The Nature of Fear

[Freed Fox]

Preface

Greetings everyone. The following is offered for the consideration of all who might be interested.

This thread comes from my current perspective, and is offered as such with no claimed authority. It is a recalibration of one facet of a personal revelation I had last month, which prompted the process of completely restructuring of my own life as I once knew it, as well as the way in which I tend to view the world today.

I made one misguided pass at this previously, in much too short a time following that epiphany. I hadn't given myself enough time to process and reflect. I left that thread intact for anyone so inclined but I frankly do not recommend it. A great deal has been processed and restructured since then.

There are numerous other topics, pieces of this figurative puzzle which are not yet digested/integrated enough to present. I will just have to see when the time may or may not come to delve into those as well.

No doubt, there will be contained here some degree of correlation/cross-over with some things you've heard or read before, while likely also contradicting others. Again, I offer my perspective and make no claim to a monopoly on the truth of this. Even what I've come to believe in this vein is subject to some revision.

I welcome input from anyone so inclined. Although my intent is not precisely to start a debate, I intend even less to teach or proselytize (though it may appear to some as otherwise). The topic of how this came together for me is a separate one entirely, but not one I am closed off to engaging in at some point in the future.



Introduction

I wish here to discuss and explore Fear, in its essence and effect. It is of course always most effective to start by defining key terms, or in this case the chief term; "Fear".

I think it is helpful to start by considering that Fear can take many forms. It wears many faces and puts on different voices when it visits us within.

I'm choosing to capitalize it here to help indicate the specific conceptualization I hope to eventually convey/construct here, undoubtedly divergent from the textbook definition or most other individually or culturally held meanings. We each carry certain associations and parameters for every concept like 'fear', beyond any simple definition we may consciously give when queried to do so.

My own associations and parameters regarding 'Fear' have changed immensely from what they had been prior to the start of this unexpected chapter of my life. If anything, they have expanded to encompass quite a few unconscious or semi-conscious modes of behavior.

I don't believe all of the following connotations are widely accepted, but I hope to eventually illustrate why I see things this way now.



Forms of Fear
(excluding feelings of outright shock or terror)

1. Doubt
2. Shame - fear of being judged, of social awkwardness, body issues, self-esteem issues, avoidance of acknowledging or reflecting upon past mistakes and/or personal shortcomings
3. Guilt - fear of not being forgiven, or facing the damage done by past mistakes or personal shortcomings
4. Pride - egoic fear, fear of rejection, fear of critical/honest self inspection
5. Paranoia - seems most often to boil down to the fear of a malevolent universe/God/superior power or authority.

Note: The elaborations following each of the above are not exhaustive necessarily, but rather offered to help relate them back to the relevant overarching concept. I will explore these more later on.

There are quite possibly even more 'faces' which this same underlying force appears to wear, but those listed above are the varieties I'd like to focus upon for the time being.

Just because you don't feel afraid, doesn't mean you aren't a slave to fear.

It was true for me. By some inexplicable mercy, those chains binding me were loosened (not removed), such that I was not only made more fully aware of them but have begun to slowly slide them off.

I'm not there yet, but I'd like to believe that if we were all in Plato's Cave together, I wouldn't just bolt ("every man for himself" style) as soon as the jig was up. I think it can help to recognize the shadows for what they are by actually deconstructing them amongst ourselves.

I mean 'deconstruction' as in; I believe there are actionable ways to dissolve those shadow forms dancing on the walls. In some ways they are out there already, but for now that is enough for this particular metaphorical sideline, as well as my own knack for getting ahead of myself.

On the contrary, I aim to take this thread slowly, and hopefully in logical steps of progression.

As one further, yet more relevant aside, yes; I would perhaps liken Fear more to a 'force' than to a simple (or even complicated) emotion. At least when conceptually speaking, this helps to underline its surprising capacities which are not widely considered or indeed even recognized.



Thread Thesis

It is my belief that most people in the world today are essentially being controlled by Fear, and it is one of the central sources of "evil" as we tend to think of it and as we see it enacted, in so very many ways all across this planet.



In Closing

As a final, reiterative note; I do gladly welcome your input here, but also would like to keep the discussion within the realms of proper focus and constructive positivity, as much as possible (though I realize the conundrum with the latter when dissecting considerably negative subject matter).

Thank you all for your time, patience, and presence.

See also: Part II - The Nature of Faith

[Freed Fox]

What is Fear?

In the first post, I spent a little time defining Fear by some of its different guises, and briefly alluding to its power and effect over us. Yet, the question still remains; what IS it? I have likened it to a force, but is that the most adequate or accurate designation?

The truth is: I don't know yet. Although it seems a vital question to answer in order to even address the issue, in actuality it isn't of paramount importance in order to begin those actionable measures I also alluded to; dissolving shadows and slipping off chains, so to speak. This of course applies to the individual level, but I believe it can eventually lead to a collective scope of application.

Building any solid foundation for collective change however relies upon enough of us first succeeding at liberation within. Because of this, we must not allow ourselves to just assume that Fear holds no sway over us, or that it only effects us in reasonable/justifiable ways. Those are assumptions I made (and I trusted in myself to make them) but ultimately were proven untrue. Some will resist (consciously or otherwise) for fear of losing peace of mind, or fear of wasting time.

For what it's worth; my peace of mind has never been better, and my time never better spent than these last four weeks.

You see, by defining and exploring Fear piece by piece, and then subsequently applying acquired insights to our everyday decisions, we can make much greater strides than by any insistence upon locating the ultimate source of it, or building a consensus upon whom or what it is we should blame for this matrix we are essentially steeped in. It is a more practical definition to seek, in my experience.



