A state of inner calm and quietude, free from mental agitation or emotional turbulence. A peaceful, undisturbed quality of mind.
From Old English stille meaning 'motionless' or 'quiet,' with roots in Proto-Germanic meaning 'fixed in place.' The emotional meaning developed as humans recognized that mental stillness mirrors physical stillness, both representing the absence of disruptive movement or noise.
Psychological stillness activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which governs our 'rest and digest' responses. This explains why practices like meditation that cultivate stillness have measurable effects on heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones - inner quietude literally rewires our physiology toward health and healing.
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