Moving away from a place of fear
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The passion surrounding the 2024 election was monumental, and as I observed my fellow Americans, the overarching emotion that simmered to the surface, no matter the party affiliation, was fear.
Fear of change, fear of lost freedoms or something valuable being taken away, fear of opening up to new possibilities, fear of life being different.
Fear is uncomfortable. I’ve felt fear in my own realm and it can be downright terrifying, but did you know that fear is one of the lowest energetic emotions? When we’re in a state of fear, it’s impossible to be expansive or productive. The only emotions lower on the energetic scale than fear are grief, apathy, guilt and shame.
When in a constant state of fear or living in a combative mode because we feel threatened, our bodies actually turn on themselves. According to a study in The American Journal of Managed Care and presented by Mary D. Moller, PhD, associate professor, Pacific Lutheran University School of Nursing, and director of Psychiatric Services, Northwest Center for Integrated Health, chronic fear affects every system of the body.
In terms of physical health, chronic fear impacts our immune system, endocrine system, nervous system and sleep/wake cycles. It causes or exacerbates eating disorders and alters the HPA axis, which manages cortisol levels. Emotionally, living in a state of fear causes dissociation from self, inability to have loving feelings, learned helplessness, phobic anxiety, mood swings and obsessive-compulsive thoughts. Additionally, chronic fear can cause people to stay in a freeze state or become afraid to leave their homes. Spiritually, chronic fear causes bitterness toward God and others, confusion/disgust with God or religion, loss of trust in God or a higher power and despair. Lastly, the study indicates that fear greatly impacts the brain’s ability to learn and store new information.
There have also been a number of studies on how collective fear or fear-mongering affects society as a whole. When individuals or sects within the same society fear one another or buy into conspiracy theories, danger and mistrust inevitably lurk around the corner. When members of the same “tribe” turn on one another and refuse to open up to new possibilities, conflict is bound to ensue.
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Where does all this talk of fear leave us now? Results of the election are in. Some are happy about the results and others are angry, frustrated and in a state of grief. The latter deserve compassion.
The final phase of grief is acceptance and acceptance is much higher on the energetic scale than fear, but acceptance takes time. For reference, the very highest energetic emotions are love, joy, peace and enlightenment. This scale or “Map of Consciousness” was created by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. He’s the author of the influential book, “Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior,” which is used worldwide in all industries from business and finance to politics and education. Essentially, Dr. Hawkins delineates the difference between power and force. Power is aligned with truth, compassion and life affirmation, while force is aligned with falsehood, harm and life negation.
Power is associated with positive emotions such love, peace, courage and reverence. When I think of powerful leaders or teachers, I think of Jesus, Winston Churchill, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi. In contrast, force temporarily gets one’s way through coercion or violence, but in the long run leads to negative consequences. Force is associated with negative emotions like anger, pride and fear. I’m sure we can all think of “leaders” who fit this descriptor.
Research says that social media and 24-hour news cycles has significantly worsened a collective fear mentality because anyone with a smartphone or computer can act as an “expert” or offer fake news that lights a spark of fear. We are better than this, folks. Our modern world is making us dumber and suffocating our ability to be critical thinkers. Almost a hundred years ago, Carl Jung said, “Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge.” Maybe we can stop judging each other, and instead, start thinking more, I mean really thinking with depth and data and from reading and having open conversations, not from scrolling on a device.
As Dr. Hawkins says, “Force can bring satisfaction, but only power brings joy. Victory over others brings us satisfaction, but victory over ourselves brings us joy. Eventually, it can lead us to have compassion for everyone, when we see how we all must struggle with the downside of human nature.”
The challenge for all of us is to move away from fear, to look at others with empathy and compassion. While some feel like we’re doomed with Donald Trump as president, others feel saved because when people are scared or uncertain, they look to a strongman (not a strong man) to fix things. For me, one person is not going to make me feel something that extreme, upend my everyday life, wreak havoc on my health and take my focus off being a good mom, friend, partner and citizen. I’m not scared of Donald Trump and I certainly could never see him as a savior. And you shouldn’t either. We’re bigger than living in a state of fear. We’ve got to move up the emotional ladder. We deserve it and younger generation is looking to us for guidance deserve it.
(Susanna Shetley is writer, editor and digital media specialist. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
