posted March 08, 2014 01:50 PM            

No I'm not talking about families who hold grudges and clam up with each other, hmmm, or when you eat alone on a day the TV/radio/internet is broken, ha!
I'm talking about a meditative experience. Complete silence from beginning to end.

There are restaurants who advertise these dinners. You preorder by writing your selection on a card, kind of like returning a wedding reception response. The servers never speak either, so you have to wave your hands if you want to be served more, or don't want something.

There are classes for sign language that have meetings with food vendors where you commune without speaking. Only signing is allowed.

Then there are private silent dinner parties... Something with which you might want to experiment. One persons's home is the host, everyone brings a dish (preplanned menu for a full course meal) or the host cooks and a monetary donation is received at the door. You need rsvp to know the exact amount attending. You can decide if everyone participates in setting the table or preparing food, but either way, No words are ever spoken, the entire night, from the time the door is opened. You can choose to communicate through your eyes, hand motions, smiling, or just be present to the energy of the group. Maybe even close your eyes while eating and listen to the silence.

I wonder how mutable or air signs would hold up attending one of these.

I've been invited to several through friends at the church that I used to attend. Now I could kick myself tor not going.

Does anyone want to try this and report back on how it went or share experiences you've already had?
Do you think you would break the rules and speak?

posted March 08, 2014 03:59 PM            

Well I'm one of those air signs, so maybe you're right and that's why... But I don't think I could focus on spiritual matters if my friends were right there. I can contemplate on such things on my own, but I don't think companionable silence would give me anything. I mean, I can have a semi-quiet meal (if the food is really good and I'm too busy eating), but as soon as that's done I'll want to chat... For hours... Most of my friends are also air signs so I think that's just how we roll, really.

posted March 09, 2014 06:24 AM            

Words n noises sometimes distract me and I fall into the hearing-but-not-listening "mode". Sometimes in a loud, noisy meal with my friends/loved ones, I suddenly have the feeling that I stand "out side" looking in. During silent dinners I feel my presence and others' more strongly. Idk it's hard to describe.

posted March 09, 2014 12:05 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
Chewing isn't silent.

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Ha ha
Ha ha ha
Not silent in my family.
The kids always made slurping noises, so my ex, their father, would go hide out in the bathroom and come back to eat when we were all done and cleaned up. He would eat alone because I would be off playing with the kids.
He was overly fussy.

posted March 29, 2015 12:17 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Scorpiocat:
It sounds really boring, I wouldn't go to one.

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