Clarification and Collaboration

The rest of this post is a slight digression to clarify the purpose of this thread (and others which may follow it). If my full intent is of no importance to you, feel free to just skim this post; everyone's time is valuable, after all. There are some however for whom intention and purpose are of chief importance, and they deserve full disclosure before investing time.

On one hand, I have never been so confident in my life. Both in myself, and in what helped me to reach this point. I said that I don't intend to teach, but it may have been more accurate to say I do not wish to claim a teaching role. I do not wish to presume authority. In all sincerity, it isn't about me. I hold the precepts I've followed in higher esteem than I hold myself. I am not confident in every single detail, but the overall process and the applicable results to which it leads are like a force in themselves, with a potential greater than Fear.

This is relevant for sake of transparency, and a clarification on the requests and perhaps even assertions I may eventually make. Because some are bound to think "who does he think he is?" or "I've heard all this before."

Please believe me; this isn't about me (even though it is part of my process), this is about what is within you. This also is about what is happening to the world around us, and what we may be able to do about it for the better. And if you have had any frequent dealings with the "Forms of Fear" I mentioned earlier in your recent past, please be willing to entertain the idea that this insidious force strikes deeper than you may have previously thought.

Yet, you must also believe that you can regain personal control and sovereignty (because you can).

There may be those here who have had revelations of their own along these lines, and another reason for this thread is to inspire contributions from them that may help someone else out there. Each step can have a ripple effect. I know one member on Avalon has started a thread about facing one's fears, which is excellent and obviously indicates that "fear as a problem" itself is not news. The depth of it may come as a great surprise though; prior to one month ago, I really thought that I had very few fears. I believed that I was mostly conscious of my decision making. I thought I was fully in control. I was not.

Fear is really just one piece of it, but where the process essentially started for me.

I bring this to Avalon because it is a community which has a serious leg-up on many other groups in a couple of key ways, with concern to the Fear issue in particular;

1. You are keenly aware that fear has a capacity to control the masses, and has been so employed in many matters, both explicitly and otherwise
2. You are open to ideas concerning other-worldly/non-traditional/fringe issues related to energy, emotions, spiritual phenomena, and their characteristics/effects
3. You are an open-minded and intelligent crowd with a diversity of experiences ranging from odd to inexplicable, other-worldly, or just generally outside the norm

(...and as much as that last one may have sounded like a bit of pandering, I promise it is meant with sincerity.)



Challenges

One of the challenges we face here, I think, is the avoidance of jumping to causative conclusions or even definitive theories thereof. This could be quite difficult, as I know there are some who have their own minds made up in these matters, but I believe that some preconceived notions and beliefs may serve as a hindrance to some.
(I humbly ask you in this thread, to try and start from scratch with these concepts - barring your own personal experiences - and try to entertain this process in sincerity.)

There are many further challenges when it comes to taking active measures in one's own life to counteract the driving force that is Fear, but those will wait until a later time. I believe we must take these things one step at a time in this process, as best we can, in order for it to have effective, coherent impact.



A Work in Progress

We are, in a certain sense, painting a picture of Fear here. We have to start by tracing an outline, by connecting certain dots. I propose the dots we focus upon are how Fear manifests, the forms it can take, the consequences it has, and (eventually) the ways to counter it and essentially regain control from it.

I would suggest that such a picture if properly constructed will render "the culprit", but I cannot guarantee it. It is still a mystery for me as well, a work-in-progress. Even if it does not reveal the source(s) or suspect(s) though, I have my own expanding personal testimony to how this - along with other facets of this epiphany - have indeed lead me to major and immensely positive changes in my life. It would be great to help others positively change too, but even better would be if others can take these perspectives and precepts, and develop them even further into positive, actionable changes on societal or even global levels.

I think there is a great potential benefit here, but it may require us to set some things aside, some things we 'know'.

For the final piece to come out clearly, we will need to refrain from bias as much as possible, so we don't end up semi-consciously tracing out the face of our own, internally decided-upon 'enemy' or 'grand scheme of things'. Bias can be as tunnel vision, and misguide even a genius intellect. Just set those things aside for now. I won't ask you to give them up, for my sake.



As Above, So Below

As I said, it is most often best to start by defining key terms, the most fundamental level of an argument or premise. The key term here - "Fear" - has a definition which I would propose needs to be unraveled, from within, by each of us for ourselves. It is too complex and personal to be briefly summarized. Yet, I have found one way of framing the concept which has served to unlock a great many doors for me, in vastly positive ways.

Similarly, true change and positive transformation must begin at the most fundamental level, and that is from within and to each his own. No one can do it for anyone else it seems, but at the same time, pieces of the puzzle gathered from research and experience can be key factors which aid in triggering these epiphanies within each of us. I try my best to do unto others as they would have done unto them. Well, had I believed in such powerful potential as this before, I would have wanted anyone who had somehow stumbled upon such a thing to share his or her methodology, and/or experience with it.

It will not necessarily work for everyone. There are likely some who have decided already against following this particular rabbit hole. Nevertheless, I believe in this.

If you found yourself witness to a harmful situation, and there was some remote possibility of having a positive impact on it (however minimal), would it not be better to try than to refrain for fear of failure?

The human race is in a harmful situation, as are the other creatures on this planet. There is a remote possibility to help. It relies upon rigorous, focused introspection, the resulting individual changes in behavior and outlook, collaboration with like-minded others and finally widespread, societal changes which reflect the first kind. That, it appears to me, is the only positive way out now.

One thing I've taken to heart is that complicated processes must be approached one step at a time, and with respect to the most fundamental levels first. Fear is where it basically started for me, so Fear is where I'm starting here now.

