Many of us are annoyed, hindered, or even incapacitated by our fears. Perhaps these fears are generated by frightening childhood incidents such as being bitten by a big, growling dog, or being left crying too long by our mother. Many of our patients apologize for their fears and phobias, discounting them as "irrational". As part of our homeopathic interview with our patients, we always ask about any spe- cific or general fears and find that most of us are afraid of something. We are here to be liberated and anything which holds us back from our freedom is best released. There are some instances, of course, where our experience of fear is a warning to protect us from danger and is extremely useful. The fear discussed in this article is the type of fear which is unhealthy and is not in our highest interest. It's one thing to decide not to take an elevator to the 9th floor because you want the exercise or to drive to the East Coast instead of flying because you enjoy the scenery. It's
another if you can't ride in elevators because you become wildly claustrophobic or can't fly in an airplane because you are terrified it will crash. Many of us think we're stuck with our fears and phobias. Read on and you'll see this isn't true.

Where do our fears come from? Through hypnosis it is often possible to regress back to the time when our particular fear first originated. This may be in our recent past, childhood, during our birth experience, in the womb, or in a past life.

Take, for example, the fear of taking tests. One of our patients traced the origin to a previous life as a ten-year old boy in a one room schoolhouse who was unjustly punished for making a mistake in class. Because of his humiliation in that experience, he carried with him into this life an unexplainable performance anxiety. Another of our patients had a terrifying fear of bridges. In hypnotic regression she was able to remember six other lifetimes where she had had fatal or extremely frightening encounters with heights and bridges. It is important not only to recall these prior traumas, but to relive the trauma until it no longer has an emotional charge. These fears can then be released for good.

Phobias in this lifetime can be generated by shocking or startling incidents which make a profound and lasting impression on us. Thereafter, whenever we find ourselves in a similar situation, this impression is restimulated. Bob, for example, had a terrifying near-drowning experience at the New Jersey shore when he was three years old. He was knocked over violently by what he perceived as a huge wave and was under the water, unable to breathe, for several minutes. This left with him a per-sistent fear of water which was overcome only through private lessons with a very patient swimming instructor.

Trauma in the womb or during our birth is a much more frequent cause of fearfulness than most of us remember or imagine, but is widely recognized by hypnotherapists and rebirthers. One of our patients complained of a lasting fear of success and creativity which was traced to her mother's labor being delayed through medications until the obstetrician finished his golf game. Another patient who suffers a generalized fear of people was born to teenage alcoholic mother who told her baby in the womb every day that she wished she would die. Many of us, when we retrace our memories back to the moment of our own births, describe a tremendous fear of leaving the safety and comfort of our mother's body and the light from which we came. Reliving our births in an atmosphere of safety and support can have profound effects on allowing us to release fear and insecurity in the present and future.

Getting to know your fearful part(s). We have found various forms of "parts therapy" to be extremely beneficial to help our patients understand and overcome their fears. Assume, for example, that you have a fear of attracting the wrong partner. If, consciously or under hypnosis, you talk with the part of you responsible for that fear, it will probably tell remind you of a past relationship in which you ended up feeling hurt and betrayed. This fearful part will generally share with you, if asked, that it came into being at the time of that emotional pain or at a particularly frightening moment in your childhood. It will say, further, that its intention is only to protect you and keep you safe from future relationships or events where you may be vulnerable and hurt again. Through assuring the fearful part that you are no longer in danger, that you now have a much greater power of discrimination to choose a positive relationship, and informing it that you no longer need this fear in your life, it may change its role. We often suggest that the fearful part adopt a positive role of gently signaling the person, through a slight shiver or twinge, for example, that caution is advised rather than filling the person with fear and insecurity.

