What is Fear?

Fear is a combination of uncomfortable, nervous, emotional feelings that rise up from circumstances that are new, confusing, or seemingly beyond our control. Clinically, such feelings are called anxiety when they stem from confusion and ignorance, especially about your true individuality and abilities. The same emotional feelings are called fear when they can be attributed to external danger — real or imagined.

Further, all so-called negative emotions — emotional hurt and upset — are supported by anxiety and fear. Like physical feelings, emotions can also be felt in the body. And like physical feelings, emotional feelings are symptoms too. Anger, frustration, alienation, depression, etc. are symptoms or symbols that reveal your personal self-image and world view. The discomfort of your negative emotional feelings will not heal until you better understand what they reveal about you.

Not only do new, confusing, and unknown circumstances promote fear, but fear causes even more confusion — a vicious cycle of anxiety and confusion, fear and ignorance, spinning round and round. In short, fear and ignorance (stress) can only exist in the absence of an upward spiral of love and understanding.

Two things are needed to move from the downward cycle of anxiety and confusion to the upward cycle of love and understanding — relaxation and responsibility. Relaxation such as meditation or physical exercise releases the muscular tension that holds fear (stress) in the body.

Responsibility (ownership) provides the opportunity to understand the emotion as a symptom of your condition. Once the hurt is understood it is healed and released. In this way, safe, calm, relaxed feelings (love) and understanding replace fear and ignorance.