On that note, I believe I've digressed long enough. From the following post onward, we will continue with our exploration of Fear, the world I feel it has guided us to manifest, and ultimately what we can do to be the change I presume we want to see in the world.



In Summation

Collaboration is important. Research is important. But the answers... They really do have to come from within regarding these deepest internal matters. Yet, cues and ideas from the outside world played a significant role in the formulation of all this for me; as if by constructing a frame through which it could all come together and make sense. In fact, Project Avalon may have been an especially crucial component of this, in various and often subtle ways.

I'd like to give something back now.

[Freed Fox]

The Picture Moving Forward

I must warn you of two things:

1. The picture I (or we) paint may appear at first bleak, and may remain so for some time
2. I am a slow "painter"

However, I can reassure you of two things:

1. We are not here to empower Fear, though we may temporarily aggrandize it
2. I am as enthusiastic as I was one month ago, but have since refined in perspective, understanding, and resolve

I've realized that communicating the full meaning and impact of what I have been going through isn't so much like pointing at something as it is (in keeping with our running metaphor) like painting a complicated scene with one bad eye, an arthritic hand, and close to a decade of being out of practice with a brush. That is not just meant as a critique of myself but also to underscore the shear enormity of the bigger picture, which stretches far beyond the subject currently at hand here.

Brighter colors will make the palette, eventually.



What Fear Is

Fear, in the most basic terms to which I'm currently able to reduce it, is the opposing force to Love.

You've heard it before, I know, but allow me to elaborate from how I've experienced this to be true.

One would logically think of hatred as the opposite force for Love. However, I think this is untrue because of what hatred is. Hatred can be an expression of Fear, or a product of it, but is more often an expression of ignorance. That being, specifically, ignorance to the higher truths of life, the universe, and/or creation. Fundamental virtue.

Fear is more often the obstacle for - or deterrent to - the expression of Love. Much more than anything else for me, when I managed to finally see it. There was an actionable process by which I could accomplish this, and by which I am continuing to make progress against it. A major, fundamental key to this was learning to identify Fear, and understand the ways in which the different forms actually worked within me. That, however, is a brighter color whose time has not yet come. There is darker painting to be done.



Fear Is...

Fear is what tends to steer, when you fall asleep at the wheel.

When we are on auto-pilot, it quietly and cleverly re-programs the route.

Fear is like a fog, which millions - if not billions - of people reside in each and every day. An undetectable, permeating fog which serves to dull and numb.

It is the fog that enshrouded me, for as long as I can remember, really. I was - oh, I don't know - about 88% unconscious in my day-to-day life, and more specifically the nature and design of my decision making.

Some of you may know me from my previous activity on Avalon, dating back to December 2012. I was at least not completely asleep, I'd like to think; if not just by virtue of being here, interested in various subjects, and at least occasionally of a thoughtful and intelligent disposition. I did approach my activity here with honesty. I made some great personal connections with some of you and I did have compassion for any member whom I learned was going through personal difficulties. That is all true.

Yet, I was in a deeper state of sleep than I had any way of really knowing, throughout that time.



Moving Forward

Humility was never too far from my heart, which made this easier I think. Please - and I understand it is hard to do - open yourself to your most rigorous introspection as we move forward. Have the humility to look back on your entire life up to this point (or large portions of it) and sincerely consider that you (may) have been asleep all along. That's what it took for me, so know full well that I do not make such a request lightly.

However, it does not mean losing yourself. Although I have experienced incredible change, I am not a different person. In some strange way, I am more of who I always really was on the inside, on the levels that actually constitute me and not some superficial construction of society, my ego, or what-have-you.

For that "ego" side, and perhaps for a considerable time initially, the process might even be hellish. It was for me...and yet; here I am.

If Fear is the opposing force of Love, then would it not stand to reason that the less Fear you have, the more Love you will have the capacity to harbor, share, spread, and receive?

Next, I believe it would be most pertinent to revisit the "Forms of Fear" and expand upon how I experienced them as such. It would also be an excellent opportunity for contributions from anyone reading who might have some insightful experience with one or more of those forms. Also welcomed are any suggestions as to any heretofore unmentioned manifestations of Fear which you believe may be going unrecognized as such. Of course, I understand the basis of our picture is still fairly unclear, but I hope after a few more posts, some prominent features of the unpainted landscape will begin taking recognizable shape.

[seehas]

My theory is fear was bread into earth humans-DNA, with fear the reptilian brain takes over and every link to the higher self is beeing supressed it is the ultimate control tool for this planet.

[TraineeHuman]

Hi Freed, here are a few small observations/ideas based on looking at myself. Don't know how well they fit into your enquiry at this point, but at least they're something more to bounce off. Firstly, I see fear as part of the animal in us. I see "the animal" as the same thing as our body's consciousness, also known as the ego or dark side whenever it takes control of us. And to take over control, it usually seems to need to dramatize things, like a kid throwing a tantrum to grab all the attention. And conversely, any time we dramatize we're fully giving way to fear, it seems to me.

I'm led to ask when do we not have any fear. The answer seems to be: whenever we have a strong sense of being something quite separate from the body-consciousness; or from the physical senses plus the mental self-image or self-identity that comes with them.

Continuing along the line of asking "what fear is not": J. Krishnamurti liked to challenge his audience to find "the root of the tree of fear". He would say that once you did, you'd be finished with fear forever, totally, at one stroke. I believe he was right, though I have to add the qualification that while we still have a physical body, that body will frequently feel fear, and sometimes appropriately -- hot stoves and so forth.

