Hello everyone...

I've been visiting this site for a few weeks and am a brand new member.  I'm very intrigued by all the concepts and ideas discussed here but have barely scratched the surface.  My beliefs have been gradually changing over the past few years and I would like your input if you would be so kind to help further me along my spiritual journey.

I have many, many questions but I’ll start with the most bothersome issue first, and that is how to gain control of fear.  It seems to be deeply rooted in me and I don't know how to rid myself of it.  Sometimes I feel it has disappeared but it always seems to rear its big, ugly head.  The fear I’m talking about in particular has to do with fear of negative entities, fear of God's rejection, fear of not getting it right, fear of being lost in hell or who knows where after I die, etc.  Hopefully, as I get to know you all you, when that time comes for me to leave this world, you will all come looking for me to to make sure I'm not trapped in some self-imposed afterlife prison!   

Anywho….I’m coming to a gradual understanding that much of what we fear is rooted in our belief systems.  This would make sense in my case since my background is steeped in fundamentalist Christianity and my social network consisted of predominately the born-again, bible studying crowd.  As you know, the concepts of salvation, damnation, heaven, hell, Satan & demons are pretty universally held beliefs in those groups.  The thing is, my fears are somewhat substantiated when I hear of OBE’ers talk about malevolent entities they encounter during their OBEs.  This reinforces my fear and makes me reconsider that the bible-believing Christians might be right after all which then throws me back into the familiar state of fear and confusion .  I’ve heard about all the major earth changes we may be in for in the near future.  I’m not sure if all that calamity will come to pass, but it gives rise to more fear that my born-again friends are once again on the right side of the tracks with their beliefs in the bible prophecies of tribulation, the rapture of the Christians and total chaos and turmoil for the unsaved.  I’ve read/heard of reports from "non-christian" sources that seem to validate negative or evil entities as well, which makes me wonder again if perhaps they are real after all.  And if they are, I’m afraid my fear will somehow make me vulnerable to whatever power they may hold. 

So, what in the world do I do to get past this fear and confusion?  It makes me feel powerless and at the mercy of something I can’t control and can be quite debilitating to not only my spiritual growth but even my ordinary day to day life in the physical realm.

As a side note, I have had lucid dreams as well as sleep paralysis, so I have a very cautious curiosity to use either of those as a spring board for an OBE.  But my strong fear of seeing a negative entity keeps me from doing that. (By the way, the fears began long before I had any interest in OBE's.)

Sorry for the lengthy post.  I’ll try to keep it shorter the next time around. I would appreciate any and all thoughts or tips you folks might have.  Keep in mind I’m a total newbie at most of what you guys are into here.  I've read through some threads and have been totally lost, so keep the explanations simple if you can. 

Thanks!!
Angela

Hi Angela,

you've done the first step to reduce fear, which is to become aware of your fear and it's related beliefs. If you ask me about demons, I say their king is fear. But fear can be reduced. I once noticed that fear is always connected with thinking about the near or far future. Therefore, it has something to do with our wandering thoughts, and these depend on our belief systems. Our deep beliefs typically are difficult to see because they are such normal for us, as they began to exist in our childhoods and have become stronger by continued repeating it's patterns. So, it's good when one finally steps back and wonders about all that stuff.

It may be that there are bad spirit entities hanging around, as well as good ones. Some call them demons and angels, but it's better to call them just good and bad guys/gals, just like in the physical. In the nonphysical the weapon, and the source of the bad entities' seemingly power is just spreading fear. That's all. So, eliminating unnecessary thought threads related to fear is the golden key to make any evil nonphysical entity powerless. In a fearful moment you can focus on yourself, your body sensations, your breath, the here and now, the light, the good, love etc., and stop thinking. It was a surprise to me how effective this is.

Spooky

Thank you for everything posted so far!! 

Recoverer, the links are very helpful and I will be referring back to them as there is a lot of info to digest.  Matthew, I would be very interested in the e-books.  All of what you guys are saying so far makes sense to me and feels right and already gives me more of a sense of relief and control. Spooky, I agree that our deep beliefs are difficult to see.  I’m trying to figure out what mine are but it’s all so very blurry.  I understand they go way deeper than philosophy, religion and dogma.  I’m certain I have wacko beliefs that have kept me in a psychological hell throughout my life.  I’m trying to pinpoint what those beliefs are so I can dismantle them.  It’s not a very clear process.  One of them I’m pretty sure has to do with the belief or worry that God does not love me.  I think this may be the core misbelief that has done the most damage but getting out of it is difficult. I’m sure it began in childhood (major lack of parenting, lots of instability, etc.)  The belief gained strength over the years by never feeling a connection or response from God when it seemed everyone else around me did.  Instead of feeling the love and guidance of God that I sought, I felt a cold, indifferent nothingness.  It’s a very confusing and troubling place to be and the emotional disappointment takes a heavy toll over the years. It reinforces the belief that I just haven’t gotten it right and therefore God can’t or won’t hear or acknowledge me.  In those moments, the fear grows strong that I’m doomed not only in this life but in the afterlife and at the mercy of the dark side.

If you'll indulge me for moment (this is therapeutic), here’s an example even in this very thread of my thought process…Within some of the links Recoverer posted, the author of the articles talked about praying for guidance on numerous occasions and immediately was given help over and over by his guide.  In all my years of earnest, sincere prayer for guidance in my spiritual walk I have never felt in the least that I was heard by any one (God, Jesus, helpers/guides, etc.).  I hoped. I tried to believe.  But I never saw any evidence time and time again that help, comfort and answers were being given.  So my initial trust in God began to wither away into the belief that either God has A.D.D. and is not so powerful or there is something terribly wrong with me that’s keeping me from him.  Why else would earnest seeking not be acknowledged and pacified?  Instead it reinforces the belief that I’m a spiritual defect causing all the good guys to ignore me.  My simple reasoning tells me this is ridiculous but my feelings seem to be stronger than my reasoning.  I’ve had to consider that perhaps maybe they are all talking but I just can’t hear because I’m all blocked up somehow.  If so, what’s causing the blockage and how do I get unblocked?  I guess that takes me back to the beliefs that must be re-examined.  Seems sort of like a catch 22.  I feel sometimes like a blind mouse in maze.  Having said all that, everything you guys have posted so far completely resonates with me and is very reassuring to hear.  They are concepts I’ve already been thinking about lately and confirm to me that I’m not a victim and have much more control over my destiny than I realize.  Learning to integrate these concepts and supporting practices is the next step.  I'd don't know anything about matters of "energy" and "chakras" but I would like to learn to meditate and might take up yoga for starters.

Thanks for listening and for all of your comments.  Very helpful! 

Angela

That was a wonderful analysis Matthew.  I always have issues with discussing fear...I understand how debilitating it can be to some, and simply changing perspective to eliminate it is so much easier said than done.  I was told long ago that I had "been spared the threat of hell", which, when I was told, it came in such a flood of other information I couldn't ask exactly what it meant.  I now think it must have been that no one whose counsel I believed had ever told me that a hell, of any sort, awaited me for my beliefs, my questions or my actions.

I would like the reference to the e-books you mentioned, if possible.

I agree, good post Matthew.


usetawuz wrote on Jun 7^th, 2010 at 1:38pm:

Usetewuz:

Thank you for the description of what took place.

Spooky...that is an interesting way of putting it...almost a tough love point of view, although I am not minimizing your approach.  Your last three sentences are blazingly on point.  I love seeing truth in print!