Visitors to the anechoic chamber at Orfield Laboratories in Minneapolis encounter a sound environment so profoundly quiet that it has earned the title of the quietest room on Earth, as recognized by Guinness World Records. The chamber’s sound level measures at an astonishing –24.9 decibels, a frequency so low that it plunges into a realm rarely experienced by human ears in daily life.
Inside this unique space, silence transforms from a source of relaxation into an unsettling experience, often described as a mental challenge. According to Steven Orfield, founder of Orfield Laboratories, the extreme quiet causes one’s ears to adapt, revealing sounds that typically go unnoticed. “When it’s quiet, ears will adapt. The quieter the room, the more things you hear,” he explained to Hearing Aid Know. Visitors frequently report hearing their own heartbeat, the rush of blood through their veins, and even the subtle movements of internal organs.
The Psychological Effects of Extreme Silence
The absence of ambient noise creates a disorienting environment. Orfield highlighted that without auditory cues, the brain struggles to maintain balance and spatial orientation. As he noted in an interview with CBS, “How you orient yourself is through sounds you hear when you walk. In the anechoic chamber, you don’t have any cues.” Most individuals find themselves needing a chair within approximately 30 minutes, and no one has managed to remain in the chamber for longer than 45 minutes.
This experience is not merely an exercise in endurance but serves practical purposes as well. NASA employs similar anechoic chambers for astronaut training, helping them acclimate to the sensory deprivation they may encounter in the vastness of space. Some visitors seek out the facility for deep meditation, while others approach it as a challenge, often accompanied by friends. Regardless of intent, the chamber’s silence proves to be a formidable opponent.
Comparative Silence: Microsoft’s Chamber
Another notable anechoic chamber resides at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, previously holding the title of the quietest place on Earth. Its unique onion-like structure consists of layers designed to block outside sound. Nevertheless, visitors to this chamber also struggle to endure the silence for long, with a maximum stay of around 55 minutes before the experience becomes overwhelming.
Hundraj Gopal, a senior engineer at Microsoft, described the sensation of stepping into an anechoic chamber as a release from the constant pressure exerted by everyday sounds. “With no reflected sound, the body feels suspended in a strange sensory vacuum,” he explained to CNN.
Philosophers often claim that silence is not empty, and in these chambers, this notion takes on a literal meaning. People become acutely aware of their internal bodily functions, resulting in a level of self-awareness that can be both enlightening and unnerving.
Orfield Laboratories offers individuals the chance to book private sessions in this unique space. For those who have found traditional meditation apps ineffective, this experience might provide a powerful alternative. Just be prepared: the silence may prove to be a greater challenge than anticipated.
