The Purpose of Fear

Whenever a client experiences deep, paralyzing fear, there is always a plea for a technique to make it go away. "How do I get rid of it?" I understand wanting to get rid of fear. I don't like it either! But getting rid of it, or doing something to make it go away before the message of the fear is illuminated, only keeps the source of the fear in place without healing it.

If you imagine your fear to be a pool of water, say eight feet deep, when you first feel the fear and have the desire to get rid of it, more than likely you are only floating on top the water, or perhaps you have just put your foot in.

Fear exists so that we can totally go to the bottom of it. Only then do we understand the soul's lesson brought to us through the fear. Yes, even fear is a necessary part of our experience, not because we are supposed to be afraid or should be afraid but because without fear we would not recognize the absence of fear. Not only that, without our fears and a commitment to feel them no matter how much we don't want to, we cannot learn to deprogram our conditioned mind.

It's our fear that leads us to the programming: to the false beliefs we created out of a need to survive our earlier circumstances. For instance, maybe you had siblings who always won, who were always seen as better than you. The false belief developed might be "I'm not as good as other people." Presently, when in groups or at parties, that belief may be directing your behavior. It may be keeping you from fully expressing yourself because you don't want to get judged or "lose". But on the inside, that belief will cause your Essence to feel afraid and alone, for good reason. Or maybe you were the one programmed to believe you were better than others. Your fear may come up when you are alone, without the attention of other people placed upon you.

We are meant to be fully expressed aspects of God. That is our purpose. Fear is an indication that we are not in alignment with our divinity. But getting rid of the fear is not the way to full expression. Only by feeling it totally and understanding its source can you learn the purpose of that particular fear, gain understanding of how it is not part of your soul-self. Then you are free.

Copyright 2006 Nancy Swisher, MFA is a Certified Inner Bonding facilitator. nancyswisher@aol.com. 319-338-7833