How did you study the effects of silence on us and what were the results?
In our “Freiburg Silence Studies”, hundreds of people of various ages, but mainly young adults, took part in silence offers: indoors alone or in groups, in therapeutic-methodological groups, but also in the park and in the forest. The task was the same for everyone: to sit quietly for a while and stay awake.
The most important results: The majority of people, regardless of age or gender, were significantly more relaxed after silence than before, in a better mood and with their thoughts in the present – regardless of whether they had been indoors or in the forest, regardless of whether they were alone or in a group. They experienced the quiet times as very intense and, despite doing nothing, not boring.
Six and a half minutes were enough to achieve these effects. In some studies we have combined silence and therapeutically accompanied deep relaxation. This increased the effect of the silence. These people experienced the silence so intensely that they believed the exercise lasted an average of twelve minutes, twice as long, even though the time was no longer than in the other studies.
What are the conditions for us to benefit so much from silence?
Silence should not be forced, but should be chosen voluntarily. If you want to try it: Sit somewhere in your everyday life that feels good to you and give yourself this moment. Let your thoughts flow freely.
However, please do not do this if you find yourself in prolonged periods of stress. It’s like putting on the handbrake in a car at 200 km/h. You should also consult a professional if you have anxiety or depression. We think that such silence practices are very suitable as part of therapeutic treatments, but cannot replace them.
Silence has great power, but it is not a panacea. On the contrary: silence can also be used specifically as a punishment in the sense of “making someone quiet”.
What exactly is silence from your perspective?
First of all: There is no such thing as absolute silence. If you sit in a so-called “anechoic room” in which sounds are swallowed, after a few minutes you will notice your heartbeat, the rush of blood and other body sounds. In relative silence, whether indoors or outdoors, there is always background noise.
I like to differentiate between external and internal silence. For example, it is possible to be or become silent and concentrate in front of open windows despite the noise from construction sites. Meditation or mindfulness practices can be helpful here.
The word silence has a certain proximity to the term “breastfeeding”. “Breastfeeding” means calming a child who is screaming from hunger by feeding them and making them quiet. There is also “psychological breastfeeding” and the idea that therapeutic silence applications can contribute to this.
Eric Pfeifer is professor of aesthetics and communication at the Catholic University of Freiburg, psychotherapist, music therapist, silence researcher (“Freiburg Silence Studies”)
Sources
Schiffer, K. et al. (2025). Silence, darkness, and gravity: A qualitative analysis of individual experiences during Floatation-REST. Spiritual Care. DOI: 10.1515/spircare-2025-0054
Pfeifer, E., & Wittmann, M. (2020). Waiting, thinking, and feeling: Variations in the perception of time during silence. Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00602
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