Actual Freedom ~ Frequently Asked Questions

Do you know how to end that fear? How would you do that?

When Richard advises people to ‘minimise’ the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ feelings and activate the felicitous feelings what does he really mean by ‘minimise’? Feelings can be ‘minimised’ by brute force, e.g. repression, denial, avoidance and distraction but what is the sensible way to do it? I have tried to eliminate fear. I have repeatedly felt the fear, investigated its causes, identified the associated aspects of my social identity and instincts, understood the silliness of spoiling this one and only moment of being alive in such a way and so on. Unfortunately I cannot see any changes occurring. The whole process happens on a level that is too superficial. It does not penetrate deeply enough to pull up the roots of fear. ... Who can vouch for this method with 100% sincerity?

If I see that fear is at the base of everything then do I really need to know anything else? Don’t I just need to understand the fear?

A feeling of fear has emerged now. ‘I’ feel cornered. I don’t want to do it for ‘me’ because ‘me’ is in control now and ‘me’ is not having any of ending ‘me’. ‘I’ am telling myself that ‘I’ don’t really want to do it because that will be the end of ‘me’. I have desired oblivion but not now. Fear has taken over and ‘I’ want to hide from this inquiry. ‘I’ feel cornered and want to back out. ‘I’ am looking for a way out so I can stick to the known and keep surviving. ‘I’ am afraid of losing the known. ... The fear of ‘me’ not surviving is keeping me from doing it now. Fear is holding ‘me’ in place. ‘I’ am fear and fear is ‘me’. Fear of not surviving is making ‘me’ addicted to being ‘me’. There is a feeling of dread now. I feel stuck and unable to proceed. There is nothing thrilling about it.

To be honest, actualism still scares me a lot of the time (even after a year). From a normal perspective, some aspects of it really are scary, no two ways about it. But sometimes a momentary glimpse of what lies beyond the human (animal) condition makes those fears and reservations seem quite laughable.