Fear of the Unknown
QUESTION: Masters, why do I fear death and spirits or ghosts so much? How can one be at peace with oneself? ~Bibbio, Ireland
ANSWER: Your fears reflect your upbringing and the views of society, which have stuck with you both consciously and unconsciously. We call them belief systems. Most of the time you are unaware you are being affected by these rigid rules, even though they shape your life. Organized religions and society work on a basis of reward and punishment. If you don’t do what they tell you, you will be punished. In religion it is by going to hell. You start to fear death because you believe you will be judged by someone else’s requirements, so you feel the result is out of your hands.
Religions, and some societies too, feel that spirits are bad people who are caught in between Earth and hell, and should be avoided at all costs. You are threatened from an early age that the boogie man will get you if you are not good. You are told there are demons under your bed and in the closet—so go to bed and stay there. Is it any wonder that you have these fears?
To find peace, examine your fears. Take each thing, meditate upon it, and see what feelings come from inside of you. What do you associate with these thoughts? Then if you can put someone else’s face to the fear, give it back to that person and form your own opinions.
You are a soul who came from Source and returning there is called “going Home.” You don’t need to fear returning to Source, to your true essence. When you are between lives on Earth, you are in spirit form and wander around observing things. Don’t fear your fellow souls.