Topics – Fear

Selected Writings
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about Fear

Fear

1 A sudden calamity; danger 2 The painful emotion caused by the sense of impending danger or evil; an instance of this b A state of alarm or dread 3 Apprehension or dread of, to do, that, lest. Esp. in for fear (of), in order to avoid the risk (of) b A feeling of mingled dread and reverence towards God or (formerly) any rightful authority 4 Reason for alarm b Ability to inspire fear 5 Solicitude, anxiety for the safety of a person or thing. Oxford Dictionary

The core instinctual based emotions of human beings are fear, aggression, nurture and desire. Of these, fear is the most potent and obvious emotion that lies at the root of the Human Condition . Humans with their ability to think and reflect are constantly aware of possible danger and imminent death. In primitive times, this very awareness ensured the survival of the species in a hostile world of deadly animals, aggressive fellow humans, disease and climatic extremes. Cannibalism, infanticide, murder, rape, jealousy, leadership fights, etc. were ripe in primitive humans, and fear was a constant companion in the face of the real danger and aggressive instincts of other humans, particularly from those closest. The raw instinctual fear in humans developed both a psychological and psychic dimension, based on a social identity or position within the tribe and an individual sense of self. Thus one became fearful not only in situations of actual danger but in situations of perceived danger – particularly towards unknown humans of other tribes’ but also of members of one’s own group.

Human beings experience fear as a feeling , both psychological and psychical. We ‘feel’ fear in ourselves and in others, and feel instinctually fearful of other humans. In the face of real danger or risk the body instinctually produces a rush of chemicals such as adrenaline so as to prepare itself to deal with the impending danger. Unfortunately when ‘I’, the psychological and psychic entity inside the body, feel psychologically threatened or fearful (almost constantly, in most people) the resulting chemical surges triggered produce the ‘feeling’ that the fear is actual. It is real as evidenced by the chemical surge but it is not actual.

There is no fear in the actual world – there is no fear in a flower, in a tree, in an ashtray. Only sentient beings experience fear, both psychological and psychic. The challenge in these modern times is to eliminate these instinctual fearful feelings that prevent our personal happiness and that actively sabotage any possibility of peace on earth. Thus far the only solution offered to avoid fear is to become as powerful and strong as possible such that one’s opponents will not or cannot attack.

In the real world this means either physical, monetary or psychic power over others such that they will hopefully act to protect you. Of course, this offers only a notional feeling of freedom. The Altered State of Consciousness commonly known as Enlightenment offers an imaginary freedom from fear in that one believes oneself to be God and Immortal, thus escaping the fear of death, and one cultivates psychic power over others to ensure a protective group of faithful, loving and loyal followers.

A third alternative is now available – an actual freedom from fear, not a notional or imaginary one. Psychological and psychic fear is a feeling not a fact and as such it can be eliminated. The solution is to eliminate this fear at its source – to eliminate the social identity and the instinctual sense of self. This approach ‘flies in the face’ of all that appears sensible and sane from a real-world and a spiritual-world perspective. From a real-world view the survival instinct – translated as a will to survive by the psychological and psychic entity – is deemed absolutely indispensable, despite its blatantly obvious pernicious consequences both personally and globally. From a spiritual -world view an end of ‘self’, both ego and soul, is not only denying a fictitious immortality but denying God and the associated ‘good’ feelings.

It is no wonder that the road to self-immolation provokes and produces the feeling of fear. One goes not only towards what is feared as ‘death’, but ‘insanity’ and ‘evil’ as well. It is only with the actual knowledge and experience of being without a self, and thus without a feeling of fear, as evidenced in the peak-experience that one is able to proceed with confidence and surety. There is no fear in the actual world of purity and perfection.

With pure intent as a guide and naiveté as a constant companion it is now possible to rid oneself of instinctual fear and aggression – to become happy and harmless.

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