Are people intimidated by silence?

About 10 years ago I visited a cousin who lived high up on a hill above the city of Kandy in central SL. I had a friend with me. (city type) My cousins house was the last on a steep road. we could see the city and trafic far down in the vally but could not hear any noise. My friend kept saying "something is not right. I feel strange" etc. It finally dawned that there were absolutly no man made sounds. He insisted that he couldnt spend the night there. Later he asked me how I or anyone else could live in such a lonely place. Said he'd go nuts! Seems to me almost as if he was afraid of the silence.

I've come across this several times since. people want to sing or have the radio or engage in conversation etc. any thing but sit in silence. I have never felt this way. But then I spent most of my life alone and am quite used to being silent.

Anyone have any similar experiences?

It was a late Jan. bowhunt in New Jersey in 79 or 80. It was cold, so I was wearing the "tent." The tent was a coat that I had inherited, it's origin was Siberia and my grandfather had picked it up somewhere. Although it was big, I could get a (one) good shot off while wearing it.

I was hunting this hedgerow and a snowstorm blew in. It kind of spooked me at first, snow, wind, blowing all over the place. There had already been snow on the ground and this was just icing on the cake. I remember being there with snow blowing all around me, like a giant vacuum. After a little while it became very relaxing.

I remember the stillness of everything except the snow and wind, and the absence of sound. Nothing, nada, zilch. Not a sound.

That evening, I met up with my grandfather back at the truck, we talked about the days hunt and the storm that came in. When I mentioned the absence of sound during the snowstorm he said that if you were subjected to the absence long enough, you would go crazy.

Don't know if that was true, but it sure makes ya think.

In my experience, most "city raised" people are intimidated by the silence (at least the minimal noise) of the woods. I had a friend (Matt) that was born, raised, and had never been outside of the Bronx (NY), he worked for Nikon Optics, as a rep. He had the opportunity to go out west on a corporate funded wildlife observation and exploration trip -- to field test some new binoculars and spotting scopes. He asked me along as a guide -- Let me preface this story by saying -- I did not know before hand that he had never been outside of the Bronx before this trip. I met him and the other two members of the party at Jackson Hole (WY) airport. He (Matt) was alright up until we pulled out of the airport parking lot and headed into Jackson. Matt was actually having a panic attack, in the truck, on the way into town. He said that he felt "discombobulated" and "overwhelmed" by all the "openness" around him. Even in town he felt out of sorts. It took 2 of the 7 days for him to get acclimated to the town.

Once we finally convinced him to go into the woods, he was saying that his ears were ringing from all the silence. He was having anxiety and more panic attacks. He said he felt as though he was drowning out there. He was VERY uncomfortable in the woods, and wanted to go back to town IMMEDIATELY! He spent the rest of the trip in the motel room, where, as he stated, "he felt most comfortable"!

He told me later that his favorite part of the trip was landing at the airport in NY.

it's all in what you are used to. i've lived in big cities such as akron and phoenix and small towns of only 500 and now about 1.5 hrs from town. in flagstaff i lived next to the railroad tracks got used to the trains in phx it was the helicopters and sirens all night, now out here it is pure silence, your mind gets used to what is normal, processes the sounds and dismisses most noise or lack of it all you need to do is spend a few days adjusting to your new surroundings.

I think that some are intimidated by the silence but probably they would be intimidated by anything else out of their "ordinary" experience.
Its a comfort zone that they are not yet into, I notice the perceived lack of noise but other than an audiometric lab have never been in a "noiseless" zone.
In the bush there are places/days that are less noisy but if you keep calm and don't let it get to you, you'll soon start noticing all sorts of background noises that were always there, just never appreciated.
I often rely on the "noise level" generated by critters to warn me of disturbances in the local area, when things get real quite I really pay attention;)

shhhhhhhhhhh!:D

Man does someone love to hear themselves talk. Silence doesn't intimidate me, I think we could use a bit more of it here!:rolleyes:

I've seen the same thing here in the hills. A man from Ohio had full blown panic attacks when in Eastern KY. He said combined with the lack of noise the hills seemed to be closing in on him. Then again, sometimes I am not comfortable in packed crowds. I have always had my personal space and don't like strangers in it.

soon as i clicked on and saw your post i almost laughed myself to tears i knew what we posted would get your response ,merry christmas vw glad your still around

Merry Christmas VW!!!!:D

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Originally Posted by Nativedude

In my experience, most "city raised" people are intimidated by the silence (at least the minimal noise) of the woods. I had a friend (Matt) that was born, raised, and had never been outside of the Bronx (NY), he worked for Nikon Optics, as a rep. He had the opportunity to go out west on a corporate funded wildlife observation and exploration trip -- to field test some new binoculars and spotting scopes. He asked me along as a guide -- Let me preface this story by saying -- I did not know before hand that he had never been outside of the Bronx before this trip. I met him and the other two members of the party at Jackson Hole (WY) airport. He (Matt) was alright up until we pulled out of the airport parking lot and headed into Jackson. Matt was actually having a panic attack, in the truck, on the way into town. He said that he felt "discombobulated" and "overwhelmed" by all the "openness" around him. Even in town he felt out of sorts. It took 2 of the 7 days for him to get acclimated to the town.

