The Lost Art of Silence Reconnecting to the Power and Beauty of Quiet

by Anderson, Sarah

• ISBN13: 9781645472162
• ISBN10: 1645472167
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2023-12-05
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

A unique celebration of silence—in art, literature, nature, and spirituality—and an exploration of its ability to bring inner peace, widen our perspectives, and inspire the human spirit in spite of the noise of contemporary life.

The pursuit of silence can force you to confront yourself, which is why many people do everything they can to try and avoid it—often filling their world with vacuous sound. But it can also be transformative. Ultimately, embracing quiet—in contemplation, meditation, in nature, or even by examining certain kinds of media—is necessary for personal and societal growth because it invites us to widen our perspective and become better listeners, and it makes room for a more compassionate approach to the world.
    Though our lives are bookmarked in silence—coming from an insulated womb, and going to another stillness in death—during our lifetime, we compete with exterior noise and a near-constant interior dialogue that judges, analyzes, compares, and questions. But, if we can get past this barrage, there lies a quiet place well worth the search. This book encourages people to embrace this search, shedding light on silence through the lenses of topics including:

• spirituality,
• nature,
• lived experiences,
• the arts,
• darker sides of quiet,
• and ways forward.

Throughout, the author shares her own personal relationship and experiences with silence as well as perspectives from a diverse array of cultural figures like musicians, meditators, writers, and artists whose work emanates a profound feeling of quiet.

Author Biography

SARAH ANDERSON founded the Travel Bookshop in London in 1979, the shop later featured in the film Notting Hill. She studied Chinese at the London University college of SOAS, and at Heythrop, where she earned an MA in the psychology of religion. She has taught travel writing at City University, writes regular travel pieces, reviews books, and gives talks worldwide. Her paintings have been exhibited throughout London, and she is the author of the book Heaven’s Face Thinly Veiled.