The Space Between Thoughts

In silence is where answers are heard

When we create space for quietness internally…
When we become aware of our conscious self-talk…
When we are no longer wrapped up and tied up in thought…

Something shifts.

We begin to hear what’s going on around us.
We begin to hear what’s happening inside us.
And in that space, silence starts to emerge.

“Listen to silence, it has so much to say…” Rumi

Research has shown that periods of silence can support the brain in powerful ways.

A study published in ‘Brain, Structure & Function’ found that silence stimulated growth of new cells in the hippocampus — the part of the brain linked to memory, learning, and emotional processing. In other words, when we allow quiet, the brain quite literally creates the conditions to process and understand more clearly.

And then we can ask ourselves a simple question: Does this feel good for me?

Yes please… or no thank you.

Without needing to engage in multiple conversations or narratives just to justify, we can simply decide — and commit from a place of feeling. Decision-making becomes easier when the mind is not overloaded.

In silence is where answers are heard. When we step away from constant stimulation, the brain naturally shifts into what neuroscience calls the Default Mode Network — the brain’s internal workspace.

This is where memories integrate, insights form, and connections are made. It’s why clarity often arrives when we’re walking, showering, or resting — not when we’re forcing solutions. We begin to listen differently.

We listen without placing our own thoughts and judgements in front of what is being said. We take things as they are. And in doing so, we move through moments with less discomfort, without a head full of noise.

The 7 Step Programme creates a gap. A pause. A moment of space between thought and response.

Psychology describes something called Directed Attention Fatigue — the mental exhaustion that comes from constant input and pressure. Silence restores this. Attention Restoration Theory shows that quiet allows the prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and clarity — to recover.

And when it recovers, the mind can distinguish what truly matters from background mental static.

We begin to see more clearly.
We begin to hear more fully.
We begin to understand more deeply.

Silence also calms the body. Studies have shown that even short periods of quiet can reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, and decrease cortisol — the stress hormone.

When cortisol is high, the brain narrows its focus to survival. When the nervous system settles, perspective widens and big-picture thinking returns. And from that place, decisions feel simpler, more grounded, more aligned with what feels true for you.

When something that once felt good begins to feel not so good, we redirect. We choose another direction.

Either way, we make a decision — and we follow through for ourselves. Because clarity doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from creating space.

When the mind settles, awareness expands.

And from that place, life feels quieter, steadier, more intentional.