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.

Drs. Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman are naturopathic and homeopathic physicians and cofounders of the Northwest Center for Homeopathic Medicine in Edmonds, WA. They are coauthors of The Patient's Guide to Homeopathic Medicine and Beyond Ritalin: Homeopathic Treatment of ADD and Other Behavioral and Learning Problems. They can be reached at (206) 774-5599.