Space For God

Dealing with our Fears

Posted: 21/08/2007

This article by Walter appeared in "Candela" - the Newsletter of the Swedenborg Association:

Dealing with our Fears
by Walter Mason

Nothing is more frightening than the dark depths of our own fears. If we sit
still and quiet, even just for a moment, our senses are soon bombarded with
restlessness, anxiety, boredom, apprehension and even physical pain. Our
whole lives are spent in escape from ourselves. This constant search for
diversion represents a flight from the Divine.

Movement, distraction, noise and busy-ness all represent a thorough
immersion in the ways of the world, and as long as we allow these outward
forms of activity to dominate our lives, we remain separated from the still,
quiet place of peace within.

This point of peace is beyond comprehension, its experience beyond words.
The Buddhists call it sunyata, or emptiness. In the Hindu tradition it is
known as the atman, the soul. In contemporary times people might call it
their consciousness, their spiritual being. Some people might even call it
God.

Whatever we choose to call it, it is beneficial to recognise that it is
beyond words, and lies purely in the realm of experience. We cannot
intellectualise it, or even represent it visually (though Zen calligraphers
have tried, with their enigmatic brushstroke circle, attempting to
encapsulate the idea of emptiness). To experience true peace and love we
need to attempt to touch it, not just talk about it. In the words of the
Psalm, Be still and know that I am God.

This point of emptiness is a place free from fear and suffering. It is the
only place where we can truly be our real, spiritual selves. And once we are
in touch with this place, fear means nothing to us. How can we be fearful
when we operate purely from a place of deepest love? The practice of
meditation is a sure way for each of us to become aware of where that place
of belonging lies. How deeply it may be hidden and how many obstacles
conceal it differs for each of us - for some, meditation remains a lifelong
struggle with boredom, procrastination and sore lower-backs. Others manage
to fall into blissful meditative states right from the start. Wherever you
fall on the spectrum, it is enough to know that it is the effort that
counts. One moment spent sitting with our fears and worries is worth years
running from them.

In her wonderful book "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway," Susan Jeffers shows us that fear is so universal and so constant that if we give in to it we can succeed only in destroying our lives. Yes, the world is a big, scary place,
but it is far smaller and far less scary than we really imagine it to be –
the biggest source of fear is in fact our own minds. By concentrating on
developing our inner life, we find that ironically we enlarge and extend the
experiences of our outer lives. Inner strength gives us the courage to reach
out to others. As Jeffers says, ‘the more you expand your comfort zone, the
more powerful you become.’

It is so easy, and so tempting, to turn to the outside world and its stimuli
in order to find meaning and understanding. But so much of this world is based on building our fears - are we not too fat? Are our borders too unprotected? Aren’t we in danger from terrorists and fanatics? Fear sells, anxiety stimulates and terror is sexy, and everywhere we turn we are encouraged to buy into that big, scary material world that is poised to consume us, if we don’t consume it first. If we could replace our morning diet of talkback radio and banal breakfast TV with some real spiritual inquiry, our lives are certain to take a turn for the better. If I can spend just a few minutes in the morning connecting to that interior place of peace and love, I can realise that what is most important is connection. Those people suddenly cease to become dangerous, scary or infuriating when we realise that those people are actually us. If we fear them then we fear ourselves, and how can we possibly grow in the face of such fear. To sit with fear, to embrace it and let it wear itself out - this is a way to liberate ourselves from its hold. To sit with fear until it’s exhausted, and we can refresh ourselves with love, compassion and understanding.

Try it . . . Just for a moment.

Got you thinking? Share your thoughts with the rest of us:

---

Name
E-mail
Your words
	Click "preview" first, then click "submit" to confirm.

---