"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," Franklin D. Roosevelt said in his first inaugural address.
There is a lot of fearmongering going on at the moment. Fingers are being pointed. Rage is being tossed around. Tea Partiers, Republicans and Democrats alike are spreading fear by the bucketload: Obama is a Muslim Nazi, headless bodies litter the Arizona desert, O'Donnell is a witch casting devious spells, etc. In other words, fear has become the modus operandi. All this is intended to make us quake in our boots, be fearful of the "opposition" and cast our vote for the most reassuring voice, regardless of far-fetched imaginations and downright lies.
Fearmongering is easy, as ex-NPR analyst and current FOX employee Juan Williams shows us when he says that he gets nervous when he is on a plane with Muslims. Immediately, all his listeners feel a sense of empathy for him; it kindles their own fear, however unfounded it may be. It shows how, when a seed of fear is planted in our mind, it can generate instability to the point of becoming paranoia and can spread like wildfire.
As it spreads, it reassures us that we are not alone in this unfounded fear, that we are right to believe the enemy is the "other." We become powerless, rather than a master of our own thoughts and feelings. In this way, fear is often used as a weapon of control and intimidation.
In defense of firing Williams, NPR ombudsman Alicia Shepard pointed out that Williams' comments were "deeply offensive to Muslims" and that it "was doing the kind of stereotyping in a public platform that is dangerous to a democracy. It puts people in categories, as types -- not as individuals with much in common despite their differences."
Fear has many faces, many disguises. There is fear that is a natural response to physical danger, and then there is fear that is self-created, such as fear of failure, of the dark, of being out of control, being different, lonely, or of other people's negative influence. Just as we used to fear communism, now we fear Muslims. And fear easily becomes racism, as Juan Williams also said in 1986: "Racism is a lazy man's substitute for using good judgment ... Common sense becomes racism when skin color becomes a formula for figuring out who is a danger to me."
Fear distorts our understanding of what is really happening, like a dirty windshield through which we cannot see clearly. Michael Moore succinctly reminds us of the reason for the terrorist attacks: "Terrorists aren't trying to kill us because they hate our freedom. They're killing us because we're in their countries killing them."
Ultimately, fear is about survival of the ego, the "me" at all costs, especially when the insubstantial structures we have created to keep us feeling safe are, in our limited view, being threatened. The ego-mind casts a shadow of fear of potential loss and destruction. Many of us live our whole lives this way, with shadows haunting us like ghosts wherever we go.
When fear is in control, we become resistant to change and spontaneity; we get angry, defensive, hidden behind self-constructed walls of protection, which reinforces separateness, isolation and enmity. Fear arises when the ego-mind is threatened or undermined, making us cling to the known and reject anything that is unfamiliar; in so doing we surrender our sensibility and rationality.
As long as we deny or ignore fear, it will hold us captive, emotionally frozen, unable to move forward. Trying to run away from, ignore, or stop fear will simply create more tension. It is transformed only when we can turn around and face it, get to know it, release resistances and fixed ideas, and speak with our own voice. It cannot affect us when we are strongly rooted in truth.
In our book "The Way Ahead," Yoko Ono said, "Bless you for your fear for it is a sign of wisdom. Do not hold yourself in fear. Transform the energy to flexibility and you will be free from what you fear."
How do you deal with fear? Do comment below.
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Rick Hanson, Ph.D.: Stephen Colbert: We Don't Need To 'Keep Fear Alive'
Fear mongering - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Editorial - Xenophobia - Fear-Mongering for American Votes ...
great to me a warrior -
the mind is a perfect servant but a terrible master!
Onward & upward!
F - false
E - evidence
A - appearing
R - real
or
F - forget
E - everything
A - and
R - run
Without a sense of humour life is just not funny!
4 Noble truths - google it if u like..
Ultimate there is Nirvana - there is Enlightenment - seeing samsara for what it is and the realization of true Freedom.
So you are right when you say:
"It is not Fear I am afraid of-- fear cannot harm me. But lately I see a lot in people behaving in ways I find frightening. I feel like I am 3 again and watching my crazy grown-ups act out, realizing they were in control of "the world." I find myself again retreating into a world of my own making that does not include these bizarre beings. Luckily, I have a lot of good people to share my world with--good people and many blessings."
Your articles help me stay tracked in with that. Thank you!
I am an undo
we practice Undoism ~
we undo it all! - we see what is real when you remove it all and see the naked TRUTH
Buddha was and Undo ~ Jesus was an Undo ~
all the great ones ~ the wise ones ~ the saints & the Holy Ones ~ were Undo's
they undid it all and saw what was there.
