vow of silence and benefits?

Question

I heard taking a vow of silence can help you spiritually and mentally because of religiouse beliefs. But if you do take a STRICT vow of silence, is there any actuall benefit? Is there any side effect like forgetting how to speak your language or maybe not being able to speak at all? How long would you have to take a vow of silence to know when your ready to speak again? I'm really curious on this matter. If anyone can anyone answer these questions in deep detail I would appreciate it. And please dont put any small answers with hardly any detail at all, if you do, it'll show that you dont know what your talking about.

Answer 1

I have a very close friend, that though he is not Catholic, goes once a year to a monastery in Louisiana for one week.There is no TV, no phones, no cell phones. The only literature allowed is of Christian origin, preferably the Bible. You are cloistered with about 35 other men, and you may walk the grounds, go down to the bayou which in on the premises, sit under the moss laden oak trees, but you are forbidden to speak to anyone. When everyone arrives, they park their cars in the lot outside the monastery walls, and are taken by one of the monks into a large hall, where you are given the rules and boundary's. The priest in charge will give the word, when the silence begins, and everyone is after that point forbidden to speak. At meals, some forget and say "pass the potatoes" or something like that, but they quickly remember, that they are not to speak.

My friend says, this is the greatest week of his life. He communes with God almost constantly, He catches up on his Bible study. When the week is over, he said, he really wants to stay other week. He comes away refreshed and feeling great. He has promised to take me with him next year.

Answer 2

How are you going to tell people about The Good News if you take a vow of silence? Why would you? It does not benefit anyone.