absolute direct work with fear

[Vajrasattva]

Working with holding the breath makes you face fear head on. Bodri has it 9 bottle breath. Max has a Phoenix meditation, I'm sure there are many variations out there where you hold your breath til you can't. Hyper Learning guru Michael Wenger recommends long distant underwater swimming to retrain and recharge the brain.

 

It can be dangerous and its always uncomfortable but you're facing death face on. Best to do it w/ good instruction or better yet supervision.

Michael

 

 

Higher training of Cimande Silat you are to do your Ilmu Batin training in water up to your nose or underwater.

[Duifang]

This is useful.

 

LITANY AGAINST FEAR

 

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain.

 

(by Frank Herbert)

[Spectrum]

Working with holding the breath makes you face fear head on. Bodri has it 9 bottle breath. Max has a Phoenix meditation, I'm sure there are many variations out there

 

The Long Breathing patterns that have been shared with me lengthen the cycle breath cycle including the transition points of change between inhale and exhale. At these extreme points of inhalation turning to exhalation or exhalation turning to inhalation, a certain suspension point is experienced and dialated but I would be hesitant to describe this breathing pattern as a "holding" the breath... rather another "space" opens up as your metabolism slows down and the mind operates on a lower/higher level.

 

What you guys are describing sounds like holding your breath is the bathtub *I Heart Huckabees* Urban Sensory Depreviation Guerrilla Style.

Edited October 27, 2008 by Spectrum

[Mal]

[Spectrum]

it's "holding" the breath but it's important to use the least amount of force / muscle to hold it.

 

hold that thought

 

use what muscle?

 

still holding?

Edited October 28, 2008 by Spectrum

[Bum Grasshopper]

As a competitive swimmer and free diver in high school, I had little fear of holding my breath. However, when cornered by bullies threating to kick my ass, I was frozen with fear. It was not until I trained in martial arts and was able to face the bullies with confidence that I was not going to die or get terribly disfigured, did this fear subside, but not go away completely. A little fear is good.

 

So my take is study everything about what you fear. Then you will find a way to conquer it.

[goldisheavy]

what do you think is the most direct and the most effective method for dealing with the energy of fear?

 

Fear is not an energy like electricity. It's a reaction. I suggest you get as close to your fear as you can without losing your mind. You have to be close enough to make it real, but not so close as to lose the flow of your thoughts. Once there, start examining it. What assumptions are involved? What intentions are being blocked? What beliefs are contextualizing it? Etc. Examine it. It may take 10 years or a lifetime (or hell, lifetimes) of work to really put an end to some of the deeper fears. If the fear is significant, there is no way in hell you can get over it in one day, no matter what you realize. The reason for this is habituation and familiarization. You have to spend time familiarizing yourself with the problem and then habituate a new way of being, and this is not easy when the fear you're dealing with is not something superficial (like the fear of heights or like a fear of public speaking -- those are very superficial fears). I assume you're talking about the level of fear that spiritual adepts confront.

[wuliheron]

what do you think is the most direct and the most effective method for dealing with the energy of fear?

 

Lao Tzu wrote:

 

Habits are the end of honesty and compassion,

The beginning of confusion,

Belief is a colorful hope or fear,

The beginning of folly.

 

Fear can be a natural reaction to the world around us, or it can be a reaction to our beliefs (ie- habitual ways of thinking) about the world. Meditation can help to clear the mind of beliefs and, therefore, fears. We can also examine our beliefs about our fears by asking ourselves questions about what frightens us. There are perhaps an infinite number of ways of dealing with our fears, but all we ever have to do is let go of them.

Edited October 29, 2008 by wuliheron

[Spectrum]

Now your going and gettin all emo on us. Dont cut yourself.

 

Five Elements, Six Conditions: A Taoist Approach to Emo

Edited October 29, 2008 by Spectrum

[Wayfarer64]

I paled-around with that bitch years ago... did me no good...I can no longer run for public office!

 

 

If real fear crosses into my consciousness now-

not just apprehension or tension or somesuch minor tinge-

 

But when I get a real sense that there is something very wrong with the situation I find myself in...

 

Well, now I smile at myself -(having faced death already & made her my pal too- just friends mind you)...

 

Then I see what it is I can do to ease the situation, I get very cool headed and swallow it down -(actually feels like I swallow it!)

 

and I do what I have to do- grab to help or leap to attack I just figure out what I need to do!

[ddilulo_06]

What's been helping me lately is right before I'm about to do something that triggers fear, to remember and say to myself:

 

"I can recover from anything."

 

Just remembering that has given me courage in the past few days.

 

This is in regard to social fears.

[Wayfarer64]

What's been helping me lately is right before I'm about to do something that triggers fear, to remember and say to myself:

 

"I can recover from anything."

 

Just remembering that has given me courage in the past few days.

 

This is in regard to social fears.

 

 

I saw someone with a button on their lapel the other day -

 

Survivor

not Victim

 

I believe that is a good image to hold to- gain what you can from duress and go on with what you need to do

[Spectrum]

What happens every time you're quiet if your worst fear manifests right in front of your face, overcome this psychology and you unify, defeated you are split.

 

epic

 

yet in secret

yet you shine

yet with in

yet with out

 

understand yourself

and you understand

your worst enemies

 

o7w7m4lb2ok

Edited November 6, 2008 by Spectrum