Another thing I've noticed along this line is that if you can concentrate strongly, it seems to make fear disappear. And in our society doesn't almost everyone know how to concentrate well when they try, because the education system spends years teaching them to gain at least a certain kind of mastery of this skill?

And by the way, it seems that nearly all "fear" that people or animals experience is actually fear of fear itself. I know that sounds pretty conceptual, but it's a fact of our experience, it seems to me. And it seems to carry at least a hint of how much fear often relies on bluff or illusion.

[chocolate]

Hi FreedFox,
I had some time to just quickly skim through what comes to my mind when fear is mentioned, and the result sounds as something like this.
Fear for me is the other side of courage. I wouldn't exactly put love to oppose fear, but I guess one could do that as well.

Courage for me represents the desire to move forward, to overcome, to bring order into the chaos, so to say. It is the way to survive physically, but also it is based on the solid ground of inner knowing, I think.

I wouldn't condemn fear, as it is an important opposite to its counter part, so finding the point of balance between the two I guess is where you have entered at present. If there were no balance, the system would get out of control, and well, game over.

Looking at the recent trend on the forum I seem to notice the tendency of escapism. We talk about looking forward to death, getting Out of Body ( no offence intended, just giving an example ), etc. So I seem to wonder, where did courage go? Where is the lion's heart?
Healthy amount of fear as being considerate of your actions in combination with a healthy amount of courage perhaps will render amazing result. One thing that we desperately need in the current world.

[Skyhaven]

Fear for me was a great catalyst to trust. Most of the severe fear (anxiety) related experiences I had were caused by the fear to lose control. These fears took many forms, and eventuality brought me to my knees at some point. I then learned to trust the grand scheme of things again, and then eventually these fears resolved also. So for me the other side of fear is trust.

[Wind]

This is a very important topic, I think. In my opinion fears are thought patterns which are ingrained in the mind and the mind learns to fear certain things over time, trauma might cause it. Trauma from this life or past ones, it doesn't really matter. Eventually those fears could turn into a self-perpetuating phenomenon. Depending on the state of the ego, it will always have certain kind of fears which are just pure illusions, but the mind doesn't know that.

The more we are ingrained to our vulnerable egos, the more we become afraid of the fear itself. This is a paradox of course since very few of us are truly enlightened, but at least some have a healthy state of mind. I don't claim that I would have overcome all my fears because I certainly haven't, but I have learned that the more I am able to perceive myself as the awareness between the thoughts and emotions, the less I am identified with them and that means that there will be less fears and anxiety. Or at least they won't affect me so much.

However, sometimes the mind still comes back with a vengeance and takes over and I try not to struggle with it. I try to allow the emotions and thoughts come and go without getting too attached, but I'm still learning. I hope my thoughts make some sense. If you want I can give a link to a good article about the subject.

[apokalypse]

one of the fear i always see is being judge so they have to have to make themselves look good...finding happiness outside instead of inside. currently i'm really fustrated about this and see my family members who has no empathy and full of fear insecurity...i really want cried. their kids will continue same trend and how the f'ck human going to grow up? adulted already fcked and thier kids learning or follow the footstep.

sorry about profanity, i'm really frustrated and sad at same time with current society of fear based. the religion doesn't do any damn freaking crap but destroy sprituality.

this is grear thread...

[Pam]

Since we are discussing the nature of fear in this thread, I would love to tap some wonderful minds on PA and seek an explanation for my irrational fear. I have a ridiculous fear of snakes. There is no reason that I can think of that would cause this fear. I have no fear of reptiles, frogs, or insects. Fortunately, I live in an area without a lot of snakes , but if there were, it would be crippling. Any ideas about this?

[seeker/reader]

My favorite movie of all time is, Dune. The main character, Paul Atreides learned from his mother, a Bene Gesserit,, the litany against fear. He used it to keep himself calm, face his fear and come out unscathed on the other side.

"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing....only I will remain"

In my opinion, fear is strictly an animal reaction. We need to remember who we truly are. We are not the animal body, instead we are the Immortal Spiritual Being that has incarnated into the animal body to experience life on behalf of source. The animal body will react with fear in situations where it's life is put in danger. We however do not need to fear anything as we are ETERNAL Spiritual Beings who are part of Source. We will never die, so we need not ever fear.

Our daily existence is an interplay of the Immortal Spiritual Being and the separate animal body. The fearful emotions we experience are reactions of the animal body.

I never really understood The Bene Gesserit litany against fear until I found out that I was not my body but a separate Immortal Spiritual Being that has nothing to fear as I am an Eternal part of Source. Now the litany against fear makes sense to me.

[Freed Fox]

Feedback

Thank you all for your most thoughtful replies. One of the tricky things here is; we are all on an individual and unique journey and at various levels of understanding when it comes to different things. As I endeavor to write about this "from the ground up", I realize that some portions of it may come across as a tired re-hash, perhaps for many members here. Still, I feel it is the only approach to take; deconstructing what has - for me - been an immense catalyst for change and trying to do so in a logical order. It is essentially tied to some fairly basic principles, but in ways which I find both complex and sometimes even elusive.

On that note, I will address primarily what is relevant to my goals with this thread in particular. My replies may be somewhat vague if referring to things we haven't got around to yet, so to speak, so my apologies for that in advance.

Posted by TraineeHuman (here)
Continuing along the line of asking "what fear is not": J. Krishnamurti liked to challenge his audience to find "the root of the tree of fear". He would say that once you did, you'd be finished with fear forever, totally, at one stroke. I believe he was right, though I have to add the qualification that while we still have a physical body, that body will frequently feel fear, and sometimes appropriately -- hot stoves and so forth.

