// HYPOTHESIS_LOADED

My brain is a browser with 400 tabs open. 3 of them are playing music. I do not know where the music is coming from.
I am addicted to stimulation. Podcast in the shower. Music while working. Twitter while elevator-ing.
The Experiment: 60 Minutes of Silence per day.
The Rules: No apps (Headspace/Calm). No guided voice tells me to "imagine a stream." Just me, a wall, and my screaming brain.

SILENCE_IS_DEAFENING

> DAY 1: THE TORTURE CHAMBER

I set a timer for 60 minutes. I sat on a cushion.

Minute 0-5: "This is okay. I am Zen. I am a monk."
Minute 6: "My nose itches."
Minute 7: "My leg is asleep."
Minute 8: "Did I reply to that email from Dave? Wait, do I even know a Dave?"
Minute 12: "I HATE THIS. I AM BORED. I COULD BE WATCHING NETFLIX."

The boredom was physical. It felt like my skin was crawling. I checked the timer. 14 minutes had passed. It felt like 4 hours.
I quit at minute 22. I failed.

> DAY 3: THE ONSLAUGHT

I tried again. This time, I resolved not to move.
When you sit in silence, your suppressed thoughts come to the surface. The "Junk Folder" of your brain empties itself.

"You were rude to your mom in 2018."
"You aren't saving enough money."
"Remember that embarrassing thing you said on a date?"

It wasn't peaceful. It was a confrontation. I was forced to sit in a room with my own insecurities.

> DAY 7: THE BREAKTHROUGH

Something happened around Minute 40 on Day 7.
The thoughts kept coming, but I stopped grabbing them.
I visualized my thoughts as "Popup Ads."
Usually, when an anxious thought appears ("You're going to get fired"), I click it. I engage with it. I go down the rabbit hole.
This time, I just saw the popup... and let it close.
"Oh, there's an anxiety thought. Interesting." -> Swipe left.

> THE REAL WORLD EFFECTS

The effects bled into my actual life.
Scenario A: Traffic Jam.
Old Me: Scream. Honk. Blood pressure spikes.
New Me: "Oh. Traffic. I am currently stopped." (Observation, not reaction).
Scenario B: Rude Email.
Old Me: Type furious reply immediately.
New Me: Feel the anger rise. Watch it. Let it pass. Reply 20 minutes later calmly.

Meditation didn't make me "Happy." It made me "Unreactive." It gave me a buffer between Stimulus and Response.

> FINAL_VERDICT

You don't need 1 hour because you have time. You need 1 hour because you *don't* have time.
The busier you are, the faster your brain spins. Silence is the only brake pedal you have.

CONCLUSION: 1 Hour is extreme (monk mode). 20 Minutes is the Minimum Effective Dose. Find your brake pedal before you crash.