Halloween is coming up, and in the United States, it is a celebration of fear. Many people want to watch scary movies or go to haunted houses to feel the adrenaline rush. Many children either dress like monsters or heroes…both are frightening, right? (We are afraid of the power inside of us…which could be monstrous or heroic.) Native people of different cultures around the world have used masks, dancing, and other rituals to scare death or evil away. They face their fears head on.
Now I want to know: what is your relationship with fear? Do you like Halloween? Do you like scary things and facing your fears head on? OR do you try to avoid scary things at any cost?
Fear is an emotion that everyone feels. Some are more scared by external circumstances while others are scared of what is inside of their own minds. No matter what you fear, you cannot run away from it forever. Like all emotions, fear has a message for us. Taking time to journal or talk to someone about your fears will help you to receive the message.
If we examine fear more in depth, we can take it back to biblical times. Fear was sometimes synonymous with reverence. When you revere someone or something, you may have the same bodily reaction as when you are afraid. In Jeff Benner’s book The Living Words, he says,
Each Hebrew word has only one meaning but can have different applications. The literal concrete meaning of yara is a “flowing of the gut,” which can be applied to “fear” or “reverence.” Have you ever been so scared or been in the presence of something so amazing that you could feel it in your gut?
That sounds like fear is a gut reaction. Our gut is often described as our second brain or our intuition. Quite often your intuition warns you of danger before your brain can process it. At other times the feeling in your gut is an excitement like the thrill of a rollercoaster or going on a first date. These “butterflies in your stomach” can even be enjoyable and make you feel more alive than you ever have before.
People who are thrill-seekers want to feel fully alive and at the edge of growth. Those who take these signals as warnings, usually because of negative past experiences, can quickly escalate into anxiety. It is all about learning to read your body’s signals clearly. If there is danger, do not rationalize it away. But if it is about taking a risk in love or trying something new, then consider taking the plunge.
Many who experience anxiety are afraid to get into their bodies. They may be detached and stuck in their heads. Learning how to feel their body again may be difficult.
Healing Touch is a great way for you to relearn how to feel your body’s signals. Click the book now button below if you would like to experience a session and be guided through your own body’s signals.
For a book that may help you better understand how fear conveys messages from our intuition, check out The Gift of Fear.
About the Author: Julie Glaser is a healer who creates sacred spaces for people to share, release, and grow. She’s in the habit of being in awe and wonder and writes to share her own experiences and curiosities with other inquisitive souls in the process of transforming.
Spiritual Direction and Healing Touch Energy Therapy 