When we are very loud inside, we require external amplification to distract us from the internal roar, and we often pursue this amplification through the senses. As both the internal and the external roars increase, we become even more desensitized and require a still greater barrage of sensations to forget ourselves. We can see the effects of desensitization in our culture's indulgence in violent movies, violent music, shock TV, dangerous sex, and addictions to speed and intoxicants. . . . All of this signifies a deadening of sensitivity, a disassociation from life itself.
— Catherine Ingram, Passionate Presence