Can You Hear the Northern Lights?

Shuchi-Anil
Oct 14
3 min read

Exploring the ‘Quiet’ of the Aurora

The aurora’s beauty and mystery have inspired countless stories across cultures, especially in northern communities. The light show in the sky isn’t just a scientific marvel — it's also a spiritual phenomenon, with deep-rooted stories and meanings.

Much of the experience of the aurora is paradoxically silent — even though people often report hearing sounds, they’re typically too faint or too far from direct perception to register audibly.

But what if silence isn’t truly “silent”? What if it’s a space teeming with the potential for sound, waiting for us to uncover its mysteries?

What do you think silence sounds like?

Is it a whisper, just on the edge of perception?

A shimmer that feels like a faint hum or a soft ripple in the air?

Or perhaps, silence is not absence, but a presence — a space filled with things we can’t yet grasp?

Pause for a moment.

Close your eyes.

Take a deep breath, and listen.

In this stillness, what secrets emerge? What sensations begin to surface?

Imagine the aurora, in its soft, undulating silence, is revealing a hidden symphony — one we’re only beginning to hear.

What does silence feel like?

Does it invite you to listen more closely, or does it pull you into a space where something just beyond your reach beckons?

Creative Exercise: Unlocking the Aurora’s Hidden Symphony

Now that you've explored the aurora’s energy and its potential sound, let’s invite your imagination to fully immerse in its mystery.

Journaling Prompt: A Silent Sound

Think back to a moment in your life when you felt something beyond ordinary perception — perhaps a time when silence seemed to “speak,” or you encountered an unexplainable hum or vibration.

What made that moment feel different? Was there a physical sensation, a quiet hum, or something almost imperceptible that caught your attention?
How did it make you feel? Was there awe, discomfort, or curiosity? Reflect on how those emotions might connect with your experience of the aurora’s silent beauty.

Artistic Prompt: Visualizing Silence

Let your creativity flow in response to the aurora’s subtle energy.

How would you visually represent the aurora’s silent symphony? What colors or textures might capture the feeling of something unseen yet deeply felt?
Consider how the aurora might feel to stand beneath it. What emotions, sensations, or rhythms does it evoke in you?

Remember, just as the aurora thrives in the quiet, so does your imagination. Let this exercise guide you in creating something that speaks to the mystery and beauty of the natural world.

🔍 Knowledge Lens: When Silence Becomes Sound

The aurora may shimmer silently, but beneath its light, silence is far from empty. It's a space rich with untold stories, where sound is just waiting to emerge — just beyond our reach.

Much like the aurora’s soft glow, the quieter aspects of nature often hold the deepest mysteries. As we tune into the world around us — not just with our ears, but with our senses and imagination — we start to uncover a hidden language. Whispers, hums, and vibrations that don’t quite reach our ears, but still shape our experience.

In these quiet moments, nature often speaks the loudest.

Curious to Explore More?

If the mysteries of the aurora have ignited your curiosity, and you're eager to dive deeper into the science, stories, and creative explorations of this mesmerizing phenomenon, download our free e-book ‘When Light Makes Sound’.

Packed with everything you need to explore the unseen symphony of the aurora, it covers: