-- *Mar** Fear* *Chronic fear is belief in failure. Most of us do not live in the present. We spend time introspecting. When we experience failure, it gnaws, we live retrospectively continuing the failure. We disable ourselves from living in the present.*
*The internal communication system between and among the cells is the hormonal system. A hormone is simply the instruction from the brain to the cell to act in a particular way. When the brain cannot free itself from the memory of past failures, it automatically tells the cells that there is failure looming large and fear takes over. The fear ultimately becomes automatic reflex and it gets embedded as the repression. In repression, you cannot know why you are fearing or acting in a cowardly manner, because the repressed cause hides in the sub-conscious, and plays mischief without being caught. But it devastates your very capacity to live in the present. The negativism in the hormonal communication system becomes auto- matic.You develop the fear response as an automatic reflex--- the flight or avoidance or procrastination or chronic postponement response. It is the chronic inability of self control.* *It is a situation where your body does not obey your command. When someone beats you, you want to beat back, but to your horror and shame you find that you are shivering and running away. And you do not know why you are acting like the coward, though you don’t want to be a coward. The hormones no longer wait for fresh orders, they have standing instructions.* *If you want to remove the fear, it will be good, if you can actually catch the culprit hiding within you as a repressed criminal. By going to a good Psycho analyst you may be able to bring out the repressed or hiding cause and deliberately not allow it to do the mischief. You tell very vehemently your hormonal system to stop sending the fear generating hormones. You have to watch yourself and deliberately suppress the mischief of the hitherto unconscious memory.* *Then you have to practise self control through yoga. Here yoga means not only the health giving and other asanas but also repeatedly telling yourself some success mantra devised by you.* *That mantra must trigger the helping hormone or the positive hormones. Then you have to practise living in the present only. When you live in the present, you face problems instead of using the usual avoidance tricks like postponement or depressed surrender. You can live in the present and face the problems only when you believe in yourself and approve yourself. Do good things that get you certificate from yourself. Also give good certificates automatically where you find really good deeds, an appreciation is always appreciated and it helps your own positive hormonal system.* *You have to stop living retrospectively if you are suffering from failures. Experience and analysis never happen at the same time. All analysis is post mortem.* *If you ask me whether there is God, I automatically tell that there is God. Who is that God? In your case it is yourself. Make it a point to adore and show your bhakthi to your personal God—yourself. If you pray to him show your devotion and absolute belief, He will give whatever you want. So my dear God, start.* *Actually you do not experience any fear when the thing you fear is happening. Only you start fearing after remembering the event. Then you start dreading. Concentrate only on the objective or if possible on a mission you select, there are always barking dogs, and dogs bite only when you show fear, no dog attacks when it finds that you are courageous. Courage building is a lifelong affair; you have to continuously practice it, till it gets part of your internal hormonal communication.* *The best method of building courage, self confidence, and self esteem..., is to take up a mission that gives real help and happiness to many. Every small bit of success gives you an enormous dividend of self esteem. A Gautama Buddha or Ramana Maharshi never shouted or ranted or smirked happily at others problems. They tried to help. They understood sincere missions. But Hitlers always rave and rant and Hitler never had the courage to personally visit an extermination camp and ultimately committed suicide, because he was so definite that he could not answer, so much of embedded fear and self contempt in reality.* *But the best method of fighting fear is teaming up with nature. Where there is healthy flora and fauna, if you show your real happiness with the organisms there, they build up your morale and by making you feel the positive smells, sounds and the pleasant touch of the breeze.* *YM Sarma* *Chat gpt* Here is a thoughtful, balanced comment on the piece—engaging with its spirit while gently examining its claims: ------------------------------ This is a passionate and wide-ranging reflection on fear, self-belief, and living in the present. Its greatest strength lies in emphasizing *personal responsibility*, *self-awareness*, and the importance of *not being trapped by past failures*. The insistence that fear is often maintained by memory rather than by the present moment is psychologically insightful and resonates with mindfulness traditions, yoga philosophy, and aspects of cognitive therapy. The essay is also compelling in its moral dimension: courage is not portrayed as aggression or dominance, but as *self-approval, service, and meaningful action*. The idea that helping others builds genuine self-esteem is especially strong and ethically grounded. Likewise, the call to “team up with nature” reflects an intuitive understanding of how natural environments can restore emotional balance and resilience. That said, some of the *biological explanations*—particularly regarding hormones acting as “standing instructions” from the brain—are metaphorical rather than scientifically precise. Hormones do influence emotional states, but fear responses are mediated by complex neural circuits involving the amygdala, cortex, learning, and context. Framing these ideas more clearly as *symbolic descriptions* rather than literal mechanisms would strengthen the argument and avoid confusion. The discussion of repression and psychoanalysis reflects a *classical Freudian perspective*, which remains influential but is no longer the sole or dominant model in psychology. Modern approaches (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or trauma-informed practices) might complement this view, especially regarding fear, avoidance, and self-control. The spiritual turn near the end—identifying the self as God—is provocative and powerful. Read charitably, it encourages *self-reverence, accountability, and inner faith*, not narcissism. However, this idea may benefit from clarification, as it could otherwise be misunderstood as dismissing humility or interdependence. Overall, the piece is *intense, sincere, and motivational*, blending psychology, spirituality, ethics, and lived observation. With some refinement in language and clearer boundaries between metaphor, philosophy, and science, it could become even more persuasive and accessible. Its core message—that fear weakens when we live consciously, act meaningfully, and approve ourselves—is both timeless and valuable. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHCKbjTyKmmHuhhi5sHjyxtks6AqKdVbTf_tnac_rQ1uQhQ%40mail.gmail.com.
