Leigh Marz

Yeah, there's a great story of John Cage, the famous composer walking into an anechoic chamber. He was very excited about silence as a musician. He certainly understood the importance of silence, the silence between the notes that makes music what it is.

Yeah, there's a great story of John Cage, the famous composer walking into an anechoic chamber. He was very excited about silence as a musician. He certainly understood the importance of silence, the silence between the notes that makes music what it is.

Yeah, there's a great story of John Cage, the famous composer walking into an anechoic chamber. He was very excited about silence as a musician. He certainly understood the importance of silence, the silence between the notes that makes music what it is.

So he walked into this anechoic chamber in Harvard University, and when he got in there, he heard two sounds, a high-pitched sound and a low-pitched whooshing. And so we stepped outside again after a while and asked the engineer, well, wait a minute, that room wasn't silent at all. I heard this high pitch. I heard this low pitch. And the engineer said, ah, the high is your nervous system.

So he walked into this anechoic chamber in Harvard University, and when he got in there, he heard two sounds, a high-pitched sound and a low-pitched whooshing. And so we stepped outside again after a while and asked the engineer, well, wait a minute, that room wasn't silent at all. I heard this high pitch. I heard this low pitch. And the engineer said, ah, the high is your nervous system.

So he walked into this anechoic chamber in Harvard University, and when he got in there, he heard two sounds, a high-pitched sound and a low-pitched whooshing. And so we stepped outside again after a while and asked the engineer, well, wait a minute, that room wasn't silent at all. I heard this high pitch. I heard this low pitch. And the engineer said, ah, the high is your nervous system.

And the low is your blood in circulation. So we asked this question, is there even really a thing as silence as pure silence in a world that is vibrating and whooshing and whirling? And, and the answer is probably not, but there is an experience of silence, an experience of our attention, being able to put it where we want it, where we intend it.

And the low is your blood in circulation. So we asked this question, is there even really a thing as silence as pure silence in a world that is vibrating and whooshing and whirling? And, and the answer is probably not, but there is an experience of silence, an experience of our attention, being able to put it where we want it, where we intend it.

And the low is your blood in circulation. So we asked this question, is there even really a thing as silence as pure silence in a world that is vibrating and whooshing and whirling? And, and the answer is probably not, but there is an experience of silence, an experience of our attention, being able to put it where we want it, where we intend it.

Well, you're right in that when we're talking about noise, we're talking about unwanted distractions. So that is different from sound or certainly music and things like that. It's also different on the informational level from data, which is neutral. We like data. Or internally, it's also different from thought, which we also enjoy. So the distinction is that unwanted distraction.

Well, you're right in that when we're talking about noise, we're talking about unwanted distractions. So that is different from sound or certainly music and things like that. It's also different on the informational level from data, which is neutral. We like data. Or internally, it's also different from thought, which we also enjoy. So the distinction is that unwanted distraction.

Well, you're right in that when we're talking about noise, we're talking about unwanted distractions. So that is different from sound or certainly music and things like that. It's also different on the informational level from data, which is neutral. We like data. Or internally, it's also different from thought, which we also enjoy. So the distinction is that unwanted distraction.

Well, we wrote this book not for the people who can run off to retreats for six months at a time. We really wrote this book for people looking for silence in their noise-soaked homes. full lives. And we argue that you can find those micro moments and those micro moments for finding quiet can make a big difference.

Well, we wrote this book not for the people who can run off to retreats for six months at a time. We really wrote this book for people looking for silence in their noise-soaked homes. full lives. And we argue that you can find those micro moments and those micro moments for finding quiet can make a big difference.

Well, we wrote this book not for the people who can run off to retreats for six months at a time. We really wrote this book for people looking for silence in their noise-soaked homes. full lives. And we argue that you can find those micro moments and those micro moments for finding quiet can make a big difference.

So that can be even when you find yourself stuck in a long line unexpectedly, or maybe you're commuting and your radio or podcast goes out, that you could actually welcome that silence, sink into it. And take advantage of that unstructured time and that open space to just not have information again coming in to you all the time, but to just appreciate the openness of that.

So that can be even when you find yourself stuck in a long line unexpectedly, or maybe you're commuting and your radio or podcast goes out, that you could actually welcome that silence, sink into it. And take advantage of that unstructured time and that open space to just not have information again coming in to you all the time, but to just appreciate the openness of that.

So that can be even when you find yourself stuck in a long line unexpectedly, or maybe you're commuting and your radio or podcast goes out, that you could actually welcome that silence, sink into it. And take advantage of that unstructured time and that open space to just not have information again coming in to you all the time, but to just appreciate the openness of that.

no one's really doing that study. And so we say, like, do the study yourself. Notice what really the difference is. So the signals in the body that tell us that we are saturated by noise are different for each one of us. But I'll tell you mine, for example. I notice a clenching in my jaw when I'm feeling saturated by noise.

no one's really doing that study. And so we say, like, do the study yourself. Notice what really the difference is. So the signals in the body that tell us that we are saturated by noise are different for each one of us. But I'll tell you mine, for example. I notice a clenching in my jaw when I'm feeling saturated by noise.