Have you ever experienced fear? Do you wish you could get rid of fear and enjoy your life more? You are not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 6.3 Million people suffer from some sort of mental illness. Sixty percent of the population fears things that will never take place, 30 percent fear things that have happened in the past and can’t be changed, 90 percent fear things that are considered to be insignificant and 88 percent of the population fear things that are related to their health that will never occur. Clearly, fear is a large part of our lives.
In chapter 16 of the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna speaks of the many virtues of an awakened being. The first virtue Lord Krishna lists is fearlessness. Before we can access our higher nature, we need to achieve freedom from the tenacious grip of fear.
Understanding Fear
Fear is an unpleasant and often strong emotional reaction caused by anticipation or awareness of danger or harm. FEAR makes you forget everything and run. Fear gives birth to ego, anger and resentment. We can think of fear standing for:
F: Forget
E: Ego
A: Anger
R: Resentment
However, not all fears are bad. Fear is completely natural and helps people to recognize and respond to dangerous situations and threats. It is important to understand that some fear is healthy. Healthy fear stimulates responses that give us protection, warning and the burst of adrenaline necessary to run from a rabid dog (protective function). Usually, however, fear is an illusion. Most fear is an unhealthy projection of the subconscious mind.
Different Fear for Different People
Fear is different for everyone and is different at different times in one’s life. For example, a newly pregnant women may have fear of delivering a baby, a new mother may have fear of raising the baby or breast feeding, etc.
The most common fears are fear of being unsafe,, dying, flying, losing identity or a job, losing a loved one or relationship,, stage/TV/ public speaking,failure or success, being humiliated
3 Types of Fear:
1. Real Fear
2. Anticipated or Possible Fear
3. Emotional Fears and Phobias
Fear emotions are very detrimental to our physiological and emotional health.
The experience of fear affects our bodies in many ways. Whether real or imagined, when our minds perceive a fear, it sends a warning (ACTH) which is received by the adrenal glands. In response, our adrenal glands are triggered to release cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones. These hormones cause muscular tension, and give birth to many diseases as ulcer, high blood pressure, heart attach, and many immune deficiency diseases.
So how do we overcome fear?
Live Fearlessly
• Fearlessness is one of the virtues of a spiritually awakened person. It allows us to enjoy the challenges and gifts of life with honesty, courage, and joy. Strive to transform fearfulness into awareness, acceptance, and true perception- Live Fearlessly. Then enjoy the gifts of eternal happiness, peace, balance, and health and spread those positive feelings to others. Therefore, turn fear into Face everything and rise.
• Face
• Everything
• And
• Rise
Through Faith
• Freedom
• Awareness, Acceptance, Action
• Inward, go within
• Trust and take care of you
• Healthy and Eternal Happy
3 Quick Steps: when you experience threatens or fears just try the following:
1. Breathe – Take a deep breath and hold it in (20-25 seconds) or as long as you comfortably can. Then exhale completely. Repeat until you feel calmer. This interrupts the fear cycle.
2. Hydrate – Drink a tall glass of pure water.
3. Remind yourself- “Even if it happens, so what?” Practice non-attachment and acceptance by reminding yourself that whatever happens, everything will be okay. Repeat positive affirmations- “I am relaxed” or “I am calm, alert, and fearless”
Live in the Consciousness of Being Fearless
Note: Take Medical Help if necessary. Some fears are actually phobias that require the help of a therapist or doctor to dismantle. Example: Chronic fear, phobia- – I became aware that had claustrophobia during my pregnancy but later I learned that I had developed it from childhood, and then I learned that my mother, aunts and cousins have the same problem but did not know what was happening- heredity problem. I learned how to handle it and I am dealing the BEST.