Jesus said ~ "the kingdom of Heaven is WITHIN :-))
I grew up in the Bronx and there was much to be feared/terrified about - I know fear well!
I was bullied and that was a nightmare. It was a challenge to my teenage years!
I learned how to accept and embrace fear so it didn't rule my life.
It is wise to accept whatever we are experience and for me
LOVE is letting go of fear
When you open your heart with love then fear cannot harm you!
revisiting this comment thread, trying to get my head around the whole idea of discussing fear.
I can not imagine living without fear. For me, the thing has always been to rise above the fear, not to destroy it. I have tried to live a full life, but I realize that much of my disappointment with how I have lived my life lies in those times when I let the fear rule me. So much of the time it is best that we act in spite of our fear, to do things that are rational but still emotionally scary.
I feel that you have struck upon an important topic, but I do not know how to talk about it in a way that is fully satisfying. I know that fear is almost always with me, and I do not expect to ever be without it, but I hope to do those things which are most productive in spite of the tendency to spend life in a cocoon, hiding from that which scares me.
If we are to be honest, I am one of those people who carries "ghosts" around with them, and the ever present knowledge that it would be easy to slip into insanity is in itself frightening. I have spent some time "insane", and I do not want to go back there. Perhaps, as has been said, the brave person is the one who does what needs to be done in spite of fear.
Through meditation you become aware of fear - you see it and taste it and feel it and in time let it go or release it by breathing into it. Fear is in the mind - or body - or emotionally hooked.
when you are able to not give it power it cannot hurt or harm.
there are certainly healthy fears like when walking if front of a bus and running fast not to get hit or when being threatened etc.
I like what you say here:
"So much of the time it is best that we act in spite of our fear, to do things that are rational but still emotionally scary."
Fear is part of being human - as I comment I can feel the fear.
As the saying goes feel the fear and do it anyway!
I fond that when I make friends with fear it takes a back seat.
I wouldn't want to think I conquered fear or anything cause ya never know what is happening next but when you live in LOVE then fear cannot touch you!
LOVE is the healer!
I wish everyone on the planet had this experience. The world would be different
Love you as always!
Eli
He must be wonderful as I know you are.
You have always been a wise and compassionate woman!
Your joy is my joy!
Ed
It is wonderful how we attract the special right person into our lives when you are a loving and caring person as you are.
My dear friend Arielle Ford wrote a best selling book on:
Soul Mates ~ it is a fascinating and wonderful read!
Much love and joy,
Ed
But happiness is an inside job
we may have to struggle in the financial world - survival may be difficult but we must cultivate inner peace & inner strength
no matter what happens we can see the glass as half full or half empty
When we were in India we witnessed people sleeping and living on the street ~
as we were walking rats were running around everywhere
we had to step carefully not to step on them - it was scary
meanwhile in the midst of it all
children were lying on the grounds laughing and playing!
I know the boogie man well, grew up with him in an abusive household from the night terrors right thru teen years fearing stuff in the closet. It was bliss when I bought my one house at 21 and realised it was the people in the house who generated the atmosphere of course.
I learned that no matter what even shaking and trembling in your boots, open the damn closet, lift the covers and look under the bed, stop running from whatever is chasing you, stop, turn around and face it and kick its butt if necessary.
We`re afraid of our own inner monsters developed in childhood to which we cling in adulthood to prevent ourselves from taking the steps that will change our lives for the better. We usually don't know that at the time though.
You say this > Bless those who dwell in fear - and stay away from them if possible. Well I`m in that situation right now and it`s teaching me to watch my thoughts which voice what I sense when I forget to be the observer.
So When I find myself on that slippery slope of irrational thought I ask myself `is that really true`. The reality check is very helpful and so is stillness and using my breath to calm and centre myself.
Cheers
Catherine
I grew up in da Bronx it was tough - gang wars, strict mother and bullying at school! You had to hold your own or be fearful of what will happen next!
You sure had the right attitude. I got my knocks but I also learn how to confront and deal with troublemakers. I was the class clown nut also one of the most popular as I won most of the dance contests. But must reiterate it was challenging!
It is the monkey mind in everyone that needs to be tamed! The monkey mind will get us in trouble any chance it has.
Our blogs often talk about monkey mind which is a Buddhist term..
"Your mind is like a drunken monkey bitten by a scorpion"
Until we learn how to tame da monkey we experience rage, anger, fear, and all sorts of negative emotions. The mind goes bananas.
Hope you make friends with ya monkey ~
You can always give ya monkey a ripe banana:-))
I have been blogging for over 2 years and never did it in caps!
you have been commenting here for a very long time & as one of the wise compassionate people who comment know this!
but you assumed without asking - what about that? What does that mean?