I agree it can be a helpful part in defining Fear by asking "what fear is not" (and I will try to expand some in that direction later), but I would actually take some issue with regard to "finding the root" as a primary goal. I think such an approach can be counter-intuitive if Fear is a prominent yet unrecognized driver of our thoughts and/or decisions. Perhaps the "master class" (which I have not yet reached) does entail seeking that underlying root and finding subsequent liberation... I don't know. I'm not there yet.

I don't believe I would have come as far as I have if I had focused on finding the roots of Fear itself. Rather, what was a breakthrough for me - and what I hope to help others achieve if they have not already - was discovering the root of Fear's hold over me. That entailed a realization that Fear doesn't always make you feel afraid, and so sniffing it out from within those un/sub/semi-conscious thought processes became for a time a hugely beneficial fixation. It still requires vigilance on my part. One must not underestimate it, in my strong opinion.

So, just to quickly summarize; I think we first need a thorough and rigorous inspection of where Fear has taken root within us before seeking out where Fear itself stems from. I am certainly open to considering that others have reached that point in the past, but I have seen for myself how these realizations and progressions must be taken from the ground up, and on an individual basis first in order to yield true and positive change.

Posted by TraineeHuman (here)
Another thing I've noticed along this line is that if you can concentrate strongly, it seems to make fear disappear. And in our society doesn't almost everyone know how to concentrate well when they try, because the education system spends years teaching them to gain at least a certain kind of mastery of this skill?

I agree with the first premise, but disagree with the second. It depends on both the quality and the actual type of concentration we are referring to.

I won't go into too much detail yet, as this is part of the "solutions" side of this issue, but the primary type of concentration which can dissolve fear in my experience is mindfulness. On the contrary, what our education system teaches, and what our society values, is not mindfulness at all. It is the opposite; concentration upon the job, concentration upon our obligations. It is concentration on the external, too often at the expense of any concentration within.

Posted by TraineeHuman (here)
And by the way, it seems that nearly all "fear" that people or animals experience is actually fear of fear itself. I know that sounds pretty conceptual, but it's a fact of our experience, it seems to me. And it seems to carry at least a hint of how much fear often relies on bluff or illusion.

Absolutely some great points here, but I "fear" getting ahead of myself.

Posted by chocolate (here)
Fear for me is the other side of courage. I wouldn't exactly put love to oppose fear, but I guess one could do that as well.

Well, I disagree based upon how I've come to essentially categorize "Fear", "Love", and "courage". No doubt that courage is a counter to Fear, but at least in a semantic sense to me it doesn't qualify as its opposite. Fear is a force greater than its emotional manifestations, while courage is a disposition serving to reject or overcome some of those manifestations. Incidentally, courage in the truest sense may be a form of Love, just as Fear wears different guises. "The Nature of Love" is still forthcoming, however.

Posted by chocolate (here)
Courage for me represents the desire to move forward, to overcome, to bring order into the chaos, so to say. It is the way to survive physically, but also it is based on the solid ground of inner knowing, I think.

This is a good point and a great way of looking at it. It brings up a relevant idea which is actually timed pretty well with where the thread is now; I have primarily referred to Fear as a force which controls, but in some of its different forms it can also paralyze us, deter us from making any significant strides forward in our lives. Fearful states are indeed more chaotic internally, even when they seem more stable externally than the alternative.

Posted by chocolate (here)
I wouldn't condemn fear, as it is an important opposite to its counter part, so finding the point of balance between the two I guess is where you have entered at present. If there were no balance, the system would get out of control, and well, game over.

I both agree and disagree. In part, it calls back to what TraineeHuman mentioned, regarding "what Fear is not". When you cite Fear as "important", I think you may be referring instead to 'caution', which I consider to be entirely separate.

Balance is indeed critical, but what is often unsaid is that the ideal balance is not always an even one. That, however, is a separate subject for another thread I believe. The take-home in my mind would be; what we see today, with a great deal of the problems facing our civilization, is a world out of balance. The scales are tipped immensely in the direction of Fear in a great many cases (although not all; there are other "forces" which need to be addressed besides Fear).

Indeed, we are seeking a greater balance, but if there aren't enough individuals overcoming Fear within themselves, it does not seem to me that we can expect to overcome collective/societal Fear, or bring it to a healthier balance than we see demonstrated at present.

Posted by Skyhaven (here)
Fear for me was a great catalyst to trust. Most of the severe fear (anxiety) related experiences I had were caused by the fear to lose control. These fears took many forms, and eventuality brought me to my knees at some point. I then learned to trust the grand scheme of things again, and then eventually these fears resolved also. So for me the other side of fear is trust.

I appreciate your insight, and it is really nice to see positive correlations in this and other posts here, that other people have independently discovered some of the same things I have. What you're calling 'trust', I've been calling 'faith'. It is a separate subject, but one which will tie back to this one and cross-over substantially when I/we reach that point.

Posted by Wind (here)
This a very important topic, I think. In my opinion fears are thought patterns which are ingrained in the mind and the mind learns to fear certain things over time, trauma might cause it. [...] Eventually those fears could turn into a self-perpetuating phenomenon. Depending on the state of the ego, it will always have certain kind of fears which are just pure illusions, but the mind doesn't know that.

The more we are ingrained to our vulnerable egos, the more we become afraid of the fear itself. This is a paradox of course since very few of us are truly enlightened, but at least some have a healthy state of mind. I don't claim that I would have overcome all my fears because I certainly haven't, but I have learned that the more I am able to perceive myself as the awareness between the thoughts and emotions, the less I am identified with them and that means that there will be less fears and anxiety. Or at least they won't affect me so much.

