Sanctuaries of Silence
What might happen if we listened deeply? If we really listened? In the tranquil chorus of nature, Gordon Hempton, an acoustic ecologist, experiences silence as ‘the poetics of space’ and ‘the presence of time undisturbed.’ He provides insight into how we perceive our locations based on their unique sounds and the value of true silence in our modern noisy world. Hempton defines silence not as the absence of sound, but as a void of noise pollution created by modern life, and warns that, with the pervasiveness of noise pollution, ‘silence is on the verge of extinction.’ However, all is not lost. As Hempton shows, reconnecting with the silence and sounds of the natural world can be emotionally therapeutic and expansive. As we listen, he suggests, our ego disappears, and we are one with nature.