Using homeopathy to heal fears and phobias- We have seen that single homeopathic remedies can bring about a profound, and sometimes very rapid, release of fears. Since homeopathy is so specific to the individual, different remedies are known to cure such fears as deep water, bridges, snakes, death, cancer, ghosts, insanity, etc. Many of our patients tell us about fears that they've never shared with anyone before because they feared embarrassment. Once they understand that fears are part of a general state of imbalance, they discuss them with us openly. Recently a woman came to us for a hypnosis appointment. She happened to mention that she suf-fered from headaches in the left temple when she woke up. When I immediately asked her if she feared snakes, she looked astounded and replied, "I can't even look at a picture of a snake! How did you know?" I knew because the homeopathic remedy which most clearly fit her headache symptoms is known to have also a terrible fear of snakes.

A few months ago we saw a 46 year-old woman who complained of agoraphobia. She rarely would leave home, especially if she were alone. If she did have company and went to a movie, she'd sit on the aisle at the back of the theater so she'd have an escape route if she got scared. Sometimes she would become so claustrophobic in the supermarket that she'd leave her cart, filled with groceries, at the checkstand and run out of the store. This woman was visiting from California and there was no time for hypnosis, so we only used homeopathy. We have had regular phone consultations since. She can now take walks alone, is much more mobile in general, less claustro-phobic, and feels she is well on the road to healing.

Ayurvedic medicine and fears- The air (Vata) type on body type or constitu- tion is usually much more susceptible to fear, anxiety, and insecurity. This is the type of person who is thin, has dark hair, is chilled easily, and may have gas, bloating, dry skin, joint cracking, stiffness, or pain, or any kind of muscular or nervous system symptoms. This body type may have come with the person at the time of birth of may be a result of an accident, an event which produced great fear or insecurity, or excess stimulation through excessive travel (expecially by air), mental exertion, meditation, worry, or use of caffeine, alcohol, or drugs. It is possible to decrease the fearfulness and phobias through a dietary and lifestyle program which balances the air element. Such a program would emphasize soothing activities, oil massage and decreasing foods in the diet which increase air in the system.

The spiritual basis of fear- Nearly any spiritual teaching instructs that fear is associated with a lack of faith, trust, surrender, and understanding of the nature of Self and the universe. Fear comes from attachment and identification with the body, our desires, and the people and objects with which we are familiar and are afraid of losing. For many of us, the ultimate fear is that of death, which is perceived by some as the permanent loss of everything. When we are connected with our Source, in whatever form we experience it to be, we feel safe, protected, peaceful, and whole. We know that we are more than the body, recognize that we are one with the infinite ocean of Source. Most of us can remember a time when we felt wonderfully connected with everything and everyone around us, when we felt totally loved, and nurtured, or a past meditation where we found ourselves suspended in a timeless state of serenity. During such a time, fear is out of the question. However, when we are stressed by present circumstances, anxious and nervous about the future, and feel separate from that knowingness of ourselves, fear arises. One suggestion which we have found helpful is to remember that fear generally arises out of the past or is projected into the future. In the present, we are usually safe. Recently a friend told us a story about Paul Reps, a well-known teacher of Zen now in his late eighties. Paul is famous for putting into practice the Zen Buddhist teaching of living always in the here and now. As he was giving a presentation some years ago in Seattle, a woman in the crowd asked him angrily how he could be so happy and peaceful when we could have a nuclear war at any moment. He thought for a moment, smiled, and simply retorted with another question. "Are we having a war now?" he asked. Meher Baba was another expert on dispelling fear. His motto was "Don't worry. Be happy!" Gerald Jampolsky, whose book Love is Letting Go of Fear is based on the Course in Miracles, teaches that fear can only exist where love does not. Many shamanic paths teach us to befriend our fear and accept it as an integral part of ourselves.

Creating protection- Self-protection is important when we are in the company of manipulative or harmful individuals, in healing work, and for those of us who tend to pick up negative influences too easily. Here is one technique which may be of help. First focus on a bright light in your solar plexus area. Now begin to expand the light until it fills your entire body, pervading all the cells and tissues.

Then continue to expand the light until it extends outward in all directions, at least an arm's length, producing a shimmering bubble of light. Affirm to yourself, "Only light can come to me. Only light can come from me. Only light can be here with me."

Do this exercise frequently and you will experience a bubble of protective light around you whenever you need it.