These authors are psychologists and researchers in the field of studying the meaning and purpose of solitude in human life. The publisher is a scholarly one, and the authors refer to and quote dozens of scientific studies. But you may also be surprised, as we were, at how practical this book can be.
Scientific studies not only confirm what spiritual people have known for millennia — that solitude feeds a relationship with the sacred — but the studies also point spiritual people in many fresh directions. For example, see this excerpt about what’s called “Attention Restoration Theory,” developed at the University of Michigan. It “reboots the brain” by helping us toward “soft fascination.” It is one of dozens of practical extensions of the research in this book, set apart in shaded boxes by the page designer, and one of several ways the authors point to the “super/natural” power of solitude.
Taking one other example, we found a Finnish study interesting, from chapter 8, “Finding Your Happy Place in Solitude.” It calls quietude a “love child” of solitude, which can be found either when one is completely alone or when one is in agreement with another person to pursue similar goals.
After the Finnish study, the authors present examples from Chinese culture inspired by Taoist philosophies, where a secret to contentment and longevity includes access to regular times and values of solitude. Chuang Tzu taught of the importance of using solitude and quiet “to see your aloneness.”
But most of all, the message of this book might be best summarized when they quote Chloe Zhao, who won the 2021 Academy Award for directing (Nomadland) and said: “[It is] okay to satisfy our primal need for silence. And in that silence, wonder on your own. Discover on your own. And don’t ever be afraid to get to know yourself better.”
Go Deeper:
A Field Guide to Solitude: An e-course offering a pathway to being alone that brings you closer to wholeness, wisdom, and well-being.
