Ahmad Al Charif

Articles in this category follow the format of a conversation, between myself and another party. If you would like to know more about the origins, please click here. I start the conversation in blue.

I have been asked by several people about Fear, and what it really is.

 

And what do you think it is?

 

I think fear is an emotion, that people have sometimes in response to certain situations…

 

Well you are right in the sense that fear is a concept conceived by intelligent beings, but it is not limited to people.

 

So animals also feel fear?

 

It is not that simple, but the short answer would be no. Fear exists only through the workings of a rational functional mind. It is the product of many factors coming into play to produce the final outcome.

 

Usually it is associated with the element of the unknown. Your rational mind is trained through years and years of practice that everything predicted, and calculated is by substitution something that can be dealt with. Then naturally anything that is hidden, that is unknown to you triggers your rational mind into a state of panic. What will this do to me? How will it affect me? How can i deal with something without knowing what it is?! Panic leads way to fear.

 

I cannot say that i agree, many times i remember being afraid without panicking first –

 

We are not talking about physical panic here, i am referring to the panic of the rational mind –

 

Why do you keep referring to it as the “rational mind”, is it not just simply the mind?

 

No, the mind is a gateway to many different realms, both inner and outer. However the ‘Mind’ people are most accustomed to is the rational one. It is the mind that makes the day to day decisions, that handles the routine, and the physical life.

 

Sorry i interrupted you, please go on.

 

When the rational mind is confronted with the unknown, and the unfamiliar, it is cornered and does not know what to do next. It is faced with a dead end that it cannot calculate it’s way out of. Panic sets in; on an internal level, though sometimes panic does manifest physically on the outside that is not always the case, but when panic sets in, and your mind is lost, you associate this very uncomfortable feeling with the idea of Fear.

 

Fear is the absence of your rational mind, simply put.

 

So people who are afraid of flying for example, how do you explain that?

 

If you are a person who is afraid of flying, your mind probably has this ongoing battle, with the idea of death. Death is possibly the number one instigator of fear. People who are not at peace with the idea of leaving this earth, do not understand the idea of life after death. Or maybe they do but they do not feel ready. The idea of flying pushes them into this inner rational mind battle, of which they cannot possibly win.

 

There are a lot of things that can go wrong, resulting in their death; which they either do not grasp, or are not ready for. The rational mind panics, it does not want to fight a battle it cannot win, fear kicks in.

 

But they say flying is statistically the safest way to fly…

 

The rational mind only hears that other people have died before. Besides, fear of flying being a result of the fear of death is just an example, there are many different reasons a person might be afraid of flying, this is just one of them.

 

Ok, so back to the main topic at hand. When you said fear is only present in intelligent beings, care to elaborate?

 

As previously discussed, humans are not the only intelligent beings that exist. Animals however, do not know fear, at least not the way you do. They function more on instinct. A predator attacks, their instinct is to survive.

 

Isn’t that the case for people?

 

People have learned to rely on the rational mind far too much. They fear the loss of intimacy, the loss of money, being alone in the dark, sickness (which leads to death), and so many others. All of which are the product of too much calculation. So much time is wasted, so much energy…

 

Anything the rational mind cannot compute, or comprehend completely, results in fear.

 

So how can people avoid being afraid?

 

By switching their state of mind. By letting go of the rational, and stepping up onto a higher state of mind. By observing through the soul.

 

One last thing, as i feel this is very common. For many, fear kicks in after watching a scary movie. Why is that? The rational mind knows it is not real.

 

Taming the rational mind can be very tricky. What is real, versus what is not is a very blurry line. For some the separation comes easily, and more naturally. For others it does not.

 

So what is the best way to conquer a fear? To get over it completely?

 

To conquer fear, is to conquer the rational mind. To do so you need to be patient, and to put in the time and and the effort. Switch from using your rational mind, turn it off completely if you can, and the fear will vanish immediately.

 

Can you give a method, a technique?

 

When afraid, dismiss the object of your fear entirely, do not sink into the trap the rational mind is setting up. A battle you cannot win is a battle you should not fight.

 

Simply shift your mind and awareness onto something else that is pleasant. A beautiful memory, or a distant luscious dream perhaps. For the more advanced, meditation can be of great help.

 

The rational mind is one of the many tools you have as a person. When a tool is acting up, best set it aside, and use something else until it is usable again.

 

Do other tools also “malfunction”, like the rational mind does?

 

A good question, perhaps better answered on another day… Don’t you have rituals to perform?

 

Indeed i do.

 

Until we meet again, keep walking…