Once we finally convinced him to go into the woods, he was said that his ears were ringing from all the silence. He was having anxiety and more panic attacks. He said he felt as though he was drowning out there. He was VERY uncomfortable in the woods, and wanted to go back to town IMMEDIATELY! He spent the rest of the trip in the motel room, where, as he stated, "he felt most comfortable"!

He told me later that his favorite part of the trip was landing at the airport in NY.

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I think the same thing would probably happen to me in you dumped me off in NYC, or LA. I don't even like going to Oklahoma City or Tulsa too much, and they are tiny compared to NYC or LA.

There is probably nothing I'd rather hear than a bubbling brook, the song of a bird or the call of an elk in the distance. I have no trouble at all being in the woods by myself just listening to the wind rustle through the trees overhead. I'm like Rifleman. It's the honks and the yells and the jack hammers that I don't care for.

I think Carcajou is right. It's all about comfort zones.

i know you have allot of posts here but you are relatively new here so all i can say is don't throw marshmallows to the bears..

WE - Even on meds, you're right. Somehow the post evaporated.

I agree with Nativedude, Slience is Golden. If you can't stand the sounds of nature how can you be true wilderness survival buff or nut? Personally I like the quiet and solitude.

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Originally Posted by Beowulf65

I agree with Nativedude, Slience is Golden. If you can't stand the sounds of nature how can you be true wilderness survival buff or nut? Personally I like the quiet and solitude.

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I also like the sounds of nature, it's when everything goes COMPLETLY quiet that I get nervous. No wind or sounds from the animals or birds. Did you ever hear the crickets suddenly shut-up? The next question is: "Huh, what caused that?":confused:

The absense (is that spelled correct? oh well who cares) anyway when all goes completely quiet, no natural sounds from crickets, birds, or other things that go bump in the night, then something has moved into the area, your guard should go up and you should pick up your firearm... hatchet, or knife, or what have you to make sure of your security. If you are 100% positive you're in an area where nothing can harm you... then blow it off (sucker) and go back to doing your thing. But when things get completely quiet I come alive and start using my ears, eyes, and nose (yes smell can keep you alive or safe also) to find what may have disturbed them (the wildlife at night) or get a general direction where the sound may have come from, of course being the way I am I then have to do a little stalking and snooping to find out what it was. But that's just me :D
And Fear or Nervousness is nothing more than caution out in the wilds, fear keeps you alert and alive, anyone who tells you they have no fear is either a liar or crazy, but there is a difference between fear of nature and respect of nature, if you do not respect nature she will bite you and it can be real painful, nervousness is caution of your surroundings. Control of your emotions is a key to surviving and the difference between a greenhorn and an experienced trekker, hunter, camper.
Just my thoughts.
Beo,

I think that if someone is used to always hearing noise of some kind where they live then to come to a place without it constant they would need time to get used to it, i like silence tho :)

I live where my neighbor is too damn close. The Boom Boom Boom from the kids stereo's drives me nuts. When I am out in the wilds, I prefer to be as far from the noise of people as I can get. This is why I camp in winter.

The sounds made by a fire and the passing of a breeze is all the noise I need.
I do carry a radio for the 4pm weather report. Most times I do not use it.

TDW or TGF want music playing from dawn to dusk. One set of well used batteries keeps that down to only a few hours of noise before I get my quiet.

Don

I myself like a quiet campfire that lets you listen to the sounds around you.Most people need radios and other things to create noise . I think that this makes them feel more like they are home. Most people are afraid of the woods because of the lack of noise. We all know that there are plenty of sounds to listen to and figure out in the woods. As for the absence of sound I have experienced that myself. Utter silence while in the woods. I believe that I only precieved this silence as it is impossible for there to be no sound at all in the out doors.

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Originally Posted by Rob

I myself like a quiet campfire that lets you listen to the sounds around you.Most people need radios and other things to create noise . I think that this makes them feel more like they are home. Most people are afraid of the woods because of the lack of noise. We all know that there are plenty of sounds to listen to and figure out in the woods. As for the absence of sound I have experienced that myself. Utter silence while in the woods. I believe that I only precieved this silence as it is impossible for there to be no sound at all in the out doors.

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But if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear does it make a sound? (I held off as long as I could, honest.):rolleyes:

This used to annoy me when I was guiding. Many people can't keep their mouths shut. Then, they'd be uspset with me when they wouldn't see game. If you can just be quiet - you'll see many things.

silence is truly valuable.
if it were a place on earth it would turn into a major tourist attraction.
silence is somthing people seek, i was one of them. upon doing so i realized that silence is almost nonexisting, you can almost always hear somthing of in the distance or even just the hum of your refridgerator.... silence is somthing that if i found i would marvel at it like as if it were some amazing god.

I am starting to think that silence does not exist and cannot exist in a society of poeple, but that it can only reside in the heart of the individual who seeks it

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Originally Posted by Borelli

silence is truly valuable.
if it were a place on earth it would turn into a major tourist attraction.
silence is somthing people seek, i was one of them. upon doing so i realized that silence is almost nonexisting, you can almost always hear somthing of in the distance or even just the hum of your refridgerator.... silence is somthing that if i found i would marvel at it like as if it were some amazing god.

