The Big Silence

[TriggerHappy]

Has anybody just watched The Big Silence on BBC2? It made for very interesting watching I thought. It'll be fascinating to see how their attitudes and beliefs unfold in the remaining 2 episodes.

 

[Quantum Sprite]

As someone who will happily lie in a field all day watching clouds and uses photography as a means of getting away from everything I found it very interesting.

It reminded me of the poem 'Leisure' by WH Davies.

I suspect they will all discover religion as when they hear a voice in their heads it must be a higher being talking to them rather than their own mind working through things, and they will come to believe there must be a reason for things rather than stuff just happening.

I'm always amazed at the number of people who walk around wearing ipods etc, to completely divorce themselves from what is going on all around them - whether that is to avoid silence or cut themselves off from the world I don't know.

I found myself at one point wondering what would happen if Richard Dawkins or Stephen Fry took part, and what the selection criteria were; I can't imagine people whos hobbies are fishing or any other solitary pursuit feeling the need to take part.

So, I watched it and then logged on to TP to talk virtually to people!

 

[TriggerHappy]

As an absolute atheist (and I'm not wanting to turn this into a religious debate) I'm fascinated by the human's propensity towards searching for a higher power and I'm always intrigued by the exploration of this topic. The entire situation seems geared towards the suggestion that someone may speak to them and that coupled with the fact that some people want to hear something will undoubtedly result in the belief from some that they've found God. That of course isn't to say that they haven't, just that it's far from convincing from an outside perspective.

The significance of taking time out for silence is equally fascinating. Having grown up in the middle of no where I've always taken for granted being able to walk out into the garden at night and gaze at the stars deep in thought, sometimes for hours on end. Since coming to university city life really doesn't offer that silence and as a substitute I find myself listening to huge amounts of music; not that music can offer me silence, rather I just control the noise I hear. That's about the only thing I really miss of country life, but it's something so powerful. It's strange to feel so torn between two lifestyles that seem so diametrically opposed. So much so I've looked into visiting the place they spend 8 days at and see they do a student offer for the same experience, charging just £40.

As you can see it's a program that's really made me think, and I don't really know the point of me having written this but yeah...

 

[photon]

You might be able to get paid for a few days' sojourn in a calorimeter, for nutrition research. There would be a TV provided, but you don't have to use it.

 

[TriggerHappy]

You might be able to get paid for a few days' sojourn in a calorimeter, for nutrition research. There would be a TV provided, but you don't have to use it.

Pfft that sounds too much like work for a student!

 

[onomatopoeia]

Since coming to university city life really doesn't offer that silence and as a substitute I find myself listening to huge amounts of music;

If Bristol is your university, then it's only half an hour to some silence - top of the Mendips is pretty quiet at night, as are the Somerset levels unless a road rally happens to be coming through!