I’ve been noticing how quickly the mind moves to occupy any open space.
A few seconds of nothing, and something steps in. Planning, replaying, reaching for a problem to solve. It happens fast enough that it almost feels like a reflex.
I feel like I understand that “silence is deafening” quote from when it’s super quiet during meditation and somehow the silence becomes LOUD.
What’s been more interesting is that the quiet itself doesn’t feel threatening when I actually notice it. If anything, it’s neutral. Maybe even a bit relieving.
It makes me wonder if the discomfort isn’t in the silence, but in the absence of something to be.
Curious if others see this in themselves. Does the mind leave any space unfilled for you, or does it always move to claim it? Are you able to sit long periods of mostly silence? If so, how long or how much practice did it take you to get to this place.
I’ve noticed something similar and how quickly my mind labels the gap.
There’ll be a brief pause, then almost immediately a quiet “this is boring” or “nothing’s happening.” It’s subtle, but it’s enough to kick things back into motion.
When I catch that part, the silence itself feels a lot less like a problem. It’s just another kind of experience, not something that needs filling.
I don’t get long stretches of silence, but I do notice those small gaps showing up more often. A few seconds here and there where nothing is being pushed or pulled. That’s been enough to change how the rest of the sit feels.
I heard something before that stuck with me: Just like the heart pumps blood and the lungs breathe, the brain thinks thoughts. It helped me stop taking the chattering mind so personally. It’s just the brain doing what it’s meant to do.
I relate to what you’re describing though. That reflex to occupy space is strong. For a long time, any quiet would immediately get filled before I even realized it.
I do notice more space now, but it took a while. It wasn’t something I could force. It seemed to come from just sitting consistently and getting more familiar with what’s happening. Longer sits helped, too. Once I started sitting 30 minutes or more, there was more opportunity for things to settle on their own, and those gaps began to stretch a bit.
Even now it’s not constant silence, but there are moments where nothing is really being added, and those feel surprisingly natural. I wonder what the typical “silent space” is like for monks!