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The Sounds of Silence
I play my car radio at a volume that some would find
intolerable and yet when writing I cannot endure soft
classical music even if played at low volume. There are
differences in sound sensitivity among people but the
common thread is as Winifred Gallagher writes in her
book Power of Place that the difference between
sound and noise can be your relationship to it. A person
pushing a lawn mower one a sunny Sunday morning might be
reveling in their surroundings while the person waking
up to that very same lawn mower might define the sound
as annoying noise. These differences notwithstanding,
here is a chart that delineates sound levels in
decibels.
Level Examples
0-10 Silence
10-20 Whisper, rustling leaves
20-30 Quiet environment
30-40 Soft conversation, murmuring brook
40-50 Normal conversation
50-60 Normal music, local traffic
60-90 Loud conversations, music, and traffic; some
kitchen appliances
90-120 Industry, jackhammer, aircraft
Over 120 Unbearably painful
Although there are decibel levels that are clearly
over the top for our eardrums, what is too much sound
for one person may be a melodic symphony for another. We
have a great ability to habituate to sounds that are
familiar. It’s common for people living near a loud
commuter train route to cease to be consciously aware of
the trains, even though they are very loud. Such sounds
are still affecting the nervous system, however, and it
takes energy to screen out sounds. The timbre of falling
water and the hum of a refrigerator compressor or
furnace blower may mask a conversation in the next room
and therefore be useful in some settings. (but
eventually, either one can become tiring and irritating)
Too much sound puts the nervous system on alert. A
too-loud environment tends to be stressful and
tension-filled and can give rise to the following:
• Disruption of peristalsis
• Irregularity of breathing
• Onset of ulcers and colic
• Construction of blood vessels
• Increased adrenaline secretion and hormone reactions
• Galvanic skin response changes
• Disturbed sleep
• Hearing loss
Recently I was asked to feng shui a two-person
office. When I asked for their wish list, their one
common desire was for the other person to lighten up
about sound. In this case one person’s need for
continual music was the other person’s poison. The
feng shui remedy in this case, after I decided that the
sound was not over the decibel level conducive to
health, was to recommend a white noise near the person
who needed silence.
A white noise is an ongoing sound not dissimilar to
humming that camouflages other sounds. I asked the sound
sensitive partner to select from the following:
- A water fountain
- A ticking clock
- A fan blowing paper
- Georgian chants (which approximates humming)
This cure works because it is difficult to listen to
two sounds simultaneously. But, in this case, the cure
did not work and the partners called me to suggest an
alternative. Since stress is produced by having to
endure something that is unpleasant, I suggested that
music be turned on only on even hours and silence
allowed during the odd hours. (I would have suggested a
head set, but the majority of their work is over the
telephone so this was not appropriate)
When the body has respites of relief from anything,
it has time to heal. In this case, sound and silence
were the culprits and the only cure was to permit each
one to have their way alternatively. Compromise, after
all, is always a good option when perfection can’t be
achieved.
Nancilee Wydra, Feng Shui Master and author of six books
on feng shui travels the country lecturing and
consulting for Fortune 500 companies and individuals.
She is the founder of the Feng Shui Institute of America
and has developed the first nationally certified
professional training program on feng shui in the
country. The next class is March 15-22, 2002 in Palm
Beach Florida.
To secure additional
information about her lecturing, consulting and teaching
contact her at: NancileeWy@aol.com
or visit www.Windwater.com
or 888-488-FSIA or --for FREE answers to feng shui
questions: www.EfengshuiUSA.com.
Nancilee Wydra’s
Books:
Feng Shui The Book of Cures
Feng Shui in the Garden
Feng Shui and How to Look Before You Love
Feng Shui Goes to the Office
Feng Shui for Children’s Spaces
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