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Sanctuaries of Silence

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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.
Be The Change
1
Learn more about Sanctuaries of Silence at the Global Oneness Project
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Explore the work of Gordon Hempton at The Sound Tracker web site.
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Find a quiet place in nature and really listen to the natural world around you.
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Reflections (24)

Chetan Bhatt
When I listen - I disappear! What a wonderful way to be present.
Solène
It's the beauty of nature. Thank you for your stories and for sharing this wonderful forest with us. To reconnect with ourselves, we need to find peace within. When we are truly present and grounded, we can hear the flowing water, the buzzing of insects, and the voices of the animals around us.
sharon
I felt the yearning for forest, the one place where i feel bathed and held and settled in my brain. And where all the parts of me come together in one place and I hear, feel and know my breath is taking me back home. I yearned to lay on the wet green floor and hold a pine cone, to feel its story, to sense its journey, its love and compassion together.
The air plane that flew over the green forest seems like a ridiculous mistake to our humanity. I scrunched the front of my top as if squeezing out my tears because i know the air plane won't stop. So what am i listening for now ? what sounds fill my life and hold our hearts with plenty.
Julie
I heard so many familiar sounds of the forest, reminding me of the many times we visited Yosemite and went on hikes. The hikes in fall were resplendent with birds chirping in the trees and the sound of the wind gracefully flowing among the trees. In the winter, we would hear the crunch of snow under our snowshoes and take notice of the silence in the fields of snow when we stopped walking. We might then hear a sudden whoosh that was a dropping of the snow from the height of the big Sequoias down onto the snow in the ground. In the spring, the birds would be nesting and chirping away at their chicks, who were not quite ready to leave the nest. In the summer, the river would be making a rushing sound that filled our ears with a bubbling invitation to come sit with the river and cool off from the heat. I would sit in the river and listen to its splash against the large boulders. The river's sound was exciitng and loud. The clear water coming down from the heights and into the valley was both cooling and refreshing. The bounty of nature across the seasons was a feast for the senses as we took in the beauty, smelt the pine, felt the cool of the river and heard the crunch of the snow. We tasted its icy freshness, while enjoying the sight of the magnificent redwoods while hearing the screech of the hawks that soared above their towering grace.
Kathryn
The beauty of a forest, the warmth of the trees, the sound of the birds and the breezes, are all primal and soothing. Thank you, Mr. Hampton, for taking me there.
Ameeta
What a relief it is to disappear in the silence! How deeply meaningful it is to listen to the land. How restorative it is to let ourselves feel the unconditioned rhythms of life! Beautiful video thank you.
Vita
What a beautiful video and what an incredible life's work of Gordon Hempton. I felt this deep longing as I watched and listened to the video. My body and mind rested, I wanted it to continue. Also, at the same time I wanted to turn it off and go into the woods and listen. Perhaps that's exactly what this video was supposed to do. Thank you.
Kristin Pedemonti
thank you, this was profoundly beautiful and poignant. I loved the 360VR filming, to look around the spaces especially in nature was incredibly moving. the idea of so little silence and to listen more closely to nature stays with me. When I was in Alaska last summer, I had to opportunity to stay in a small town and travel remotely, the quiet away from much of human noise was deeply healing.
xander
Everything about this video blew my mind. The author allowed himself to disappear. TO be background to the sounds of the Earth speaking. The video effectively contrasted the business and noisiness of human life and human mind that is always (it seems to me) immersed in the cluttered sounds of business. The video made clear that Silence is not empty or devoid of sound but is a space where Earth's many inhabitants and elements can be heard. Can share the space. I find it distressing that Silence is hard to find. I was very moved by the author standing alone recording the noise on the street. I think it is a kind of awareness lacking in modern cultures, but a quality of awareness so needed at this time.
Swati Butola
"When i listen, i become quite, I become peaceful and I disappear"
Barbara Reis
What inspired you about this video?I am propelled to write music, yet my innate nature is not to speak, to be naturally silent.
Barbara Backlar Reis
I disappear when there is silence.
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