Noise: The Remedy (Part II)

Last week, we discussed how the merciless torrent of noise threatens our inward tranquility, and hinders our ability to experience the fullness of life.

But by now, if you’re still stroking your “preciouusssssss” iPhone, and casting a wary eye towards the little man who admonishes “noise is a burden….lighten the load Mr. Frodo,” then here are a few questions that are submitted for your rational deliberation:

Do I ever find my mind running in a million different directions? Does such a lifestyle leave me satisfied?

Do I find it hard to concentrate during class? Do musical soundtracks or movie clips often interrupt my train of thought?

Do I find myself losing interest in, or forgetting, what people are telling me? Do I “zone-out” even when my close friends are passionately discussing matters that interest them?

Do I have trouble falling asleep?

Chances are, you probably answered “yes” to a lot of these questions.  And if you look closer, you might start to see how gratifying your desire for constant entertainment creates the environment in which these ills continue to fester.

Many of your peers have turned to exotic Asian religions in a sincere attempt to escape the mental cacophony. Even the current Roman Catholic Pope (in his former life as “Cardinal Ratzinger”) has acknowledged that the rising popularity of Asian religions (such as Buddhism) is not entirely unmerited, for “It is no accident that on all sides people are seeking techniques of meditation, a spirituality for emptying the mind. One of man’s deepest needs is making its presence felt, a need that is manifestly not being met in our present form…” (The Spirit of the Liturgy, pg. 209).

However, the Benedictine Monks of Worth Abbey, as orthodox Christians, have proven that authentic Christianity has very real solutions for our very real human problems.

Monk Michael Casey points out in his book Strangers to the City that the “Christian mystical tradition is no less equipped to guide people on the way of prayer, but for some reason we seem less bold in making demands on those who seek instruction…[however,] the mystical tradition of the West is no lame duck.” (18-19)

In the hopes that one of these YouTube videos speaks to your own individual situation, here are some clips of others who have recovered from the disease of constant distraction:

John (from The Big Silence)

• Withdrawal: Detoxing from the Noise
• Doubts, Noise, and the “real” world
• Peace
• Towards the Fullness of Life
• (the Pre-Peace John)

Tony (from The Monastery)

• Surrendering the CD player
• Detoxing from the Noise
• Peace
• (the Pre-Peace Tony)

Abbot Christopher

• Finding silence and interior peace

Those of us who’ve given habitual silence a serious shot know the interior freedom that it is capable of producing. But all we can do now is share the opportunity with others in the hopes that the more rational side of human freedom will win the day.

Freedom is a funny thing though. It can help make you healthy again, but it can also keep you incredibly sick.  Just look at Golum. Of his own free will, he continually made decisions that reinforced the person he had become. Even during his final moments in Mt. Doom, he freely chose to cling to his “preecciouusssssssss” iPhon….., I mean, ring.