A Sensory Experiment
In an effort to research, experiment, and better understand my senses, I chose to sit in a silent, distraction-free
environment for half an hour. I chose this experience because it seemed to be
relatively simple. Yet, I was actually a bit unprepared for the occurrence
ahead of me. At first, the quiet was almost awkward to perceive. Living in
Chicago, the overexposure of loud and ambient noises is something that most
people have become accustomed to.
Reducing the volume to “mute” on all my surroundings created an empty
void in my sensual perception. For the first five minutes, the adjustment was
hard to handle, and I found my other senses seeming to take the forefront in my
mind, especially my vision. Although there were the occasional thuds, hums, and
honks from the street and building that seeped through my walls, the long low
audible level exposure was certainly something I was not expecting. I found my
stream of consciousness stumbling faster and faster, and becoming more random
in subject matter. Initially, my mind filled the missing sensory with thoughts
about that very sense. I thought about what life would be like If I were deaf,
or if sound didn’t exist at all. Although we are often annoyed by certain
sounds around us, It would be hard for me to live life to the fullest with out
being able to enjoy the pleasures of music. Occasionally, my thought process is
still disrupted by extraordinarily minute-level whispers, which found my ears.
As I continued to sit in Silence, I began making a mental to-do list of things
I needed to get done in my apartment. “I need to reorganize my desk, vacuum, do
some laundry….” It is very interesting how Humans are hardwired to be focused
on something. I struggled to truly let my mind free and let go of the proactive
thought process. It made me think, I might have an easier time finding mental
piece if I was listening to the appropriate music in the background, rather the
quiet proved to be a distraction. In some ways, I have to give my creativity
credit for allowing me to take multiple pages of notes in complete
silence. When my timer sounded, and the
blaringly loud buzzing of my alarm abruptly interrupted the experience, a rush
of relief ran through me despite the harshness of the sound captivating my
ears. If anything, this experimental encounter made me grateful for the sense
of hearing which is crucial to every element of my life.
