Even the fear and loathing demonstrated in Fear Factor doesn’t hold a candle to our biggest fear. Whether a fear of heights, public spaces, or strangers, our daily fears are the result of an even greater fear that has yet to be disclosed on national television. To expose your fears for what really lies behind them requires a thorough examination of your beliefs about life and death. You can face your fears by facing your fate, without ever going on television or subjecting yourself to rats, bats or heights, and discover a life worth living forever.
From maggot-eating, fraternizing with rats in a container lowered underground, dangling from cars above Las Vegas to who knows what next, reality television gives us a chance to face some of our worst fears– or to discover how far some will go for $50,000. While each of us may have a fear of flying to one involving spiders, the winner on Fear Factor is likely to be the one who got lucky enough not to be challenged with her own fear during that particular contest on national television!
A client shared his innermost fear of dying penniless; others have shared fears of intimacy, fears of the dark, fears of their fathers or mothers, etc. There is no question some of the fears on Fear Factor or in client’s lives are alarming to consider, and may even be one of our own nightmares, but what is behind all the fear? Where do fears begin, and most importantly where do they end?
Many believe fears are the result of a previous and unforgotten experience; others believe we are born with fears. We know that babies have a startle reflex to loud noises. Freudian therapies and others have supplied the world with loads of studies to indicate the source of our fears and methods including cognitive behavior therapy and previous life regressions to help us to eradicate them. Fears affect our navigation of life on this planet, coping with the bugs, the sounds, the challenges of flying, social gatherings, driving, etc.
However, the biggest fear of all can’t be tested on reality television– the fear of death. Beneath all fear lurks a fear for your very survival. Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, our fears of everything on the planet are a result of the primary fear of death, and the fear of death is a byproduct of identifying with the body as our reality. The fear of public speaking is the possibility of the ego being judged. Again, the results of ego identification. If we believed for one minute we didn’t die when our bodies crumble, we would shake all of our fears forever. We would realize bugs can’t truly end our lives, airplane crashes don’t result in a final death, failure is an impossibility, war doesn’t work, and life goes on in spite of appearances. When we focus on the root of all fear being the fear of death, we begin to understand that the secret to overcoming our various fears is a continual and deliberate effort to affirm life. Since life affirmation and success in life are intrinsically linked, the will to succeed is capable of propelling us beyond all trepidation.
So, if you are sincerely interested in overcoming fear it will be necessary to change your beliefs about life. How can you do that? Our perceptions about life and death are philosophical to begin with, and studying the beliefs of different cultures is a great starting point. Many indigenous cultures, including the Native Americans didn’t fear death. It was embraced as an aspect of life– a continuation of eternity. Rather than an end of life, it was perceived as a beginning of new adventures. Beyond cultural studies are the challenges of personal exploration of each and all of our beliefs.
Meditation is one method used to encourage self-exploration and has been demonstrated by yogis and others to culminate in knowledge of the truth that we are not our bodies at all, and that the body is simply a temporary structure enabling us to negotiate the planet while we are here. Many argue that meditation can take years of practice to bring us to awareness of the truth, but that doesn’t have to be the case. The desire and the willingness to know the truth is the primary prerequisite to change. You can begin with Magical Meditations, four meditations that will assist you in reaching new levels of awareness. Each meditation will enhance your sense of Self, as you tap into your inner truth, release the past and your fears, and you energize through nature.
In addition, you can further explore and eliminate your fears by committing to a plan for 21 days of personal growth and change with Conscious Choice – Conscious Creation. You will discover that where there is fear, there is an absence of love. Love and fear cannot occupy the same residence. Your fears keep you from establishing healthy, supportive, and nourishing relationships; they will keep you from fully enjoying life and they will keep you from the truth.
And, for those of you who want to quickly identify and permanently eliminate beliefs that are the source of your debilitating fears, you can arrange a private consultation with Dr. Alexandra Delis-Abrams. Work directly with The Attitude Doc over the telephone or in person and your life will change forever.
In whatever way you feel most comfortable, choose to discover the truth about yourself and the world in which you live. Make a commitment to eliminate your fears and your detrimental beliefs. As you change core beliefs about your reality, you will see the magnificence in the world around you as it reflects your new beliefs, born of love rather than fear, and you will know and trust that life never ends.