4 ways silence is good for you

[Magical Realist]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sile...0de4037004

"We live in a loud and distracting world, where silence is increasingly difficult to come by ― and that may be negatively affecting our health.

In fact, a 2011 World Health Organization report called noise pollution a “modern plague,” concluding that “there is overwhelming evidence that exposure to environmental noise has adverse effects on the health of the population.”

We’re constantly filling our ears with music, TV and radio news, podcasts and, of course, the multitude of sounds that we create nonstop in our own heads. Think about it: How many moments each day do you spend in total silence? The answer is probably very few.

As our internal and external environments become louder and louder, more people are beginning to seek out silence, whether through a practice of sitting quietly for 10 minutes every morning or heading off to a 10-day silent retreat.

Inspired to go find some peace and quiet? Here are four science-backed ways that silence is good for your brain ― and how making time for it can make you feel less stressed, more focused and more creative..."

[C C]

Even when it's quiet, I need some monotonous, dull-sound producing device going on through the night to drown out the silence. The latter seems to embellish the slightest noise or disturbance all the more, waking me up.

I'm sure all the nighttime racket of agitated pets, domestic quarreling / shouting, laughter and banging dissonances of drunken youth, gunshots, bedroom hosannas, etc of a bad neighborhood or residential building are a top echelon perdition. As well the sporadic ravings, screams, groans, clanging, etc in a prison or mental asylum like environment. But an intensive care patient room in a conventional medical hospital -- with its constant interruptions and chatter of nurses, cacophony of instrument beepings and Vegas light shows, chilly temperatures, and an array of other aural assaults oozing in from the hallways -- would still get my dread of all dreads for an insomniac torture chamber to be confined to for years (rather than just visiting temporarily, curled up one of those guest couches or reclining chairs).

- - -

[Magical Realist]

I have levels of white noise available to me to sleep by. A small fan by my bed, a large high velocity fan across the room, and a chiller unit. But my apts are so quiet little disturbs me past 1:00 am. I live between 2 train lines that pass in the night with politely gently sounding horns. I love summer because of the sounds outside. The large birch tree outside rattling in the breeze. Woke up this morning to some nasty sounding crows and an angry squirrel. I love silence for what it allows me to hear in the distance.