A Sensory Experiment

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.