Silence is Radical - Anna Wood

Silence [is] the crux. The vehicle. And not silence as in
soundlessness...  The type of silence I'm talking about,
isn't about not hearing; on the contrary, it's about listening.

Silence is radical.  When sustained, it has an effect on your
perception comparable to that of any number of chemicals
with which you might seek change.  Your vision transforms;
you suddenly find yourself absorbing what's on the periphery,
massive amounts of once-invisible data assailing your pupils.
When you're not preparing your next remark, your hearing
capacity expands, too; the changing rhythms of the wind;
the muted thud of a teardrop hitting the wooden floor;
your neighbor's beating heart.  And taste, and smell,
they're amplified and shifted, as well - a cup of tea sipped
without the surrounding dialogue is a more intricate cup of tea.

Silence gives you the opportunity to know any number of
object's facets that typically disappear behind the verbal
screens we erect constantly, unthinkingly, between our
selves and our environments.  And surely the power of
wordless touch is one each of us knows...

Anna Wood
Excerpt from "A More Intricate Cup of Tea"