“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”
~Marie Curie.
Most of our fear is founded in the unknown. As soon as we commit to enquiring of it in truth it falls away, and then things are seen for what they really are. Even if they’re still daunting we can somehow muster the required courage to negotiate the rest of the way.
The acute anxious pain of fear is somehow ‘numbed’ this way.
What Did Marie Curie Mean?
If we count it worthy to call fear that which is not good, or not of God, we see where Marie Curie was coming from. Indeed fear is the very barrier to God and all godly constructs imbued of wisdom—that truth-of-life that smashes fear every time.
Fear also stands in the way of science—that very desire to know how things work and how to interact with life—for science is simply humankind’s attempt at knowing the things of God.
Using the Higher Mind to Conquer Fear
If our fear is the way of lies (i.e. it’s characterised by an absence of applied truth) and it represents us in our child states—devoid of childlike faith, which we know to be good when instituted with God’s wisdom—then we can see that the higher mind is the way to truth, and the jettisoning of fear, a moment at a time.
The higher mind is the gateway to logic and a screed for testing all things.
Imagine the paving of a driveway. If there is substance and truth to matters these are left behind and levelled into a base for the construction of pavement known of positive hope and intention.
This is solid ground for us to stake our lives on, reducing further any grip that fear might have on us. The fear is represented as the loose rubble removed for that level surface the pavers are soundly placed upon. Truth sees to it that none of these pavers wobbles under our feet or as the car tyre rolls over them.
If, however, the higher mind reveals information as suspect, i.e. it reveals the information contains ill-founded fear-based constructs, it omits this and we feel a boost of confidence; this restores us and our courage is buoyed.
The higher mind removes the rubble, clearing the way for sound thought.
Practically Training the Higher Mind
This is done quite simply in theory, yet in practice, of course, it’s a lot harder.
It really is the case of practicing logic and reasonability over all our activities, responses and initiatives—all of them, barring none.
Sure, we’ll get it wrong from time to time and give fear its place, i.e. in our doubting, but if we’re right-minded there’s no reason why we can’t see things more consistently and sensibly.
Training the mind can reasonably be distilled to a simple focus on being as reasonable, responsible, reliable, realistic and logical as we can be—at any given time.
© 2010 S. J. Wickham.
I used to struggle with imaginary fears. What helped me most was to learn to focus on the truth of the situation. It was an amazing freedom once I learned to do this! Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteAmen! And thanks for your comment.
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