Our columnist helps us explore fear and understand its place in our lives
Many of us feel fear and fear the future; this is not surprising as we live in turbulent times. Every big choice in life, every decision and every birth of a new stage involves fear. We live in a fear-driven society where people make money from peddling fear. It perpetuates the myth of separation and of lack, seen through the phrases: ‘if someone else is winning I must be losing’ and ‘there is not enough to go round’. Now more than ever it is vital that we learn to generate a sense of safety within ourselves and not look for it externally from systems that seek to benefit from us living in fear.
Yet fear has a purpose for our survival. It is only when it becomes extreme that it is a problem, and when we are unable to self-regulate our nervous systems. If we habitually suppress fear and leave it in the shadows of our psyche it will continue to dominate our lives and impact on our capacity to live a fulfilled life.
The fear response starts in the amygdala part of the brain. When we feel fear it interrupts the part of the brain that allows us to regulate emotions and to decipher non-verbal cues that allow us to respond authentically. This affects our ability to make decisions, intensifies emotions and gives rise to impulsive reactions. Known as the fight or flight response, the hypothalamus releases a series of chemicals to the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortex system, making it hard to think clearly. Other systems in the body may be temporally suspended to ensure the survival of the individual.
When animals are afraid, they will shake to allow fear to pass through them and be released. An animal would never suppress fear. Likewise, we shouldn't suppress fear as it is part of what it is to be alive and is natural; you would have to be numb not to feel fear in this world cu