With respect particularly to the bold portion; exactly! One of the things I am trying to stress here is how unconscious the influence of Fear can truly be. It is disarming when you start seeing some of the habitual patterns it may have been leading you to throughout your life. Being "asleep at the wheel" may have been slightly hyperbolic as a metaphor, but it really is surprisingly applicable. The caveat would be that, in such a metaphor, sleep is not a binary state but a gradient or continuum. Each of us here on Avalon have probably had one or more "awakening" experiences in our lives. They can be so profound that we fall into the trap of thinking that we are now "awake". I've been trying to be wary of that myself, following this. I talked about being asleep before, but allow me to clarify that now I am simply more awake than I was before.

There are still chains on my ankles, and shadows on the wall before me.

Although disassociation with our thoughts and emotions can be a good meditative exercise, I might actually suggest that it won't work for everyone. I say this because there will inevitably be stressful, emotional, or otherwise unexpected events in our lives which we will be forced to confront "in the moment", with heightened presence in our thoughts and emotions. Rather than disassociate with them, I feel it is perhaps better to work at refining them and recognizing the patterns from which they emerge. That is very much in line with where we will be eventually going here.

Posted by apokalypse (here)
one of the fear i always see is being judge so they have to have to make themselves look good...finding happiness outside instead of inside. currently i'm really fustrated about this and see my family members who has no empathy and full of fear insecurity...i really want cried. their kids will continue same trend and how the f'ck human going to grow up? adulted already fcked and thier kids learning or follow the footstep.

sorry about profanity, i'm really frustrated and sad at same time with current society of fear based. the religion doesn't do any damn freaking crap but destroy spirituality.

You are right to be frustrated, but we must understand that getting lost in the problems can blind us to the solutions. Similarly, Fear within us will convince us that no solutions exist, the problems are insurmountable, or that we ourselves are in some way too inadequate to contribute to positive systematic change (or even dramatic personal change). I believed those things myself, at least to some sub-conscious degree. At any rate, thank you for reminding me; despair is yet another face of Fear.

No great thing was achieved for the first time by people having no belief in the possibility thereof. This ties back to 'trust' or 'faith' however, and that is a different piece for another thread I think. For now; please do not despair my friend. I understand that overcoming those feelings is no small feat by any measure. It can be a complicated thing, but try to make it simple; what does despair actually do for you? What positive purpose or effect does it have?

Wanting badly to change things but feeling powerless to do so is classic despair, and leads to those bouts with deep frustration.

Posted by peterpam (here)
Since we are discussing the nature of fear in this thread, I would love to tap some wonderful minds on PA and seek an explanation for my irrational fear. I have a ridiculous fear of snakes. There is no reason that I can think of that would cause this fear. I have no fear of reptiles, frogs, or insects. Fortunately, I live in an area without a lot of snakes , but if there were, it would be crippling. Any ideas about this?

There are fears which at times do overtly strike us as irrational. This is one of them.

Although there are probably various explanations to be explored, I would suggest that this fear can stem from a variety of things but is more like a canary in the coalmine than an issue worth focusing upon specifically.

What I mean by that is this; when we manage to identify and counteract the Fear which we may not be fully aware of - Fear which is to varying degrees justified in our minds but nevertheless leads to harmful/negative behaviors, or otherwise deters us from constructive/positive behavior - we start reaching higher degrees of sovereignty over it such that fears like the one you mention become much less substantial, more easily overcome.

I'm still on that road, but the above is the way it's been looking for me. Liberating is definitely the word.

Posted by seeker/reader (here)
My favorite movie of all time is, Dune. The main character, Paul Atreides learned from his mother, a Bene Gesserit,, the litany against fear. He used it to keep himself calm, face his fear and come out unscathed on the other side.

"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing....only I will remain"

Excellent passage. When I was controlled by Fear (again, without even knowing it), I was basically waiting for death. Yet, in some ways it was like I was dead already. When I emerged from the fog, I began to look forward to opportunities I was previously blinded to.

Posted by seeker/reader (here)
In my opinion, fear is strictly an animal reaction. We need to remember who we truly are. We are not the animal body, instead we are the Immortal Spiritual Being that has incarnated into the animal body to experience life on behalf of source. The animal body will react with fear in situations where it's life is put in danger. We however do not need to fear anything as we are ETERNAL Spiritual Beings who are part of Source. We will never die, so we need not ever fear.

Our daily existence is an interplay of the Immortal Spiritual Being and the separate animal body. The fearful emotions we experience are reactions of the animal body.

I never really understood The Bene Gesserit litany against fear until I found out that I was not my body but a separate Immortal Spiritual Being that has nothing to fear as I am an Eternal part of Source. Now the litany against fear makes sense to me.

I strongly agree on "what we are" but perhaps not entirely on "why we are". That however is a different topic and immaterial to the larger point you are making which is entirely relevant and powerful to understand.

What is there to be afraid of?

We'll be getting deeper into the answers which people have for that - both implicitly and explicitly - which they buy into in order to justify their harboring and/or enacting of Fear in its myriad different forms.

[Daughter of Time]

Fear, in my opinion, is the most insidious program plaguing the planet.

Fear has been instilled in our DNA, our chakras, our astral (emotional) bodies, our minds, our souls, and everything that we are except the pure part of spirit which is somewhat unreachable for many of us because we have become so disconnected from it by mostly... fear!

We experience fear in our daily lives, sometimes because of real threats and sometimes because of illusionary threats. Nevertheless, the fear program is always at work and emotions can rarely tell the difference whether the fear is because of a real threat or an illusionary one.

If fear were not a program but a natural warning to let us know when a real threat is near, than it would be useful. But fear as the program humanity experiences is crippling. I know I'm not saying anything that anyone here doesn't already know.