I am starting to think that silence does not exist and cannot exist in a society of poeple, but that it can only reside in the heart of the individual who seeks it

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I guess when I think of silence - what I really mean - is the absence of modern day sounds, motors, planes, things like that. When I am out in the woods for a while, I realize there are all kinds of sounds, but they are sounds I like. This was brought home to me a couple of years ago when I guided a fella from Sussex, England. He'd never been out of the British Isles before. He couldn't seem to see or hear anything - because he didn't know what he was seeing or hearing. No frame of reference.

Mother Nature uses silence as a test to see how people respond under stress. People should refuse to be intimidated by it and keep quiet themselves for a while. Being calm and becoming more aware of the surroundings will do more to defuse the situation than a stream of chatter that reveals more information than needed... information that is irrelevant, even damaging, to them and those with them.

I disagree, mother nature does not test you, you test yourself in nature. Mother nature is not concerned with your well being or stress levels you are concerned with them. Nature gives you everything you need to survive in any environment, you just have to know what to do and how to do it to survive there. I agree with most of what Remy says but having done extensive meditation before one can quiet the inner voices in ones own head where there are no sounds and no thinking. But he may be right in one having to concentrate on doing just that and therefore you are thinking. Hmmm... good post Remy now I'm thinking on that.
I do not like big crowds either, the reason I'm uncomfortable is a lack of personal security in them. In a resturant I sit where I face the largest part of the crowd there, or with my back to a wall so I can see the door and people entering, then my thought process goes into who is a threat and who isn't, this could be from years in the military and as a Cop I don't know, but it has to do with the lack of security around a given crowd... not that I fear crowds, by no means do I, I just prefer solitude or small groups of trusted friends or people. What do think Remy?

a man and woman walking thru the woods, they come across a sleeping bear man says hey woman look at this sleeping bear lets poke it then complain to everyone when it wakes up and attacks us

WE - Take two every fours hours with water.;)

There is one example I have experienced that shows the mental aspect of fear of being alone. I've train U.S. Marines, Boy Scouts and many adults of different ages. Some from the country, others from the city. Both groups have one thing in common, very limited or no time alone, isolated in the woods at night. Now, they all have been home alone before but is that really alone? Gas and Electricity helps provide them heat, food, television, radio, lighted streets, and a phone. Neighbors of city dwellers are close at hand. So, even though they may be alone at home they really don't feel the full effect.

Now I take them to a wooded area, very isolated from the public noises. They are instructed not to speak from this point until they are recovered sometime the next morning. They're separated through out the area so that they can not hear the movements of each other. Each has a whistle in case of an emergency, only instructors are allowed to respond though. The first night the students are given only a poncho to wrap around them to stay dry. NO makeshift shelters or fires allowed! They must sit the night out...

What I've learned over the years that 20% of the students will call for assistance by blowing the whistle. Some can be settled down but many have to be withdrawn from the exercise. Come morning, but before day light, we gather all the students and do an immediate review of the night.

1. Many felt a high degree of fear:
a) Being left behind
b) Fear of freezing even when adequately dressed for the weather
c) Fear of insects and animals
2. Over half of them admitted to never feeling as alone and cut off from the world as they were that night.

I've come to believe that most people rarely spend any time truly isolated, they always have a phone or a neighbor to rely on. This subject can go on in detail but, I just wanted to give another prospective based on my experience.

two every four hour with water? oops hhmm i thought four every two hours with moonshine

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Originally Posted by wareagle69

two every four hour with water? oops hhmm i thought four every two hours with moonshine

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Now thats how to dull the pain..or the senses...or..or...:D

You can use the moonshine to cut the water.:rolleyes:

word sounds familiar,isn't that what the next war is going to be fought over.

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Originally Posted by corndog-44

Mother Nature uses silence as a test to see how people respond under stress. People should refuse to be intimidated by it and keep quiet themselves for a while. Being calm and becoming more aware of the surroundings will do more to defuse the situation than a stream of chatter that reveals more information than needed... information that is irrelevant, even damaging, to them and those with them.

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Mother Nature is there, has been there, since before man existed. . .ever present. She does not test us. . .we test ourselves. We choose to go into Mother Nature's abode, she does not force us to go to her. :confused:

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Originally Posted by Rick

You can use the moonshine to cut the water.:rolleyes:

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Rick, we have a wonderful virsion of moonshine here. Its called kassippu in the vaernacular. Block and tackele booze. a couple of shots of it and you'll walk a block and tackle anything. Thank god for free enterprise!!

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Originally Posted by Sarge47

But if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear does it make a sound? (I held off as long as I could, honest.):rolleyes:

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As a matter of fact yes it does make a sound. Chuck Norris hears it. Chuck Norris hears everything. Chuck Norris can hear the screaming terror in your tiny shriveled soul.

Okay, Bear. In this scene you're going to bite the head off of Chuck Norris and....

never to mention bears name again

I'm with you, WE. I've gotten so I can't bear it anymore.

well bear down son you can do it