Warning: Getting “quiet” with God can be scary
Are you up for the Orfield Challenge? If you're like me and have never heard of this phrase, it's a challenge issued by Orfield Labs in Minneapolis, MN, to spend a few minutes in total silence. Sounds easy, right? (It might even sound like a dream vacation from the constant chime of text messages and emails bombarding you every second of every day.) That's what tons of people thought… until they closed the doors to this soundproof chamber!
People are freaking out after just a few minutes in anechoic chambers!1 The Orfield Challenge originally started with just five minutes. They asked people to remain in a chamber that absorbed every possible sound. Since all sound presented to the human ear is a vibration or an echo, the term 'anechoic' means 'without echo,' referring to a room designed by scientists to absorb every vibration, making it the only entirely quiet room on Earth.
I know what you're thinking… 'What's so scary about being in a quiet room?' This is where things get interesting. Some people couldn’t last more than five minutes in the eerie silence as soon as the doors shut. Currently, the longest anyone has been able to stay in a room where they can hear themselves blink is 86 minutes. Callus, a YouTube personality, recently broke the world record by remaining in the chamber for 86 minutes. It was a feat that almost seemed impossible to the people who thought they were tough enough and left after only five minutes.2
People are freaking out after just a few minutes in anechoic chambers!1 The Orfield Challenge originally started with just five minutes. They asked people to remain in a chamber that absorbed every possible sound. Since all sound presented to the human ear is a vibration or an echo, the term 'anechoic' means 'without echo,' referring to a room designed by scientists to absorb every vibration, making it the only entirely quiet room on Earth.
I know what you're thinking… 'What's so scary about being in a quiet room?' This is where things get interesting. Some people couldn’t last more than five minutes in the eerie silence as soon as the doors shut. Currently, the longest anyone has been able to stay in a room where they can hear themselves blink is 86 minutes. Callus, a YouTube personality, recently broke the world record by remaining in the chamber for 86 minutes. It was a feat that almost seemed impossible to the people who thought they were tough enough and left after only five minutes.2
We’re constantly distracted from what’s deep inside
Not only does this room teach humility to the proud, but it also teaches scientists about the role sound plays in the human brain. There is so much more I would like to say about the human ear, our brains, and the way sound touches our hearts. But since I’ve already geeked out on this topic, I’ll try to keep the rest of this article short.
Prayer is hard work. It might be as hard as spending a few minutes alone in an anechoic chamber. Maybe you’re a lot better at the habit of prayer than I am, but I regularly find myself overwhelmed by distractions when I'm trying to get gut-level honest with God.
Prayer is far more than asking for nice things from God. It’s a conversation with your Creator. Because I know God’s heart and His ability to look deep inside my heart, I get a little freaked out by radically honest prayer. I can't help but wonder if some of those distractions are my way of protecting myself from becoming too vulnerable with God.
Prayer is hard work. It might be as hard as spending a few minutes alone in an anechoic chamber. Maybe you’re a lot better at the habit of prayer than I am, but I regularly find myself overwhelmed by distractions when I'm trying to get gut-level honest with God.
Prayer is far more than asking for nice things from God. It’s a conversation with your Creator. Because I know God’s heart and His ability to look deep inside my heart, I get a little freaked out by radically honest prayer. I can't help but wonder if some of those distractions are my way of protecting myself from becoming too vulnerable with God.
What’s inside might be scary
I find it fascinating that Jesus regularly did the hard work of cultivating His relationship with His Father. Matthew 14:23 describes how Jesus left the crowds of people and went alone to pray. I wish we had a written record of Jesus’s prayers. I would like to know what His prayers sounded like when He was alone on the mountain, deep in prayer with God the Father.
Why would the Son of God need to pray? What could He possibly need to say to God or learn about God that He doesn't already know? I believe this story in the Bible shows us how we should approach our relationship with God. If Jesus needed to spend time alone, in relative silence, with God in prayer, then we should do the same—even more!
Why would the Son of God need to pray? What could He possibly need to say to God or learn about God that He doesn't already know? I believe this story in the Bible shows us how we should approach our relationship with God. If Jesus needed to spend time alone, in relative silence, with God in prayer, then we should do the same—even more!
You can’t hide in here
When people found themselves alone in the anechoic chambers, their minds struggled with the overwhelming silence. They reported hearing their stomachs digesting, their knuckles moving as they clenched their fists, and their blood coursing through their veins. This kind of raw internal awareness left many feeling unsettled or downright terrified.
I'll admit it: I want to give this chamber a try! There's something inside me that wants to know what it would feel like when I start to hallucinate due to the sensory deprivation around me. I have this desire to see if I can beat the record. However, I'd also love to know how deeply my prayers can resonate off the walls of my heart in a soundless chamber like this.
Sound isn't the reason why most of us get distracted from serious prayer. Part of our problem is that it becomes uncomfortable to admit things about ourselves to God when we get gut-level honest in prayer.
The lesson this chamber reminded me of is that real, raw prayer is hard work. When there are no distractions, your mind can still wander. But when you are completely honest with God in your prayers, you get a glimpse of who God is, who you are, and the huge difference between the two. And that can be just plain scary.
Jesus’s challenge is far more important than the Orfield Challenge. Jesus challenged His followers to 'Go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret' when you pray. You don’t need to fly to the nearest anechoic chamber. You can do it in your closet or your backyard. Just remember to get gut-level honest when you pray. "And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6).
I'll admit it: I want to give this chamber a try! There's something inside me that wants to know what it would feel like when I start to hallucinate due to the sensory deprivation around me. I have this desire to see if I can beat the record. However, I'd also love to know how deeply my prayers can resonate off the walls of my heart in a soundless chamber like this.
Sound isn't the reason why most of us get distracted from serious prayer. Part of our problem is that it becomes uncomfortable to admit things about ourselves to God when we get gut-level honest in prayer.
The lesson this chamber reminded me of is that real, raw prayer is hard work. When there are no distractions, your mind can still wander. But when you are completely honest with God in your prayers, you get a glimpse of who God is, who you are, and the huge difference between the two. And that can be just plain scary.
Jesus’s challenge is far more important than the Orfield Challenge. Jesus challenged His followers to 'Go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret' when you pray. You don’t need to fly to the nearest anechoic chamber. You can do it in your closet or your backyard. Just remember to get gut-level honest when you pray. "And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6).
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