“In the kingdom of silence, the mind finds clarity, peace envelops the heart, and the spirit finds a profound rejuvenation. Within the depths of silence, secrets are revealed, healing is found, and wisdom emerges.” Maximilian Kikwembe, Swahili Apologist

Research is fairly clear that too much noise is bad for us. But does that mean that silence is good for us? Well not necessarily, but silence has a great meaning rather than a merely definition as an absence of any sound or noise. However, research is pinpointing that silence itself is beneficial physically and psychologically.

Spending time in silence has been found to have positive effects on the body in terms of reducing blood pressure, boosting the immune system, reducing blood cortisol, promoting hormone regulation and prevention of arterial plaque formation. Psychological motives of silence can include enhanced creativity, focus, self-control, self-awareness, decision-making skills with improved mental clarity, spirituality.

Robert Cardinal Sarah wrote a book titled The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise. He presents a bold perspective about the power and strength of silence. The contemporary world generates so much noise, he says, that seeking moments of silence has become both harder and more necessary than ever before.

It is both obvious and clear that silence has power. In fact, like other powers can be used to hurt or to heal and sometimes perhaps this is why people respond so variably to it. For some people silence dignifies loneliness, isolation or awkwardness. Indeed, it can be used to indicate emotional withdrawal, disapproval or even punishment.

Despite frequently being underrated, silence may be a powerful instrument for communication and personal development. In many circumstances, silence can be more effective than words in expressing feelings, ideas, and intentions. Here are several instances where the power of silence can be powerful:

Silence can help you reflect on your ideas and feelings, leading to increased self-awareness and personal growth. Having to spend some quiet time to be calm and reflective might help you acquire insight and perspective on your life.
In stressful situations, silence can be soothing. Spending a few moments of silence before responding to a challenging situation or conversation can help you keep your cool. The rewards of silence can be felt both mentally and physically. Spending some time in silence and stillness might help lessen stress, anxiety, and other unpleasant feelings.
Silence could serve as a strong creative tool. Spending time in silence and stillness might help you focus your mind and generate new ideas.
Silence can also be a great assertiveness technique. You can exhibit your courage and determination by remaining silent in the face of criticism or unpleasant remarks.
Silence is indeed an excellent learning technique. We can learn more about the world and the people in it by taking the time to stay silent and observe.
Silence can be a strong technique for fostering mindfulness. We can nurture a feeling of serenity and well-being by focusing our attention on the present moment.
Being silent can make us more sympathetic. We may create a secure space for others to express their views and feelings by remaining silent and listening without casting judgement, which can help us in better understanding their point of view.
Silence can help us develop inner fortitude and resilience. We can develop a sense of inner peace and calm when we set aside time to be still and quiet, which can make it easier for us to handle life’s ups and downs.
Silence can encourage personal growth by helping us in identifying areas for improvement and developing new skills and behaviors. When we are calm and motionless, we may assess our own strengths and limitations and draw out a plan for personal growth and development.

Definitely, I also confess that silence is an important tool to discover oneself deeply inside and explore that part of us which we could never know and understand it before. I remember in 2018 while in form five at Matai secondary school, I used to practice deep silence, I was too quiet and reflect inside calmly and listening the inner self. In fact, my classmates from Ordinary Level observed that and made some remarks that I have changed a lot, the old Maximilian they used to know have totally changed. Definitely, it was this time that I was able to understand well myself and what I wanted to become. The silence I observed gave me a room to explore more about myself and I was not the same again that time, now and even forever.

Being silent can be crucial to self-discovery. We may shut out the noise and distractions of the outside world and direct our attention inward or within when we take some time to be still and silent. This can help with improving our self-awareness and helping us comprehend our emotions, motivations, and thoughts better. Silence can also be a time for introspection and contemplation. By becoming quiet and listening to our inner voice, we can obtain clarity on our values, priorities, and aspirations, as well as better comprehend our abilities and flaws. Furthermore, profoundly silence can also help us connect with our intuition and inner knowledge. When we remain quiet and still, we can tune into our intuition and obtain insights that were previously unavailable to us because our thoughts were preoccupied with external distractions.