Only in silence can we hear the song of nature. Natural silence is not the absence of sound from nature it is the absence of noise from modern life.
Listen in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Headphones are highly recommended.
CasperRolsted.com/silence-project/
SILENCE PROJECT
This is the third episode in my silence project. Through a series of films I will present nature at its most natural. To fully capture the authentic atmosphere of the places I will combine the visuals with detailed soundscapes. No music or artificial sound effects will be used in the films only the songs from nature’s own sound library. To make the experience as natural as possible both the audio and video will be recorded in some of nature’s most undisturbed places. Further, I will keep the editing as simple as possible without any fancy transitions or other special effects.
This project was born out of love for the undisturbed places in nature. The goal of the project is to share the wonders of nature with as many people as possible and help us fall back in love with the nature. It is only when we fall in love with something that we truly want to protect it. It is my big hope that I through creation of stunning short films with breathtaking video and audio can help the protection of our undisturbed places in nature and thereby the enjoyment of these wonders for generations to come.
SILENT LISTENING
Natural silence is essential for a healthy natural environment. It can make a big difference for both wildlife and for us. Just being quiet and listening to the silence of the nature can be a profound experience.
It is often the faintest sounds in nature that’s the must interesting and beautiful. Raindrops falling on leaves, mouses rattling in the forest floor, birds tweeting in the distance. For many animals a good hearing and natural silence is essential for good communication and when listening for predators or prey.
The nature is busy communicating and in places without noise pollution we can listen to the nature at its most natural. Listening is not about trying to hear the sounds that you believe are important. Instead simply listening to the place without comparing sounds to what is already known. If we silent listen to nature in undisturbed places without prejudices we can experience the big diversity of nature and the faintest sounds gain their original importance in the soundscape.
Humans developed in a world where only the sounds of nature filled the air. Our ears are evolved to hear these often soft and information rich ambiences which help us experience our surroundings. But in our noisy urban environment our hearing is continuously being overloaded and thus we have learned to experience our surroundings through our vision. Even when we visit a silent place in nature we try to experience the place through our vision instead of listening to the place. Vision is focused in one direction at the time and is excellent when it comes to focusing our attention on a given event. But vision is very limiting when it comes to capturing the full image of a given place. Therefore hearing and not vision is the preferred sense in nature. The full image of a given place does not only expand in every direction around us but it expands for far distances behind visual objects that block the view but do not block the sounds. In a silent environment sound can travel far distances and can easily travel around objects. Further, it is often difficult to get visual contacts with wildlife but nothing escapes our hearing if we listen in silence.
Nature can be a great blessing to those who immerse themselves in it. When you can leave the city’s noise and disharmony and let nature’s harmony and special rhythm fill your body and mind, you will come back as a new human being. You will experience more relaxation and better concentration until the city’s noise and disharmony again begin to invade your inner peace.
There are many benefits of experiencing silence in nature. Natural silence is relaxing, reduce stress and increase overall productivity. Conversely, noise pollution cause stress, increase risk of cardio-vascular disease and has a negatively impact on overall productivity. When we live more quiet lives, we become healthier, more relaxed, and better able to listen to others and the world around us.
The industrial revolution and population growth has unleashed an epidemic of noise pollution that has made natural silence one of our fastest-disappearing resources. It is my goal that this film project will raise the audience’s awareness to the importance of silence. I hope to bring the experience of natural silence to the audience and encourage an interest in saving the undisturbed places in nature. We need to learn how to listen again to fully appreciate nature’s whispers.
