My only experience with silent retreats is one that I did with a friend last autumn. We went to a cabin on a secluded island and spent three days there. During one period of 24 hours we didn’t communicate at all with each other or the outside world. Already that short period of staying totally silent made me realized many things about myself and about my subconscious.

Another friend of mine went to a 10-day silent retreat in Thailand. He told me they were not allowed to make eye-contact or talk and they could not write or make notes. No literature or music was allowed. It sounded pretty violent for the mind actually in my ears and I don’t think one needs to put oneself in a situation like that. He had for example been unable to decide wheather or not a thought he had was from a dream or from reality and kept looping on that for quite some time.

I believe that silent retreats are very good if you do it with the right knowledge and intentions behind the experience.