Depriving yourself of solitude "is the cause of many manifestations of psychological and physiological distress" states psychiatrist T. Byram Karasu, M.D., in The Art of Serenity. "Being with other people for long periods of time, no matter how loving, wonderful and interesting they may be, interferes with one's biopsychological rhythm."

According to Karasu, this rhythm is a combination of the body's circadian cycle and the hormones and neurotransmitters that affect factors such as mood and sleep patterns. Each of us creates our own inner pulse to help us synchronize with the solar, lunar and other cycles of the outside world. The constant presence of others can literally throw our rhythm out of sync.

"Solitude puts the individual in touch with his or her deepest feelings and allows time for previously unrelated thoughts and feelings to interact, to regroup themselves into new formations and combinations, and thus to bring harmony to the mind," says Karasu, who believes that solitude helps connect us to the worlds of nature and spirituality.

Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone.
~Paul Johannes Tillich, The Eternal Now