We experience fear from body memories, past life memories, ancestral memories. This program is so powerful that it causes most of the most destructive types of behavior we know, like wars, etc.,

While one can say that fear is the opposite of love, and I don't disagree with this, feeling love when one is gripped by fear doesn't work for most people and that is because we have not learned to de-program ourselves from fear. And this is what is needed: de-programming! And this is easier said than done but any program has to be de-programmable! We just have to find the way and the way must somehow be accessible!

Meanwhile, fear remains the most powerful, soul decimating, consciousness shrinking form of control.

[Daughter of Time]

Posted by peterpam (here)
Since we are discussing the nature of fear in this thread, I would love to tap some wonderful minds on PA and seek an explanation for my irrational fear. I have a ridiculous fear of snakes. There is no reason that I can think of that would cause this fear. I have no fear of reptiles, frogs, or insects. Fortunately, I live in an area without a lot of snakes , but if there were, it would be crippling. Any ideas about this?

peterpam,

Fear of snakes is not uncommon. I know a number of people who are terrified of them!

What would make the most sense is that you have perhaps died from a snake bite in some other existence.

The other possibility could be a body memory from an ancestor who was bitten by a snake and didn't die but suffered greatly on account of it and those memories were carried in the sperm or ova of your ancestors and you now experience the fear carried forth. This would make more sense if you experience some symptoms associated with snake bite as well.

There is also a philosophy that expounds that Reptilians are governed by snakes (astral parasites) and they do whatever bidding the snakes command them to. I don't know how to true this is, I'm just throwing ideas as you asked for ideas. Is it possible that you may have had encounters with these beings? If you had, I'm sure the experience would be very frightening.

Meanwhile, it's a good thing that you don't have snakes in your area because you'd be suffering from triggers on a daily basis.

You might want to consider getting a plastic snake and playing with it to see if it diminishes your fear.

Best to you!

Daughter of Time

[Freed Fox]

Faces of Fear: Guilt

In elaborating on the different forms of Fear I think it would be best to do so using personal experiences, particularly those which are related to or have flowed from my core epiphany. In this way, these examinations can be more relatable/applicable than strictly intellectual or philosophical disertations on these matters.

As such, these will not be exhaustive explorations of each form, but a window into how they may manifest. Certainly different people will have different variations of the same essential challenges.



Our Own Judge and Jury

In dealing with guilt, we often play both roles. There is no 'executioner' because the sentence is not death. It is imprisonment by self-imposed shackles.

For several years and in slowly rising frequency prior to my epiphany and change, I had a deep sense of guilt for eating meat. This is not advocacy for vegetarianism or veganism, so the specifics are not what is important here. The key was the feeling of guilt, the ways in which it was sustained, and the effects it was having upon me of which I was simply not aware.

The feeling would sporadically arise (and again, in greater frequency in the more recent past), when sitting down to a meal including meat. Yet, I consistently managed to shrug the feeling off, set it aside, or even justify my choice in spite of my guilt. These justifications were not always fully conscious considerations, mind you, but became clearer the more I allowed myself to question my rational. They included the following:

1. I was already underweight; I couldn't afford making drastic dietary changes.
2. I had a gastro-intestinal disorder, for which it was never recommended to quit eating meat and could for all I knew be inflamed by a vegetarian diet.
3. I lived with a daily meat-eater; the temptation to revert would be ever present and too great to resist.
4. I liked meat too much; I wouldn't have the will power to stick it through.
5. The ethical and environmental concerns stemming from excessive meat consumption were beyond the impact of one person's choices; quitting would have no discernible positive impact.

You see, each of the above could serve as reasonable justifications for some (and, notice how several are tied to Fear in the form of doubt). The question is and was; were these justifications actually reasonable? I submit to you that they were not.



Breaking Free

One may be tempted at this juncture to point to my guilt as a catalyst for positive change, but frankly it was not. The feeling did cause a greater awareness that there existed here a problem; a dissonance between my actions and my beliefs. However; guilt alone was insufficient to move me, as was proven by my resistance for so long to commit to any proactive change.

What did inspire change was Love. Profound and all-encompassing. A different subject though; not entirely befitting our current focus.

I failed to realize the scope of guilt's power over me. I never considered that it was contributing to negative conditions within and without. I could not have considered it until it was revealed to me, by breaking free of those particular chains.

It required a reassessment of perspective, followed by a conscious resolve. It was a matter of choice and action, both aligned with fundamental virtues.

You see, guilt resulting from who we are or what we do in our everyday lives (particularly, when our actions are not aligned with our values), serves to poison our own self-esteem. How can you act in confidence - or even be your true self - if you are not holding true to your deepest values and core principles? How could I have considered myself a compassionate person if I was willingly engaging in an act which I knew to be causing needless harm? How could I have expected great things from myself if I was incapable of the most fundamental things?

That is the face of guilt, and it was holding me back in ways I could not imagine until I became free from it. That was and has continued to be part of the very basis of this change I have experienced and this path I am continuing to navigate.

Search within and be aware; is there something in your life which makes you feel guilty?

Is there something you can do to change it?

[Delight]

Posted by Daughter of Time (here)
Fear, in my opinion, is the most insidious program plaguing the planet.

Fear has been instilled in our DNA, our chakras, our astral (emotional) bodies, our minds, our souls, and everything that we are except the pure part of spirit which is somewhat unreachable for many of us because we have become so disconnected from it by mostly... fear!

We experience fear in our daily lives, sometimes because of real threats and sometimes because of illusionary threats. Nevertheless, the fear program is always at work and emotions can rarely tell the difference whether the fear is because of a real threat or an illusionary one.

