Creating awareness about one of our planets most scarce resources
The Silence Project
Creating the Silence Project
Nature is always evolving and there are always new things to discover. It is the perfect place for regenerating both mentally and physically. But the natural silence is now being severely threatened in two ways – from the destruction of undisturbed places with natural biodiversity and from the increasing noise pollution from our modern civilisation.
I grew up close to nature in a beautiful area in Denmark with rivers, lakes, forest and wide open spaces. Since my childhood I have loved exploring and just being in nature. Naturally, I very fast discovered that only in silence could I truly hear the beautiful song of nature. But in Denmark the modern civilisation and noise pollution is never far away. Further, there are only very few places with wild nature in Denmark as most areas are urban districts or farmland. Thus natural silence doesn’t really exist.
In the spring of 2017, I went hiking in Norway. Naturally, I feel in love with it’s wild and rugged landscapes, the deep blue fjords, snowy mountains and beautiful waterfalls. But I was also deeply fascinated by the pure natural silence in the undisturbed places far from modern civilisation. This inspired me to start the Silence Project.
The Silence 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.
In August 2018 the Silence Project was presented by the Mexican news and information channel Noticieros Televisa.
Natural silence is essential
Undisturbed places with 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.
Hearing is the preferred sense in nature
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.
Natural silence
Benefits of natural 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 undisturbed places with natural silence one of our fastest-disappearing resources. It is my goal that the Silence 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.
Grateful living
The goal of my work with the Silence Project is to inspire people and to help them expand their consciousness to the natural beauty around them. Through my work I have learned that true success and happiness is not reaching a specific destination, but to enjoy the journey forward … one step at the time … always being my best and always helping others on their way.
In our stressful society we so seldom find the time to relax and regenerate. Use the silence films as an escape from a stressful and noisy environment. Here you will experience natural silence and wide relaxing spaces in nature.
We strive through life for status and recognition, and we attach ourselves to material things in the belief that they will make us happy. I believe that it is only when we free ourselves from this pursuit of external satisfying that we can displace the inner emptiness and create lasting happiness and tranquility in our stressed minds.
In fact, it is only our idea about that something is missing that prevents us from being happy. Happiness comes from being grateful for our situation and for all the things we already have. It is when we can rejoice together with others, that life makes sense, and true happiness arises. Happiness is not a destination; it is a process – a wonderful journey.
Nature’s beauty can be so easily missed. It is my hope that these films will contribute to a deeper understanding and gratitude of the natural wonders in our world. The survival of the natural world lies in our hands. We have the power to destroy or to protect the nature. The choice is ours.