through the woods, enjoying the presence of trees as they absorb the quiet benefits of forest therapy.
There is no need to go to Japan. Even if there is no forest near you, you can still experience the benefits of forest bathing by going outside. Simply take a walk through a beautiful park or even a quiet street. Turn off your phone and tune in to your senses. Do you hear the sound of birds? Do you see the sunlight shining through the branches?
Let's go on a walk with Andres Bosshard, a Swiss acoustic artist who lives on the outskirts of Zürich. "One is constantly at the mercy of noise pollution," says this 66-year-old sound artist as a construction truck passes by. With population increasing and more dense housing being built, noise pollution is on the rise. Andres leads us away from the main street through an open field to a little brook. As we are sitting down on a small bench, we hear the bubbling sound of the little stream rushing over a bed of stones. "Silence is exciting!" he proclaims. This statement comes from a man who was part of a punk rock band in the '80s. Currently, Andres is working on a sound map, where people can follow an app to find quiet and relaxing places within walking distance from their homes.
In a recent piece in the New York Times, Margaret Renkl, my favorite option writer who covers flora, fauna, and politics, lamented about the noise-polluting horror of gasoline-powered leaf blowers in American suburbia. "Some of those leave blowers produce more than 100 decibels of low-frequency, wall-penetrating sound - or as much noise as a plane taking off - at levels that can cause tinnitus and hearing loss with long exposure."
The good news is that powerful electric and battery-operated leaf blowers now exist, and they are quieter, greener, and healthier than gasoline-powered blowers. More than 100 cities across America have already passed regulations to prohibit or restrict these two-stroke engines.
Last month, the governor of California has signed into law a bill that will outlaw gas-powered lawn equipment by 2024. Not just humans but also wildlife will appreciate a ban on those noisy invaders.
But enough chatter - Let's be quiet, and let's listen to the sound of silence.