Experiencing Silence

Polysemic value of silence in introspection and social relations

Abstract

This short text is a simple reflection on the meanings and importance of silence. Starting from the sensory experience of silence he had with the local informant at Kennin-ji in Kyoto, Japan, the author reflects on the various meanings of silence. On the one hand, the therapeutic and introspective silence of a temple garden immersed in the city; on the other hand, a fake silence, made of sounds and noises, that does not generate quiet, but anxiety and social distance.