TDB&TB Question #15 ~ Butterfly Hearing
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- DeppInTheHeartOfTexas
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TDB&TB Question #15 ~ Butterfly Hearing
Pg. 97 The chapter ends with this passage after Bauby comments on the noises he hears around him.
“Far from such din, when blessed silence returns, I can listen to the butterflies that flutter inside my head. To hear them, one must be calm and pay close attention, for their wingbeats are barely audible. Loud breathing is enough to drown them out. This is astonishing: my hearing does not improve, yet I hear them better and better. I must have butterfly hearing.”
What is he saying to us?
“Far from such din, when blessed silence returns, I can listen to the butterflies that flutter inside my head. To hear them, one must be calm and pay close attention, for their wingbeats are barely audible. Loud breathing is enough to drown them out. This is astonishing: my hearing does not improve, yet I hear them better and better. I must have butterfly hearing.”
What is he saying to us?
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -
Wow! What a ride!
Wow! What a ride!
I first took his statement as him holding still and not breathing so as to not drown them out. (On second tought he could not do that with a ventilator.) He says his hearing does not improve yet he hears them better and better, so to me they are one of those six senses we develop in response to the loss of others. I think his butterfly hearing is part of his escaping into his thoughts. A relief valve of sorts compensating for other forms of communication and experiencing life.
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
"Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul...
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings...
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy."
And...
"Place in matter and flesh the least of the values, for these are the things that hold death and must pass away. Discover in all things that which shines"
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul...
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings...
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy."
And...
"Place in matter and flesh the least of the values, for these are the things that hold death and must pass away. Discover in all things that which shines"
"Luck... inspiration... both only really happen to you when you empty your heart of ambition, purpose, and plan; when you give yourself, completely, to the golden, fate-filled moment."
suec wrote:"Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul...
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings...
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy."
And...
"Place in matter and flesh the least of the values, for these are the things that hold death and must pass away. Discover in all things that which shines"
If memory doesn't fail me I hear a bit of Deserida. Is there a bit of something else there? Regardless, very fitting!
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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Maybe he's expecting his other senses to compensate, now he is so cut off from what he thought of as normal. And maybe, just maybe, they don't. They just stay the same. Maybe he's just imagining he can hear things (like you say, gemini, the respirator sucking away outside his control).
People always look for the up side of a disaster, don't they. Maybe there isn't one, so we invent it.
I have my own counterargument to this, but I'll leave it til later.
People always look for the up side of a disaster, don't they. Maybe there isn't one, so we invent it.
I have my own counterargument to this, but I'll leave it til later.
Work hard, learn well, and make peace with the fact that you'll never be as cool as Johnny Depp. GQ.
Solace in the flood
Solace in the flood
- Liz
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gemini wrote:suec wrote:"Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul...
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings...
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy."
And...
"Place in matter and flesh the least of the values, for these are the things that hold death and must pass away. Discover in all things that which shines"
If memory doesn't fail me I hear a bit of Deserida. Is there a bit of something else there? Regardless, very fitting!
Very fitting!

Endora, I think we do invent positive ways of looking at tragedies. It is a protective mechanism.
You can't judge a book by its cover.
The only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story.
The only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story.
- DeppInTheHeartOfTexas
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Very fitting quotes.
gemini, my first interpretation was like yours. That he was either learning to go deeper or falling deeper inside his mind, learning to concentrate on his ability to escape into his imagination. I also wondered if it was him falling into a coma (which it wasn't) or becoming more incapacitated.

gemini, my first interpretation was like yours. That he was either learning to go deeper or falling deeper inside his mind, learning to concentrate on his ability to escape into his imagination. I also wondered if it was him falling into a coma (which it wasn't) or becoming more incapacitated.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -
Wow! What a ride!
Wow! What a ride!
Suec's quotes are perfect for this passage.
I definitely thought Jean Do's butterfly hearing was a good thing; I had a big smiley face drawn by that paragraph. Butterflies made me think of something natural, beautiful, gentle....good thoughts. I felt that with the recognition that most of his external life was gone, he was cultivating his internal life. I think he was saying that he was hearing something peaceful, and I guess we'd all be better off if we could do this. 


