Fears are debilitating. The sight of men and women breaking into a cold sweat when faced with the prospect of getting into a lift is not easily understood. 'Come on, you'll be OK.' 'No I can't. I'll be crushed. The lift will fall.' The lift continues on, servicing people, without anyone getting hurt and yet the sufferer of the fear is convinced that they are doomed. For them, the mere thought of being faced with traveling in a lift brings about the reality of experiencing the physical feelings of shortness of breath, feeling hot and sweating. Why? Because fears are tricks of the mind. FEAR. False Evidence Appearing Real.

The following E-Report is slightly different to my other E-Reports, in that a large part of it is taken from my meditation CD, Peaceful Place Number 15, Overcoming Fear. The reason I have done this is to offer to you the knowledge that fears can be overcome, and to provide you with a potential way of doing that.

The Role Of The Subconscious Mind

They say fear is all in the mind - how true that statement is. Indeed if it's in the mind, then it's in the subconscious mind, which is where memory is, and then when thoughts become entrenched in the subconscious mind, that becomes reality for that person. To change thoughts, it has to happen first in the subconscious mind. It's like a habit. If you want to change a habit in any way, shape or form, then you put the new habit into the subconscious mind. When the subconscious mind has got the new thought or new habit, then that becomes reality.

The process of change can take place in the alpha or theta brainwave state. In these brainwave states, the filter of the reticular activating system (often referred to as the reticulum) is partly open, thus allowing access by the conscious mind to memory and habits which are deeply embedded and controlled by the subconscious mind. An example of the filter at work is having a block in an exam. You know that you know the answer, and yet the memory doesn’t come until you leave the exam. Why? Because the filter is closed in the “up tight, anxious” beta brainwave state (in the exam).

One remarkable fact is that the subconscious mind does not know the difference between imagination and reality. For instance, in a ‘falling’ dream, your heart is beating faster, your adrenaline is running, and when you wake up, you’re often in a hot sweat. Then the conscious mind, the awake mind, says “it’s only a dream”. The dream mind, the subconscious mind, didn’t know it wasn’t real – heart beating faster, hot sweats. It doesn’t know the difference between imagination and reality.

So what we need to know is that we are not our thoughts, and that we are not always responsible for our thoughts. Take an example of dreaming. We have some crazy dreams, don't we? Are they real? Do you think that's you the person? Absolutely not. You see we're not really responsible for every thought that we have. We are much greater than our thoughts.

 

 

The Process Of Overcoming Fear

A process to overcome fears is to be in the meditation state and just observe your breath. You give your total focus to your breath. You notice your breath coming into your body, how it goes into your lungs and imagine it going right down through the rest of your body. And then notice the breath going out. And as you observe the breath in and the breath out, there may be other thoughts that come to your mind. Whatever thought comes to your mind, observe it, just the way you observe your breath. Now you don't get attached to the thought, just observe it. So the thought may come in and you let it go. The thought may come in again and you let it go, imagine it coming in the right ear, and pretend that it "goes out" the left ear. Experiment with this process.

Another way of letting the thought go is to put it in a lift where the thought goes all the way up into infinity - a never-ending lift, and it's gone, released into the light for the highest good. And then it may come in again and this time you could put it on a pilot-less aircraft flying overhead. Once again the thought has gone. And each time the thought goes, you return to your breath and just focus on the breath. You begin to realise that the thoughts come from somewhere, you don't know where, you don't control them. The thought just comes in and you can let it go. You can just observe the thought. You realise that you are not responsible for this thought. You realise that you can observe the thought. You realise the thought is not you.

Whilst doing this process you begin to realise that it's only a mind game that's being played with you, so you can join the game ... the thought comes in, you can let it go. You are much greater than your thoughts. You are quite safe and secure . I suggest that you do this in your Peaceful Place where you are always safe and secure. I suggest that you call in that beautiful, clear, colourless, divine light with you. And so as any thought comes in, observe it and just let it go. Practise observing your breath and then observing the thought and letting it go.

