What is Fear?

F.E.A.R.
False Evidence Appearing Real

FEAR! False? Not real?
How can we say that?
Everyone knows we all feel fear and it’s real!

What this acronym is really pointing at is that there is a lot of fear that is unnecessary or that exists solely as a product of our own mind.

According to Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, fear is always a projection of something that might happen, not something that is happening now. When we let our mind wander into the future, we create an anxiety gap between what is real and what we are projecting to be real. The future is not real. Only the present is real.

On one level fear is a psychological condition that is separate and separates us from who we really are. It comes in many forms such as nervousness, unease, worry, dread, anxiety and more. If we allow it, fear can grip us so tight that we lose touch with our inner and true self. Fear separates us from our true power and our inner source.

Fear manifests in our minds through our ego self. When we identify with our lower mind, the ego runs our life. When we let fear take over, we yield our personal power to others. When we identify with our heart, we can become the creator of our lives. There is no place for fear in the heart.

Although fear may seem to have many causes, it is said that the primary underlying cause is fear of death. Fear of death is a fear of bringing something to an end. That “something” comes in many disguises. Some of the disguises you may be familiar with are fear of being wrong, fear of not being good enough, fear of not measuring up to someone else’s expectations, fear of failure, fear of being hurt, fear of the unknown. Fear of change can be due to the sadness of saying goodbye and leaving someone or something behind, as well as fear of the unknown future looming ahead after the loss.

Beneath all our psychological or spiritual awareness lies a fundamental truth that must be dealt with first if any of the rest is to have a chance of taking a true place of resonance within. And that is that fear of any kind is in fact a physiological “event” whether we have a real or imagined trigger for it. There are certainly situations in life that justify a fear response. In those cases it is a good thing that our adrenaline pumps and we are given the energy to fight or flee. In those cases we are prepared to do what is needed to get out of harm’s way and return to safety. Once safety returns our natural balancing mechanism brings us back to a neutral state.

The problem comes when this same fear response is activated by things that are not life threatening. In our present culture it is not unusual for this natural self-protective mechanism to be overly sensitized and active. This can result in a sense of chronic anxiety and tension or a hair trigger response to the smallest stimuli. All that fascinating fight/ flight/freeze physiology has been activated and has nowhere to go as it is not used up in the effort to regain safety. No amount of cognitive understanding will address this level of fear. As a result our fear deepens and limits our daily lives.

When this occurs there tends to be an emotional paralysis or overload that happens which is accompanied by an inability to think clearly and make good decisions and choices. When our systems are thus set in motion we can feel as if we are under a threat to our lives; it all feels that important as our neurology and biochemistry rocks and rolls within causing us to feel out of control. We have all had that feeling that our minds know that our reactions are over the top but that knowing seems useless to calm our emotions.

It takes energy to move beyond fear but it need not be as hard as it typically is when we do not address it in a well thought out sequence that respects how we are put together!

We must go to a level other than the cognitive to alleviate fear and anxiety. A preventative approach is very helpful. By reconditioning our nervous systems through daily meditation or deep relaxation training we develop stronger systems that do not knee jerk into a fear response as easily. This also makes us more keenly aware of when a feeling is beginning and we can release it earlier rather than later when it has had time to build into something too difficult to manage.

Introspection that helps identify old unprocessed material that may be causing your system to be overly sensitive is also useful. In addition, if there are long standing issues in regard to chronic anxiety and fear then a nutritional status check is warranted. Our systems need certain nutrients to function properly. The ability to maintain proper inner balance is made more difficult if the proper nutrients are not available.

There are many levels that may need addressing with fear. However, the most effective first step is a method that helps to release the physiological effects so that the other aspects can be focused on more successfully. Techniques that help to trigger the “relaxation response” and bring the system back to physiological equilibrium help heal the body, quiet the mind and soothe the spirit. This sets the stage for being able to move beyond fear and open to higher levels of Being.

As we live in a more relaxed body with a quieter mind higher consciousness can more easily emerge. Becoming acquainted with our authentic self allows for further movement away from fear and anxiety. It is important to remember that this is a process and not an event! This process is a deep fundamental shift within that involves a commitment to practice and ongoing participation in order to be cultivated and become a way of BEING.

Our recorded program Relaxation 101 is a guided progressive relaxation that is designed to intervene in the fight flight response and bring your body to a state of balance. The approach used in this program also includes methods that help to bring peace to the mind and solace to the spirit. For more information about this program click here: http://bit.ly/16agbNs