You say this:
P.S. I'm interested as I'm a shrink & reformed "counterphobic"
type who is committed to ongoing work with fear. You've got a
very important point: Ed & Deb's blog here seemed to me a bit
on the side of the new age view, which tends to minimize fear;
ironically, that's the same as what the macho men do, the guys
who wear the "No Fear" t-shirts. I think the truly courageous
and skillful thing to do with fear is: a. assess whether there
is danger--is a car coming at you?--and respond for survival.
Or is it just paranoia, i.e. the boogie man in your closet?
and b. be aware of it: experience and notice your thoughts,
sensations, and emotion without distracting or running from the
feelings; have and disidentify from the reactions; c. You may
find that it's fear from the past, i.e. from conditioning or
trauma in your history; yet the feelings of the fear may be
powerfully gripping. In that case, therapy, meditation, and
other therapeutic activities may help you to deal with that
fear. It really can change! There is something to the "Feel
the fear and do it anyway" school; but they say "feel the
fear;" they don't just say "ignore the fear." It takes courage!
Comments welcome, I'm at charleshorowitzphd@yahoo.com if you
prefer. Peace to all, C"
How I deal with fear? Breathe deeply. Observe my feelings of fear. What feels like "fear" is sometimes excitement or simply energy to do something new, untried or untested. Love it - not to worship it but to love myself through those feelings. Fear contracts. Love expands.
Bless the fear. As with any negative emotion, it has a hidden gift - some new understanding, meaning or awareness. Bless those who dwell in fear - and stay away from them if possible.
Keep focusing on the abundance of goodness and positive news that is also available - but you may have to go looking for it.
We are living in extraordinary times and we can choose love over fear. I have that choice.
Your breathe is your best friend - you say it well:
How do I deal with fear? First, I tend to notice I'm not breathing! It's been said that the one difference between fear and exhilaration is that the later has breath! So, when I notice fear on the prowl, I do what I can to return my focus to breathing, deep breathing until the flow is resumed. Then, all is well.
Sound is a gift to be appreciated -
especially when it can be used to help people mentally emotionally & spiritually -
You say:
Fear! It's a great way to control people. False Evidence Appearing Real. When I was a young child, I had the opportunity of being in a production of "The King & I". It was a truly frightening experience for me--having to memorize lines and not only speak, but sing in front of a lot of people. There was a song I had to learn and the lyrics went something like: "I whistle a happy tune and every single time, the happiness in my tune convinces me that I'm not afraid." Those words (and the accompanying melody) came back to me as I read your wonderful writing this week. I guess it's not surprising since I work with sound as a healing and transformatiional modality. Now, when I encounter fear, I deal with it by making a sound such as an "Ah" from the heart. And it works beautifully. But looking back, I can see that even as a young child, I learned the power of sound through taking part in a musical. And whistling a happy tune!
Blessings of Love & Light through Sound,
Jonathan
Michael Moore is like a fresh breeze!
He is a voice to reckon with. He validates what most people feel and want to say!
He will challenge anyone he feels is not being honest and real!
I think Ed and Deb re-speaking Michael Moore's words
"Terrorists aren't trying to kill us because they hate our freedom.
They're killing us because we're in their countries killing them."
is brave and speaks out against the fear mongering.
it can be a way of letting us know we are in danger
that we need help
it can also freeze us and keep us from acting with clarity
when fear becomes a constant we may need to seek help
what is important is to learn more about fear so you are not a victim
First of all I don't suppress common sense and down to Earth wisdom. Out of grounded in reality common sense I wonder how anyone could disagree with these words:
"Fear is both ally and enemy, can be savior and saboteur, creative or destructive, and also a portal to power. Fear can and does keep people alive! (And to suggest that's just related to 'fight or flight' against the real or modern-day imagined sabre tooth is overly simplistic.) Too many variables to neatly say one thing or another. Fear also boasts a complex anatomy... Some fear is healthy!"
Yep, sounds right!
Then, I don't shrink and submit to the authoritative guidance of somebody who suggest that my common sense and down to Earth inner wisdom should be suppressed in order to comprehend their "superior" ideas. No, no... my mind is not a monkey's mind and I'm not in need to lull or beat it down at any cost. My common sense and inner wisdom are not only rooted in mind, but also in body, spirit and worldly reality.
And then.. I do a deep scan for congruency between ideas of those who claim position of spiritual and intellectual superiority and their actions, consulting my intuition, common sense, inner wisdom and universal human ethics. I don't hesitate to dismiss their authority over myself if the congruence is missing.