By Michael Reiley

"Silence is not the absence of something but the presence of everything."

Gordon Hempton, Founder One Square Inch of Silence

In August 2016, I embarked on a journey of both internal transformation and external exploration. My first stop was the Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Washington, where I immersed myself in nearly a month of silent meditation, diving deep into the Jhanas—states of intense concentration and altered consciousness. Guided by Leigh Braisington, a secular Buddhist teacher, this retreat was a gateway to experiencing profound stillness, joy, and presence. I experienced a gradual unfolding of time and a dissolution of the tightly held concept of "self," which I realized had been coloring my perception of daily life for years.

The retreat felt like a deep reset. I entered into states of joy and acceptance, where the constant push for achievement, identity, or purpose melted away. There was nowhere to go and nothing to be, as the silence invited a profound peace that softened the edges of my ordinary perception. I experienced an unraveling—a deep recognition of interconnectedness and presence. This inner work was not without its challenges, as old emotional patterns surfaced to be felt and released, but I emerged from the retreat with a heightened sense of awareness and a new understanding of what silence could offer.

With my mind and body freshly attuned, I set out on the second part of my journey: an adventure into the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. I had always been captivated by the idea of silence—not just the kind that exists in meditation, but the deep, untouched silence of nature. My destination was the Olympic National Rainforest, where I would attempt to find One Square Inch of Silence—a project created by Gordon Hempton. The idea behind this initiative is simple yet profound: preserve a space of natural silence, free from the intrusion of man-made noise, symbolized by a single red stone in the rainforest.

The journey to find this space was not only about experiencing the absence of noise, but also about tapping into a deeper, more elemental connection with the natural world. I spent days hiking through the Hoh National Rainforest, listening to the rain’s soft patter on the leaves, the rustle of animals in the underbrush, and the calls of birds high above. I recorded these soundscapes, capturing them for my sound design project, Echozoo, which explores cryptozoological sound environments. But beyond the recordings, I was there to fully immerse myself in the experience of pure, natural sound.

I remember vividly the moment I found the red stone that marks One Square Inch of Silence. It was tucked away in a clearing, resting atop a moss-covered log, worn smooth by the hands of many visitors before me. As I sat there, surrounded by the quiet hum of the forest, I felt a sense of sacredness. There were no sounds of cars, planes, or human activity—just the natural rhythms of life. The absence of artificial sound created a presence in its own right. Silence, I realized, was not empty. It was filled with possibility, potential, and deep connection to the environment around me.

Sitting in meditation at that spot, I became more aware of the subtle layers of sound—the chirp of a distant bird, the rustling of a chipmunk, the whisper of wind through the trees. These sounds, though subtle, carried with them a sense of aliveness and presence that was as powerful as any profound silence. It wasn’t long before I realized that in becoming quiet myself, I had begun to melt into the environment. I was no longer a visitor to this place—I was a part of it.

This experience in the Hoh Rainforest solidified something that had been growing inside me since my time at the meditation retreat: silence is not merely the absence of sound, but a gateway to a deeper, more meaningful form of listening. The silence allowed me to connect with my surroundings on a level that is often drowned out in the noise of everyday life. It reminded me that true silence, like the Buddhist concept of emptiness, is not void, but full of life and potential. It is in this silence that we can hear the deeper rhythms of the world and of ourselves.

This journey, both inward and outward, continues to resonate with me to this day. It has shaped the way I understand sound, silence, and listening as tools for healing and self-discovery. This is why I now offer Sound Sangha, a free weekly online meditation class focused on deep listening. In this space, we cultivate the art of listening—not just to external sounds, but to the silence and stillness within ourselves. The practice of deep listening is one that has the power to transform how we engage with the world around us and our inner landscape.

If you're curious about how sound and silence can create space for greater clarity, peace, and connection, I invite you to join Sound Sangha. It’s an opportunity to explore sound as a tool for mindfulness, while also connecting with a community of like-minded individuals on a similar journey. Together, we’ll explore the healing power of sound and silence, opening ourselves to the beauty of deep listening.

Listen to this full interview with Gordon Hempton on OnBeing.