When you know that you are not your thoughts, you can picture and imagine whatever the issue is for you, be it personal safety, be it flying, spiders, moths, be it claustrophobia, or be it going on a roller coaster. Picture feeling quite safe, using all your senses you now imagine that situation involving the challenge as it takes place inside your mind. You see yourself in that situation, you know you want to face it and get through it and enjoy your life, feeling secure, you visualise - you see or you hear or you feel yourself facing your challenge successfully, accomplishing whatever it is you want.

If perhaps that nagging thought comes in once again, you now know what to do. You just let the thought go. Coming in one ear and out the other, or into the aircraft or the lift and then you return to completing whatever it is you're doing, facing the challenge inside your mind and taking the next step. Now, even though the thought may have come in a few more times, you can let it go each time ... you have mastered the thought ... you control yourself ... you are the boss of yourself, you realise the thought is just "the thought".

Concluding Remarks

By now, you will be able to begin to acknowledge the fact that you have gotten through this negative fear inside your mind. You can picture and imagine that you have successfully accomplished your challenge, whatever it is that you may need to do. You do that, over and over, inside your mind, picturing and imagining yourself facing the challenge and knowing that inside your mind you are perfectly safe, feeling secure. If negative thoughts come up for you ... you let them go and accomplish whatever it is you wish to do. Just play that scene inside your mind again and again. Remember always come back to the breath, in any moment of anxiousness, observing the breath and letting the thought go.

So, congratulations. You know that you are much greater than your thoughts, knowing that you can control your thoughts, knowing that any time any fear comes up for you, that you know that that's a thought, a trick of the mind and you quickly go to your Peaceful Place and let it go, and observe it .

All The Best

Sandy MacGregor

A Couple of Great Success Stories

Dear Sandy
    I would fly when necessary but that was only a few times. I have no desire to go on holidays, just the thought of going into a travel agent would frighten me. My husband was taking holidays with friends - I was glad to drop him off at the airport - as long as I didn't have to get on that 'thing'!
    I enrolled in a Fear of Flying course which enabled me to find out more about the mechanics of the plane and learned some relaxation methods. I even took a flight after that (flying high on scotch and coke) resulting in the flight attendant asking me to keep my voice down as people were trying to sleep, plus a few days of 'jetlag' or was it 'hangover'. Then there was the agony of knowing I had to get back on that 'thing' again to come home. Another time I took sleeping pills …. They had the reverse effect …. I was wide awake glued to my seat, knuckles white clutching the arm rests for four and a half hours, watching every move the flight attendants made. I lost two days either side of my trip because I had to get some sleep.
    Last year my sister told me about the book "Piece of Mind", so I read it, then she informed me that Sandy was coming to Perth. I attended his seminar and decided that I had nothing to lose. I practised my Peaceful Place every chance I got and listened to the 'Overcoming Fear' tape at least once a day. I have taken 3 trips since then, which means I've been on a plane six times in a period of 6 months. I now have many more goals to achieve. 
    Thank you Sandy for passing on a positive and encouraging way of life.   Fay Rinaldi, WA

    I am very excited about it and practice going to my Peaceful Place heaps of times, listen to Infinite Joy and do the left/right brain and lazy 8 exercises, etc. These have helped me cope in a particularly stressful time.  Recently, the opportunity came for a 10 day holiday in Perth with my husband.
    It helped me greatly to program myself for 10 days before the flight with the Overcoming Fear Meditation and using my Anchor, telling myself that “I’d love to fly and see the world and that I have a great sense of adventure”. On my Perth trip, I felt a great sense of adventure everywhere we went, and it was a really happy and fun time for me.
    One particular challenge I faces was a 1.5 hour walk through Warren Caves, a long way underground.  I felt very much not like tackling this one – but knowing I had such a powerful tool with me – my ANCHOR – my great sense of adventure, I spent a couple of hours before going through the caves telling myself continuously “I love going through caves and have a great sense of adventure”. I was extremely edgy when I first started in the caves – I kept using my Anchor and taking deep breaths. Eventually I felt reasonably relaxed and was so pleased that I had faced the challenge and won.  Thank You Sandy P.S.  NSW.