5. Hesychia as a Method ofHealing One of the fundamental methods of curing the soul isstill- ness in the full sense of the word. Ibelieve that we have already made this clear. Contemporary man is seeking heal- ing for his life, especially for his inner condition, precisely because he is over-strained. Therefore one of the messages which Orthodoxy can offer to the contemporary weary, dis- couraged and floundering world is the message of silence. I think that the Orthodox tradition has a great deal to offer in this area. So in what follows I shall tryto explain further the value ofhesychia and hesychasm for the healing ofthe soul, nous, heart, and intelligence. We have the impression that hesychia and hesychasm are among the most basic medicines for gaining inner health. And since lack of silence is what creates the problems, the pressure, anxiety and insecurity, as well as the psychological, psychical, and physical illnesses, we shall try to look at their cause, which is anti-hesychasm. The anti-hesychastic desert wind that isblowing and burning everything is prevalent everywhere and is the dominant cause of the abnormal situation. So we shall look at hesychia as a method of healing the soul, and anti-hesychasm as a cause of psychic and physical illness. 1. Hesychia (Stillness) Before defining hesychia, or stillness, let us look at its great value for the healing of the soul.