After a great period of change or upheaval in life, there is a common tendency to spend up to five days Google searching “silent retreats in the mountains.” My sister used to do this when she was about to break up with her boyfriend, but was still living with him. These “meditation centers” usually advertise “meatless meals,” “yurts,” and “designated speaking areas.”

With the text message and cell phone frenzy of my everyday life, “the silent treatment” could be just the cure—though I am not sure how thrilled I am about the prospect of “listening for the voice of Christ.” Plus, many of these spiritual escapes sound like cults full of creepers (on the lines of Dahn Yoga), especially with their frequent mention of “sweat lodges” and “drumming circles.”

I asked my friend, “What do you do when you’re there?” and she responded, “Nothing—it’s the only reason to become religious.”

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