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Let’s talk about the exploration of human emotions and feelings: today we will dive into the vast world of fear.
We will examine not only what fear is and its various types, but also the implications this emotion can have on our bodies and our health.
The Effect of Fear on the Body:
We will explore how fear affects our bodies, activating the stress response system and releasing substances such as cortisol. This stress can be temporary, as in the instinctive fear of the moment, or chronic, as in the constant fear that keeps us in a permanent state of alertness.
Types of Fear:
We will distinguish between instinctive momentary fear, which prepares us to flee or fight in the face of an immediate threat, and chronic fear, which can damage our long-term health if not managed properly.
Health Implications:
We will examine our body’s possible responses to fear, including physical ailments, discomforts, and diseases that can occur as a result of chronic stress caused by fear.
We will try to identify the most common fears and provide some strategies for recognizing and dealing with them. We will conclude with a small exercise to help us become aware of our fears and begin the path toward liberation from them.
The Parable of Mr. Cholera:
To begin, let us reflect on the parable of Mr. Cholera encountered by a wise man in an Indian village. Do you know this story? basically explains how the fear of disease, can claim more victims than the disease itself. So it shows us how deeply fears that can affect our lives, not only from a mental or emotional point of view, but also physically!
Types of Fear:
We explore the many facets of fear, dividing it into different categories.
First, there is collective fear, such as what we have experienced in the past two years, an emotion that permeates the entire community.
Familiar fears follow, those inherited from previous generations and transmitted in the domestic context, becoming an integral part of our psyche. Finally, we encounter personal fears, those that are unique to each of us and may stem from our life experiences and birth imprints.
Manifestations of Fears:
Fears manifest themselves in different ways: some fear love or commitment in a relationship, others fear getting sick or losing something important. However, if we were to find a common thread linking all these fears, we could identify it with the fear of suffering. This fear, ingrained in our psyche, affects our daily choices and actions.
Reflections on the Body:
Fears, if not addressed, can also affect our bodies. The body often acts as a wake-up call, manifesting physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach cramps or migraines. These signs may be the physical manifestation of unaddressed inner fears that resonate with past events or traumatic experiences.
For example, a person might experience nausea as a response to past traumatic situations. This phenomenon could stem from a previously experienced sense of helplessness in the face of dangerous or violent situations, such as domestic violence. The memory of these past experiences can trigger a sense of dread or anguish, which is then reflected physically with symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, or a desire to flee.
Let’s talk about migraine. The key word is “threat.” Is there something that is making me feel threatened now? And I express it this way, from the gut. Maybe that tiny child on the playground, or my boss who simply told me that this job is no good. Let’s try for a minute and a half not to put judgment, because this could be the beginning of recovering that memory that keeps us stuck and experiencing migraines several times during a month.
Another fear bell is colic. When I feel fear in my belly, I can ask myself: what makes me live in a state of tension? A cramp is a contraction; it is a strong tension. So, what is causing me to experience great tension?
Another condition that speaks of fear is alopecia. Hair loss can be interpreted as the fear of not having protection, the fear of losing a sense of security. Is it possible that I experienced a great sense of distress in my living environment because I did not feel protected?
What about amenorrhea? Is it possible that I experienced a great sense of anguish in being a woman? Have I recorded that being a woman equals suffering, sacrifice, submission?
The hips also speak of fear. If I am afraid to move forward, to engage in something that might significantly affect my life, I might have pain in my hips. Is it possible that there is a great fear of moving forward, of engaging in something that they have proposed to me, because I am afraid of the consequences?
There are many other physical manifestations of fear: asthma, constipation, kidney cysts. All can be read as bells that alert us to the presence of fear in our lives.
Protective Mechanisms:
The body, with its innate wisdom, tries to protect us from our fears through various mechanisms. For example, weight gain may be a form of protection from fear of pleasing or leaving an unsatisfying relationship. Distress, on the other hand, can be a psychophysical reaction to past traumatic events, manifesting in symptoms such as palpitations, lightheadedness, and excessive sweating.
The influence of past experiences:
Past experiences can shape our current reactions and fears. For example, a person who has experienced a traumatic event such as a divorce might develop an unconscious fear of happiness in future relationships, associating happiness with suffering. In situations where happiness seems to be within reach, this person may experience symptoms such as fainting or anxiety, as happiness represents dangerous emotional territory.
It is essential to learn to recognize the signals the body sends us when we are faced with situations that frighten us. Tachycardia, for example, might indicate a feeling of emotional oppression, while migraine might be a response to the perception of an imminent threat. Any physical symptom can be a wake-up call that prompts us to explore our inner fears and the past experiences that generated them.
By reflecting on the physical manifestations of fear, we can begin to better understand our emotional reactions and identify the deep roots of our fears.
Through this process of self-awareness and understanding, we can learn to manage our fears more effectively and free ourselves from the resulting physical symptoms.
In conclusion, recognizing and facing our fears is essential for our mental and physical health. We cannot ignore the signals our bodies send us when we are faced with situations that frighten us. Only by facing our fears can we free ourselves from their harmful effects and live a more authentic and fulfilling life.
To face these fears and transform them, there are some basic steps .
The first is awareness: starting to recognize our fears.
The second step isacceptance: we cannot transform something we do not accept.
Only after acceptance can we move on totransformative action.
Transformative action in Metamedicine begins with work on the release of emotional memory.
There are many ways to do this work, and we can start with a short exercise: write down everything we would not like, and then rewrite it by replacing “would not like” with “I am afraid.”
This is only the beginning of the journey toward transforming our fears, but it is an important step toward healing and personal growth.
