ABOUT FEAR
I have told you a lot about fear. But we cannot talk about it enough.
Now, I summarise its mode of action in this article and how you can “neutralise” this energy, according to the philosophy of yoga.
Why is there fear in the life of all of us?
Why are almost “programmed” for fear (if we don’t turn on our superior self)?
The answer is very simple: because we have 4 basic (instinctual) drives, and their fulfilment is essential for us.
This is how we are coded.
We experience FEAR when we feel this fulfilment is in danger; this is how everyone is “programmed”.
But what are the four instinctual drives that influence us so much?
- Eating
- Sleeping
- Sustenance
- Sexuality
Until we have enough food, can get enough sleep, feel safe, and our sexual desires are fulfilled, we feel we have peace. But what happens if the fulfilment of any of these encounter a barrier?
- Have you ever thought about what happens if you don’t get enough food? How would you feel?
- What would happen if they didn’t let you have enough sleep? How would you feel?
- What would it be like if you didn’t feel safe? Would your home be under threat? Or if you felt you cannot buy enough food the next day? How would you feel?
- And how would it feel if your sexual desires were not fulfilled?
It would not be “a good feeling”. After a while, we would feel anxious and be afraid.
But why? It very rarely happens that we really don’t have food or produce the necessary circumstances for life. As the saying goes, “We’ll work it out somehow”.
But one thing’s for sure: negative feelings emerge in our mind. Let’s have a look at the process!
Which is our strongest instinctive drive?
Out of the four primitive resources, sustenance is the strongest. It both involves obtaining the things needed for everyday life and our attachment to life (or fear of death). We are afraid that we cannot ensure the wellbeing of ourselves and our family.
If we believe that the fulfilment of our instinctive drives are in danger, we are AFRAID.
The main root of danger is fear, and the habits formed by our fears evoke danger. Uncontrolled fear becomes stronger day by day until we lose our self-confidence.
The biggest fear is fear itself.
Fears are born in the mind, and if they are not examined, they will grow bigger. If we keep all our fears inside, we get sick after some time.
What do fears cause?
Feelings.
We can distinguish between seven negative emotions, which are generated by fears, caused by our belief that the fulfilment of a basic instinctive drive is at risk.
- Desire: we are longing for something
- Anger: we become angry
- Pride: we become proud
- Jealousy: we become jealous
- Affection: we get attached to something
- Greed: we becomes greedy
- Egoism: we become egoists
Desire (=khama) is the negative emotion above all. Khama, the greatest desire causes trouble in the lake of life. Khama is the mother of all emotions. This desire mingles with selfishness, so khama does not motivate you to serve others but rather directs life and makes ego-centred. Desire is the main factor of every motivation. It is essential to understand the thinking processes and even more important to understand emotions that distract thinking.
So what can we do?
