Silence and psychological torture, hmmm...I have sat through a quaker meeting where a bored boy read a picture book. He had been told by his mother not to make any noise so he was very careful about turning the pages. He turned them very, very slowly and carefully with intense concentration. The entire meeting was riveted to him as he turned the next page of his book. A roomful of people silently shouting "Just turn the damn page and have done with!!" He kept turning his pages very slowly. The relief when he finally finished the book and it was time for him to go out with the other children.

I grew up as a Quaker and even though I no longer go to meeting I still love silence. It may be partly why I like very sparse arrangements of music and songs, I find the pauses just as important as the notes and chords.