<DIV>Many people find the very notion of silence uncomfortable, even alarming or embarrassing. They are gripped by a kind of agoraphobia of the spirit. Many try to obliterate silence by turning up the volume control of music or television, or the volume of their days.<B><B><I>The Power of Silence</I> explores the world of silence--a mysterious and unfathomable realm, perhaps the most underused of all resources--and those who recognize its value. It is based on extensive interviews with those whose business is silence and who understand its creative and therapeutic uses.<B><B>Graham Turner explores how the desert fathers sought silence and solitude. Psychotherapists talk of the creative value of silence in their practice as do--perhaps surprisingly--musical composers. The great Catholic centers of contemplation are investigated, as are the practitioners of Zen and those who try to heal the sickness of the mind.<B><B>A silent moment is time for tranquility and reflection--something beyond ourselves. The value of welcoming quiet has become a great gap in modern human awareness, and this book seeks to restore our belief in the power of silence.</DIV>