The DVD of this three part BBC TWO series broadcast last November is now available.

The Big Silence, followed five people who decided to take time out of their daily lives in an attempt to understand just why silence is so elusive and hard to attain in modern day society.  

Carrie, David, Helen, Jon and Trish all have modern, high-pressured jobs in stressful trades: business, teaching, PR, media and hospitality. They live hectic lives surrounded by constant white noise – internet, text, mobile phone, conference-calling and multi-media. All of them are aware of something profoundly missing from their lifestyles and are looking for an opportunity to find a more spiritual dimension to their lives.

Guiding the volunteers on their spiritual journey is Abbott Christopher Jamison of Worth Abbey in West Sussex, whom many will remember from popular BBC Two series The Monastery. As a Benedictine monk he is steeped in the Catholic tradition of the contemplative life, but he is convinced that everyone in the "real" world outside the monastery can also benefit from sustained, regular periods of silence.

Father Christopher says: 'Many of the world's religions believe there is one simple path that leads us towards God. It's called silence.

'When we enter into periods of silence, we start to see things with greater clarity. We come to know ourselves, and get in touch with the deepest part of ourselves. That is our soul.'

In the first episode Father Christopher invites the volunteers to spend two days with his community of monks in Sussex, where they spend time in quiet, completive prayer and meditation.

The weekend at Worth Abbey is to prepare the group for the experience that forms the centre of the series: an eight-day retreat totally immersed in silence at St Buenos Ignatian Spirituality Centre in North Wales, run by Jesuit priests and Ignatian spiritual guides. Absolutely no talking is allowed, except for a one-hour counselling session a day, and recording a short diary on tape.

The volunteers must confront fear, denial, anxiety and anger so that they can emerge with remarkable insights into themselves and their lives, before they can return to their jobs, families and communities to confront the pressures of life in a new way.

Over the following two-month period Father Christopher monitors their progress, at their own homes and at Worth Abbey as they meet up for a spiritual health check.

The question is whether, after their time with Father Christopher and their Jesuit spiritual guides is over, they will return to their old ways or if they have learnt valuable lessons that can profoundly change their lives for ever.

Many of us will recognise the experiences of the participants in The Big Silence – and this is where we hope the website – Growing into Silence – will be of help to you. It’s designed to help you understand more about the need for stillness in our lives. The site will give you information about retreat centres, offer suggestions for prayer, point you in the direction of helpful resources and suggest ways of dealing with some of the issues The Big Silence raised.