If fear were not a program but a natural warning to let us know when a real threat is near, than it would be useful. But fear as the program humanity experiences is crippling. I know I'm not saying anything that anyone here doesn't already know.

We experience fear from body memories, past life memories, ancestral memories. This program is so powerful that it causes most of the most destructive types of behavior we know, like wars, etc.,

While one can say that fear is the opposite of love, and I don't disagree with this, feeling love when one is gripped by fear doesn't work for most people and that is because we have not learned to de-program ourselves from fear. And this is what is needed: de-programming! And this is easier said than done but any program has to be de-programmable! We just have to find the way and the way must somehow be accessible!

Meanwhile, fear remains the most powerful, soul decimating, consciousness shrinking form of control.

This post is great IMO. Thanks. This thread is timely for me today. With my whole heart I desire to wake up from the fearful dream that I keep sleeping in. Lately I am really sure that THIS is the time I intend to wake up. Thanks for the thread...Maggie

[Freed Fox]

Brief Notice/Request

One quick comment I feel I should make, regarding some of the comments received recently (saving the bulk of them potentially for the second "Feedback" post later on):

Conjecture along the lines of "Fear is in our DNA" is one of the things we are trying to avoid here. It is not because of irrelevance, but because of disempowerment. If you convince yourself that Fear can be traced to the very intangible genetic or molecular levels, then you are far more likely to believe (even unconsciously) that you are incapable of doing anything about it. That is false, though some will see it as a logical conclusion and thus it is a very easy trap to fall into.

This thread is moving slowly in the direction of liberation from Fear. It is no simple matter, so we cannot afford for it to be complicated by concerns over the ultimate root/source of Fear. I am still a work in progress, yes, but I am here to tell you with reaffirmed certainty that an immense amount of progress can be made if the right steps are taken. There may be other methodologies; "different strokes for different folks" as they say. Nevertheless, if this worked for me it is bound to work at least for certain others. All I can do is share what I've found and try to indicate potential pitfalls to avoid along the way.

Thank you, and please understand this is not a criticism of any person so much as the disposition/inclination to gravitate toward certain (frankly, unproductive) facets of complex issues such as this.

[Skyhaven]

Since this thread is moving towards to the topic of liberation of fear, it might be appropriate to include some insight and tips from Bashar here:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=FC9JGFn5ngY

[Freed Fox]

Faces of Fear: Shame

I will follow with shame as it is closely related to guilt, to the point that it can be hard to distinguish between the two. You may even disagree with my connotations for shame but the important thing to remember is that they are both aspects of the same underlying, oppressive force that is Fear.



Facing the Music

I was a much less social person in the years leading up to my epiphany than I had been during childhood. A big reason for that was shame.

Now, I have always been more of an introvert than an extrovert. I do not believe there is anything wrong with that. We must however be mindful of the different reasons we may opt to spend time alone as opposed to interacting with others. Much of that time, when spent on degrees of introspection and/or reflection, was actually somewhat productive and may have even been essential for reaching my eventual epiphany. On the other hand, I neglected people whom I cared about and gradually fell out of touch with them.

Shame was a barrier to expressing Love.



Our Own Worst Critics

My shame stemmed from various things, enough that it seemed a condition too intimidating or intrinsic to attempt to deconstruct and subsequently resolve. I had not accomplished enough. I wasn't doing enough. I wasn't good enough. I had made too many mistakes. I had shown too many times weakness, or inadequacy.

The truth is, the things which brought me shame were not reflective of who I really was.

That is because each of us essentially carries two different identities:

1. Who we are externally, which emerges and shifts through our actions
2. Who we are internally, which is discovered through ongoing introspection

The second identity is the real you. You must let go of the past lest it serve to shackle you.

There are further "sub-identities" which arise from deficiencies in both how we are perceived and how we perceive ourselves (if our introspective journey has not progressed far enough). These however are a separate issues and best left alone for now.



Rising Above

Believe in the greatness and potential of that second self, and begin taking measures - guided by your core virtues - to bring the first self into greater degrees of alignment with it. Make the first reflect the second as much as you can possibly manage.

Shame will attempt to convince you that it is too late to do so, that the first self is beyond repair. It will confuse your perception and understanding of the second (real) self by over-identifying with the mistakes you've made, or the weaknesses you are prone to. All of that is a trick; immaterial, because although you are IN this world, you are not OF this world.

Let go of who you have been, and become who you believe you should be.

Like guilt, shame can serve as a signpost indicating a problem needing to be addressed, a potential dissonance. Once it has served such a purpose, however, it is best left discarded.

There is no shame in who you are, but boundless potential to become ever greater.

[chocolate]

I just read an article on the subject:

Fear of The Unknown Is Creating Hysteria In Every Part of Our Lives
http://themindunleashed.org/2014/08/...art-lives.html

I have to say logic is not going to help much when trying to innerstand ( ) fear, as it is based on the mechanical mind, but it can be useful when combined with other ways of perception.

I don't really enjoy reading about any mean @lien plans, and our DNA, because I am sure nobody can either prove or disprove his theory about who the mean ones are and why they are there. Not to mention that I know we are still looking through the filter of what is 'right' v/s what is 'wrong, which are just filters of perception, to be used, but not turned into the only available tool. As is the case with 'logic'.

Fear can be transformed into a different state through the person's perception, called transmutation of energy, done by everyone almost, but not always acknowledged. That happens only when one approaches the situation at the 0 point, the one of lack of emotional input, or as I called it above the point of balance.

As Yoda would say, fear not.
And as a film would say, 'danger is real, but fear is a choice'.

Fear? of what...?