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The Carthusian monks at Parkminster monastery in southern England are allowed to talk just twice a week - the remainder of their time is spent in prayer and contemplation. They have chosen a life of silence as a way of helping them communicate with God.
Christianity isn't the only faith to prize silence. Sufi mystics, Hindu ascetics and Buddhists all give it a special place.
And you don't have to be religious to want to find solitude in a world full of noise: the internet is full of adverts for silent retreats.
Peter Stanford asks what people are looking for away from the bustle and chat of everyday life, as Heart and Soul explores the spiritual value of silence
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