Pico Iyer is a novelist, a travel writer, and the author of many books, including his most recent, "Aflame: Learning From Silence," which is the subject of this conversation.

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(00:00) Intro

(00:00) Intro

(00:58) Santa Barbara, June 1990

(04:25) The New Camaldoli Hermitage

(07:30) Pico's life when he first went to New Camaldoli

(11:08) Silence elicits gratitude, what's shared and what's essential

(16:10) Intentionally turning off technology

(22:39) Creating a wise amount of "cathedral time"

(25:53) Embracing silence as a non-religious person

(32:03) Leonard Cohen exploring his inner landscape in silence

(36:05) How Pico has developed from his 100+ hermitage visits

(41:35) Saying no in order to prioritize space for silence

(47:07) How to begin a life with more silence and contemplation

(50:41) Silence as an antidote to despair

(54:36) What Pico has learned from the Dalai Lama