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The Virtues of Silence
Cars honking, phones ringing, subway cars rumbling, the chaos of the open space, music pumping through our headphones...In urban life, the noise never stops. In 2015, Paris City Hall revealed that 11% of Parisians were exposed to noise disturbance from nearby traffic that exceeded the European regulatory threshold of 68 decibels.
Several researchers have proven that silence is essential to our mental and physical health. In 2013, a study published by Brain Structure and Function revealed that two hours of silence per day stimulated the regeneration of cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that's responsible for learning, memory, and emotions. It also plays a central role in creativity.
Moments of calm also have anti-stress virtues. Silence is a natural "anti-depressant," explains neuroscientist Michel Le Van Quyen in his book Cerveau et silence ("Silence and the brain") (Flammarion, 2017). It allows the body to eliminate adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol produced by the brain in situations of stress, fear, and anger. According to a study published in the journal Heart in 2006, just two minutes of silence per day is enough to decrease heart rate. Plus, auditory breaks allow us to develop and deepen our thoughts, and thus to listen more attentively to our inner lives and construct ourselves as human beings.
In the era of the attention economy, it's no surprise that experiences linked to silence are enjoying a rise in popularity. Books, cures, and workshops in monasteries and mountains have multiplied. Business coach Coco Brac de la Perrière even organizes silent dinners cooked by Michelin-starred chefs. Michel Le Van Quyen reminds us that it's always possible to enjoy moments of silence in total simplicity, such as in turning off our phones so we can better charge our batteries.