Paralyzed by Fear: Learning to Live Beyond Anxiety

Nationally, anxiety negatively impacts the lives of almost 40 million people.

If you’re feeling anxious, nervous, and apprehensive, then there is something triggering your anatomical system. It’s not just your imagination, as you may have been told. If you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP) your body is even more likely to be reactive in response to memories of the past. The real question is, where is the anxiety coming from? Are you listening to your insightful Higher Self or are you more attuned to the lower aspects of mind/body that create thought patterns manifesting as physical anxiety?

When I was in third grade, I remember standing at the edge of a 10-foot-high diving board at Arizona State University’s Olympic-sized swimming pool. I knew how to swim exceptionally well but I’d never been on a high dive this tall. I stood there contemplating the possibly of being hurt, wondering if I should jump or if I should retreat.

I could feel my heart racing, palms sweating, and the heaviness in my feet as I moved slowly towards the end of the diving board. I don’t think anyone would fault my trepidation.
This is a perfect example of real uncertainty, which differs from anxiety. Fear and anxiety are to be expected when there are real threats or real dilemmas in our lives. Anxiety without a discernible cause, however, can be genuinely tough.

A visceral reaction to some unknown force is more than an inconvenience. A person can be walking down the street and, suddenly, without notice, they might feel frozen like a deer in the headlights. Physically, they might feel trapped, nauseous, and stuck.

So, how do you move beyond the paralysis of anxiety?

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness. Getting real help can be life altering. Traditional counselors and therapists help people by teaching them to observe behavioral patterns within themselves. These techniques were formulated by well-known trailblazers such as Sigmund Freud, David Barlow and Carl Rodgers. But what if there was a different, non-traditional way to approach anxiety?

It took me forever to fully understand that my disgust at hearing aluminum cans opening was actually my anxiety being triggered. Every time I heard a can open – I’d shudder. That’s because I had listened to that popping sound every time my dad opened another beer. Yet it took a long time before I consciously associated my anxiety with that popping sound to the fact that I was the child of an alcoholic father.

Perhaps, I could have learned this through the assistance of traditional professionals but instead I became aware through spiritual channeling. To be most accurate, I became aware of this particular anxiety through automatic writing. I’ve come to know more about myself through automatic writing than by any other means. This path has taken me way beyond fears and anxieties because I can tap into real knowledge from the highest Source.

Today, as a spiritual channel, I help people see their true self. This enables people to go beyond just observing the fears and anxieties of their lower self and allows them to choose to heal. As an example, I remember offering a personal session for a middle-aged woman that her dislike of hearing water trickle from the faucet into the bathtub was directly related to her memories of being washed by her mother as a child- after she had been sexually abused. Though she didn’t consciously recall her childhood abuse, the memory was preserved safely within that anxiety.

Knowing the triggers of your personal anxieties is a wonderful beginning but there’s so much more to discover. Your soul desires to evolve beyond such experiences. You can start this healing by asking yourself questions like, “What was the spiritual significance of this anxiety in my life?”

At the core, anxiety is a survival mechanism, an evolutionary tool that signals our body to react to threats. Yet, the contemporary triggers of anxiety are often not life-threatening. Deadlines, public speaking, and social interactions aren’t the same as being on a high diving board, but our mind/body exhibits the same intensity as our ancestors felt. This is experienced in our “reptilian brain”.

The reptilian brain is the part of every human that shows us we are a species of the animal kingdom. This is the part of us that reacts without thinking. As conscious beings, we tend to forget that we are Homo Sapiens, a primate species, but we are. This fact is physically important to appreciate, as our logic and intellectual development is paired with basic instincts to survive.

When anxiety is out of control, it breeds a kind of fear that can compound. This can lead to avoidance of places, people, and experiences that may, in fact, pose no real threat. It is this avoidance that often is the path to severe anxiety. We inadvertently avoid joy and fun. Once the people, places and experiences of life are gone, we realize the level of isolation and separation that we have unintentionally created.

