Quieting the Static

I heard someone on the radio talking about how it takes 3 days of being away from society and out in the wilderness for the static of our lives to quiet down.  When I say static I mean the "did I pay my bills?", "I should go check facebook", "I need to write a blog", etc etc etc...basically the noise of our lives.  He then said by day 10 you are completely aware of who you really are.  You've pushed your body to it's limit.  You've had nothing but time to think.  You've returned to the most basic version of you. 

Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis and Clark fame) killed himself a few years after returning from the famed expedition.  No one knows why he did this.  But the person on the radio hypothesized that Lewis changed in the wilderness.  He had changed by no longer being able to discern himself from the native Americans he was making contact with.  His skin was tan from spending so much time outside.  He was wearing animal skin clothing.  When he looked at himself and when he looked at the Native Americans, he stopped seeing a difference.  The noise of his life had been snuffed out and that was all that was left.  The effect was that when he came back to "society" he could no longer cope.  He had changed too much, and he no longer belonged.

Now, I don't know if the radio host's hypothesis is true or not.  But it seems like a possibility.  At some point I want to take a trip where I can quiet the static.  Where I can see myself without the noise of my life.  I don't want to have to wait until retirement to do it.  The noise gets louder the older I get.  If I have to wait 20 more years to quiet it I'm afraid I'll go deaf.

-scott