July/August 2022 Alchemical Voice

Thoughts on fear and the control of it
In this text, I express my own thoughts and experience.
My words are not based on research in books and
studies. So please do not see this article as a result of a
scientific study.
There is a lot written about the subject of Fear. This
article does not aim to be a compilation of ideas and
theories from multiple sources. Psychology,
behavioural therapy, Reiki, shamanism, hypnotism and
many more all have their own approaches and methods
for providing explanations and for helping people deal
with fear.
We can also find a semantic difference – a gradual shift
– between fear, worry, concern, anxiety and similar
concepts. The linguistics alone would provide enough
material for a separate article.
My text is highly personal. It draws on my own
experience and is based on my own interpretations of
fear, from a spiritual point of view. And it is about my
own thoughts on how to deal with fear, how to contain
it and how to find ways to not allow it to overwhelm
you and define your life.
If you were completely fearless, you probably would
not have survived for very long in an indigenous
society. Fear compels you to think twice, to reconsider
a situation and then take due action.
Regrettably, fear can also paralyze you, like the
proverbial rabbit trapped in the glare of the full beam
of the approaching car. You need to educate yourself
about your personal reactions to fear, emotional,
mental and physical. You need to make fear into, if not
your friend, at least your partner. Build a relationship
with it and realize that fear can be of great help to you,
not just as a protection (fight or flight) but also as an
instrument to assist you in making informed choices.
Keep in mind that everything is energy. That includes
thoughts and feelings. As I see it, energy has a neutral
charge. It is what you do with it that matters. If you
view fear as energy, you can use it to make you
stronger, more resilient, more determined and focused.
Someone said that you cannot feel fear for the past
(“Fear is forward. No one is afraid of yesterday.”) That
may be true to some extent, but that certainly does not
mean that you can not be affected by feelings you had
in the past. Keep in mind that worry is something we
create. To some extent, it is a choice. Fear on the other
hand is a beast. It attacks us and we need to find ways
to control it. In a normal situation - as if there are
normal situations – fear is a reaction to an immediate
danger. Fear will “stiffen the sinews and summon up
the blood” to reminisce Shakespeare and Henry V.
Such a reaction may be purposeful just before a battle.
It could be quite damaging in regular life.
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