The Physical and Psychological Grip of Anxiety

The psychological impact of anxiety is daunting and relentless. The mind sends out a barrage of worrisome messages convincing us that something terrible is about to happen. This is why the anxious mind starts so many thoughts with, “What if…”. For example, “What if the plane is late?”, “What if my bags don’t make the flight?” , “What if I don’t make it to my meeting?” Left unchecked, the resulting paralysis can trickle into all aspects of life, leading to missed opportunities, diminished well-being, and a pervasive sense of hopelessness. This can eventually cause us to feel as if we are lost souls.

Breaking Free from the Paralysis

Breaking free from the paralysis of anxiety is paramount. Traditional therapy offers a logical path implementing common psychological tools. Therapy teaches us to neutralize irrational thoughts that fuel anxiety. The treatment can include medication as a means of treatment to defuse anxious thinking.

Alternatively, it can be revolutionary to understand that the effects of anxiety come from a place based in illusion. Let me be clear. Contemporary anxiety isn’t real. It’s almost always the result of something from the past. When you understand the beauty in being present, this becomes your ticket to being anxiety free. This can be done through mindful meditation and it can be done through spiritual channeling.

Instead of letting your lower self push or pull you around, you simply observe the ego without acknowledging it as real. It is true that the ego isn’t real, but, if you’re not spiritually aware, the ego feels real and the frightening thoughts, emotions and feelings that the ego promotes become your perceived reality.

The ego isn’t found in a specific part of the body. You can’t pull out a map of the body and point to it like you can the pituitary gland in the brain. When you die, your perceived identity (ego) dies too. Your body is similar to a battery that creates electricity for the brain. When the battery (body) dies then there is no more energy to fuel the brain and consequently the perceived ego ceases to exist.

Your Higher Self will Always Exist

When you understand that your Higher Self will always exist, your ego loses the ability to control you through fear and anxiety. This is why tapping into your Higher Self negates traditional methods of therapy in trying to address the irrational. Mindfulness provides awareness which leads to awakening. Through spiritual awakening you aren’t engaging with the mind- you’re going above it. This is why your ego will use anything within its perceived power to keep you from accessing your Higher Self.

The Predominant Controlling Tools of the Ego are Fear and Anxiety

Trying to manage anxiety has the same success rate as trying to manage an addiction. It is by far the hardest and most unsuccessful means of overcoming anxiety. Imagine trying to control an anxious dog- it doesn’t work. The dog will remain anxious despite your attempts to force it to calm. Ruling the reptilian brain through logical control is nearly impossible because this part of your brain can not detect or conceive of logic,

What does work in resetting an anxious pattern? Energy.

Physically, exercise is a great energetic tool. Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins and chemicals in the brain that elevate your energy. Any exercise, performed consistently, decreases your bodily tension, balances you, and also helps you sleep. In essence, you are creating energetic harmony.

It’s true that certain foods can negatively impact your feelings of anxiety. Caffeine, alcohol, and sugar can cause anxious feelings. You might want to take time to go within and determine which foods stimulate anxiety for you and which do not. Discovering how your body and mind work is fascinating, but actualization of your Higher Self is pure bliss.

The Journey Beyond Anxiety

The journey beyond anxiety isn’t easy, but tapping into spiritual oneness is transformative. The ego is the author of all forms of separation. Fear and worry is how it keeps you in endless loops of “what ifs…”. The changes you make through spiritual awareness will empower you in every situation in your life.

Embracing Life Way Beyond Being Anxious

Feeling the enormity of the spiritual connection to your Higher Self is freeing. Open your arms to learning about your spiritual blueprint instead of being limited to the confines of anxiety. As you remove the fears of uncertainty, you allow for true connections and personal empowerment. This path is highly personal, but it will include a journey of spiritual enlightenment and discovery of your Higher Self.

Embarking on your spiritual journey outside of limitations imposed by anxiety requires the smallest down payment- desire. Just talking about feeling anxious can be liberating. Consider alternative ways of becoming anxiety-free beyond the traditional methods of counseling and medicine. Anxiety doesn’t have to be a cage but rather a catalyst for growth. In your determination to move beyond anxiety, you will find guidance from your Higher Self that leads you to solutions such as automatic writing or channeling. You will no longer feel the attraction to words of fear that only come from the ego.