the apparent and actual source of fear

[roger]

I just want to say that I'm not just "preaching" to everybody. The reason I'm saying this is largely because it's what I, myself, need to learn.

 

ACIM says, "The possibility of looking within and seeing guilt only SEEMS to be the source of fear. The real source of fear is that you'll look within and see innocence."

 

It's not the idea that we're GUILTY that scares us. It's the fact that we're NOT GUILTY.

 

Chogyam Trungpa teaches that we're afraid to FACE ourselves.

 

What we're afraid to face is not the darkness within us, but the light.

[silent thunder]

Very potent words.  Thank you for sharing.

 

I'm going to foster these words inside a while and see what surfaces.

[roger]

One way to look into the whole thing is to imagine yourself NOT indulging your defenses.

 

Two habits I have, which I would consider defenses, are staying up very late, and engaging in certain fantasies throughout the day.

 

When I visualize myself NOT doing those things, my fear of divine truth becomes apparent. I can consciously perceive what I'm really avoiding by those two defenses.

 

One time I was gonna go to bed, and I decided to stay up. Then I looked into the possibility of going to bed, and it's like I saw that it meant, to me, that I was OKAY, that I'm fine, that I'm innocent.....well, THAT'S what scared me, THAT'S what I was avoiding.

 

And with the fantasies I can also see what I'm defending against, what I'm avoiding.

 

It's like if I didn't engage in those fantasies, I'd be face-to-face with my divine nature, I'd see it, I'd be conscious of it. And again, THAT'S what scares me.

 

I still haven't overcome this problem, but the more clearly I see it, it loses its power over me.

 

So basically, imagine yourself NOT engaging in your defenses, and see what that would mean.

 

It can especially help to imagine yourself not THINKING, because most people are ADDICTED to thinking. When you're thinking so much, look into the possibility of NOT thinking, of quieting your mind, and see what comes up.

Edited June 6, 2016 by roger

[Bindi]

I just want to say that I'm not just "preaching" to everybody. The reason I'm saying this is largely because it's what I, myself, need to learn.

 

ACIM says, "The possibility of looking within and seeing guilt only SEEMS to be the source of fear. The real source of fear is that you'll look within and see innocence."

 

It's not the idea that we're GUILTY that scares us. It's the fact that we're NOT GUILTY.

 

Chogyam Trungpa teaches that we're afraid to FACE ourselves.

 

What we're afraid to face is not the darkness within us, but the light.

 

Chogyam Trungpa seems to be saying something eminently more sensible than that we fear the light within:

 

 

Many people try to find a spiritual path where they do not have to face themselves but where they can still liberate themselves--liberate themselves from themselves, in fact. In truth, this is impossible. We cannot do that. We have to be honest with ourselves. We have to see our gut, our real shit, our most undesirable parts. We have to see that. That is the foundation of warriorship and the basis of conquering fear. We have to face our fear; we have to look at it, study it, work with it, and practice meditation with it.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Bindi

[roger]

Chogyam Trungpa seems to be saying something eminently more sensible than that we fear the light within:

 

Thanks Bindi.

 

Peace.

[Marblehead]

Fear is an instinct that helps us survive.

 

Instinctual fear is neither good nor bad. 

 

However, many of us allow the power of fear to extend into areas of our life where we are supposed to be using reason and logic.  And many, if not most, of these fears prevent us from living in the "now" moment.  And the fears also prevent us from testing the extent of our capabilities and capacities.

 

But I won't deny that also many have the fear of introspect such that we really don't want to know what kind of person we really are.

[Jetsun]

I think our greatest existential fear is the truth, that we don't really exist, at least not in the way our minds assume we do, and our minds will do anything to deny this.

[Marblehead]

Yeah, our mind can do strange things to us.

[Owledge]

I just want to say that I'm not just "preaching" to everybody. The reason I'm saying this is largely because it's what I, myself, need to learn.

 

ACIM says, "The possibility of looking within and seeing guilt only SEEMS to be the source of fear. The real source of fear is that you'll look within and see innocence."

 

It's not the idea that we're GUILTY that scares us. It's the fact that we're NOT GUILTY.

 

Chogyam Trungpa teaches that we're afraid to FACE ourselves.

 

What we're afraid to face is not the darkness within us, but the light.

Sounds like designed to appear mainstream-defying for the sake of it. At least without actual explanation why this thesis should be valid.

Personally I came to a pretty convincing view, which is kinda old and boring to the intellect, but it will have to deal with it.

The root of all fears is existential fear. Our egoic mind is a tool designed to protect our physical vessel from dangers. All the strategies it designs have that aim. A healthier force is being channeled when a person does not fuel that program; when existential fears are starved. That can be due to outside influences and/or inner work.

When someone looks inside and sees guilt, he is afraid that guilt that demands to be acted on will impair his options for selfish actions, which usually help self-sustenance.

Overcoming such guilt is actually a selfish act. But it is also an act of self-love. If that leads closer to a balance, then it is healthy, at least in relation to life circumstances.