"I never wanted to be remembered for being a star."
DeppInTheHeartOfTexas wrote:Very fitting quotes.![]()
gemini, my first interpretation was like yours. That he was either learning to go deeper or falling deeper inside his mind, learning to concentrate on his ability to escape into his imagination. I also wondered if it was him falling into a coma (which it wasn't) or becoming more incapacitated.
That's what I thought. It didn't even cross my mind he could be referring to actual hearing, to an actual sound. Just like the title, hearing the butterflies is hearing his own mind, and so doing nothing at all, being infinitely still and ignoring all outside noises or disturbances helps with the "butterfly hearing", helps him get in touch with his inner discussions and memories. I think that's why he says that his hearing doesn't get better for him to hear the butterflies: he doesn't develop any new senses, he just pays closer attention.
Beautiful appropriate quotes, Suec
Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. But I am the opposite of a stage magician. He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion. - Tom Wingfield, Glass Menagerie
Late on the take here.
While reading the book, the impression I took was one of heightened "inner" senses. Perhaps that he'd denied or ignored for many years because of his busy lifestyle.
Nevertheless - I'd not trade off my old lifestyle for the new one, even if it were to bring me inner peace. I'd prefer things to go back to the way they were, with a reminder from time to time to stop and smell the roses.
I didn't take the time to read all the responses yet, I have to catch up. I hadn't finished watching the film and was away during the major discussion of it. I am dedicated to catching up!
Don't want to mess up the first time around with ONBC!!
While reading the book, the impression I took was one of heightened "inner" senses. Perhaps that he'd denied or ignored for many years because of his busy lifestyle.
Nevertheless - I'd not trade off my old lifestyle for the new one, even if it were to bring me inner peace. I'd prefer things to go back to the way they were, with a reminder from time to time to stop and smell the roses.
I didn't take the time to read all the responses yet, I have to catch up. I hadn't finished watching the film and was away during the major discussion of it. I am dedicated to catching up!
Don't want to mess up the first time around with ONBC!!
"For certain you must be lost to find the place what can't be found. Elseways everyone would know where it was." ~ Hector Barbossa
Inthezone wrote:Late on the take here.
While reading the book, the impression I took was one of heightened "inner" senses. Perhaps that he'd denied or ignored for many years because of his busy lifestyle.
Nevertheless - I'd not trade off my old lifestyle for the new one, even if it were to bring me inner peace. I'd prefer things to go back to the way they were, with a reminder from time to time to stop and smell the roses.
I didn't take the time to read all the responses yet, I have to catch up. I hadn't finished watching the film and was away during the major discussion of it. I am dedicated to catching up!
Don't want to mess up the first time around with ONBC!!
No worries, ITZ. Take you time catching up.

I for one have been in a state of withdrawal since this discussion officially ended - although the drop-dead gorgeous coverage of Johnny at the MTV awards has been providing some much needed distraction!

Still, I'm all for a bit of review - particularly on a question I apparently missed too. I agree with you about the butterfly hearing being a reflection of Jean-Do's heightened inner sensitivity. And you pose (and answer) an interesting question: if we knew of a way to attain inner awareness or a higher level of consciousness that would give us inner peace and/or would allow us to have an idea of the Bigger Picture, but we also knew what we'd have to give up in order to get it, would we??
Hmmmm....?

"Belay that! ...Do something else!" ~ Hector Barbossa
savvy avi by mamabear
savvy avi by mamabear
- Liz
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That’s a heavy question, Parlez. I’ll have to think on that.
And, Inthezone, as Parlez said, no worries about catching up. I’m glad you are both keeping this going because it could be a while before we start up again. Both DITHOT and I are having to deal with “real” life right now with our families, work and school. So I love that this discussion is continuing past the final date.
As far as our next discussion….we haven’t had a chance to decide on the start date, but it WILL be later than we originally indicated…..by maybe a month.
Back to the butterfly…..I think that it represents both a higher awareness but also freedom.
And, Inthezone, as Parlez said, no worries about catching up. I’m glad you are both keeping this going because it could be a while before we start up again. Both DITHOT and I are having to deal with “real” life right now with our families, work and school. So I love that this discussion is continuing past the final date.
As far as our next discussion….we haven’t had a chance to decide on the start date, but it WILL be later than we originally indicated…..by maybe a month.
Back to the butterfly…..I think that it represents both a higher awareness but also freedom.
You can't judge a book by its cover.
The only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story.
The only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story.
As much as I like the ONBC, Liz and DITHOT, I know real life comes first. I hope everything goes well for both of you and your lives.Liz wrote:Both DITHOT and I are having to deal with “real” life right now with our families, work and school. So I love that this discussion is continuing past the final date.
Take your time; we'll be here waiting.

- Liz
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fansmom wrote:As much as I like the ONBC, Liz and DITHOT, I know real life comes first. I hope everything goes well for both of you and your lives.Liz wrote:Both DITHOT and I are having to deal with “real” life right now with our families, work and school. So I love that this discussion is continuing past the final date.
Take your time; we'll be here waiting.
Thanks for the support, Fansmom. It's hard when real life hits us both at the same time.
But youse guys may need the extra time, too. TCD is not a quick read. So the extra time might be a relief to some.
You can't judge a book by its cover.
The only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story.
The only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story.
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