Whilst “there is no such thing as total silence” (Gann 2010, p ix), relative silence is a powerful tool that we can use to regulate our mood. Silence is usually associated with calm, melancholy, and peace, but it can also be linked with the anxiety and danger of being left with our own thoughts. I will discuss my personal experiences of how I use silence to these contrasting effects in order to regulate my mood.
I think it is fair to assume that most people associate silence with stillness and calm, myself included, however, upon further reflection I have realised that silence also comes with a certain level of threat. I visualise silence as a desolate landscape (figures 1 & 2), which highlights the link I make between silence and solitude, as these images are devoid of people.
Figure 1. A personal visualisation of silence – The Meadows, Edinburgh (Author’s own image, 2022)
Figure 2. A personal visualisation of silence – the River Deben, Suffolk (Author’s own image, 2022
It is this link between silence and solitude that I will explore further in relation to my own experiences. In times of busyness, overstimulation and being surrounded by noisy people, I am more likely to seek silence in order to contrast my current experiences and return to a more tranquil state. Introverted at heart, I give value to the quiet I experience in my own company. In spending lots of time with my family at home, with much noise being made, I may eventually retreat to my bedroom in order to find relative silence and the calm that it brings me. I wouldn’t say that I necessarily seek silence, but a relative quiet compared to the noise I sometimes find myself in.
In a somewhat confusing contrast, when I am home alone for extended periods of time, I quickly become uncomfortable in the relative silence I find myself in. It is in this situation that I make efforts to break the silence, through playing music, playing the tv in the background, or trying to do tasks more noisily. I think silence is a scarier thing when alone, due to the ability for our own thoughts to run away with themselves, meaning that we are more scared of things that would otherwise take up little space in our thoughts (as explored in a previous blog). This is a key feature in the experiences for many with anxiety or depression (Abou Tarieh 2021). For me, this generally means the fear of someone else being in the house when I am home alone. By breaking up the silence with background noise, I am more distracted from my overthinking, and am therefore less fearful.
Given these two examples, it is clear how silence is strongly linked to context, as it performs different functions in different situations. My experiences of silence vary depending on who I am with, and whether or not I have a desire to be alone. At the same time, the power of background noise is demonstrated, as we can use it as a tool to control our emotions, and counter our experiences of silence.
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Bibliography
Abou Tarieh, J. (2021) ‘Feelings of inadequacy: the relationships between overthinking and anxiety’. Lebanese American University
Gann, K. (2010) ‘No Such Thing As Silence : John Cage’s 4’33’, Yale University Press, New Haven. pp. ix-xiv
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