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Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe. -- Tao te Ching

Fear is the biggest energy thief there is. A master seducer and gigantic source of negative energy, fear shamelessly robs of us of everything good and powerful, preys on our vulnerabilities. 

Many people become mesmerized for a lifetime, letting negative attitudes seize control. Enough! Though some fears are intuitively protective but we can't let the irrational ones bamboozle us. 

Fear never stands alone; it inflames every vampiric emotion from worry to shame. This book shows you how to break fear's trance and reacquire lost energy. 

As a psychiatrist, I know we all experience fear. Me. You. Your mother. The President. No one escapes. The wise ones admit it, and eyes open, confront and heal fear. 

The ones who're in trouble look the other way, and bit by bit, get eaten alive. The point is to stay conscious. When we know what we're dealing with, we decide who's in charge. 

HOW TO SHRINK FEAR WITH POSITIVE ENERGY

7 Anti-Fear Tactics 

Tactic One. Know your fears well to avoid ambush First, to de-energize fear you must name it. Identify the whole gamut, miniscule or monstrous." I'm not smart enough, pretty enough...I'll never find a soul mate so I might as well not try." 

Some of my biggest fears include ending up drooling and alone in a nursing home: or if I suddenly die at home I'd just lie there unmissed until my cleaning lady found me. 

Breaking the Trance: Don't drift into denial. Say to the fear, "Thank you for sharing." Then make a conscious move into your heart-a shift into positive energy. 

Do this by verbally reframing your dilemma from a compassionate perspective. For instance, to replace fear with faith, I affirm, "I will be taken care of, not abandoned in my time of need." 

To further cement your new affirmation, I suggest meditating on your heart to reconnect with whatever you love. Conjuring positive energy in these ways collapses fear. 

Tactic Two. Listen to your intuition 

Once you've identified the fear, tune into the actual truth of the situation. Some fears are protective, others are not. 

Breaking the Trance. Follow these guidelines to tell intuition from fear. (1) Trustworthy intuitions will energize you. They are either neutral, simply conveying information; compassionate, never beating you up; or a gut feeling that something feels right or off. 

(2) Irrational fear, on the other hand, exhausts you. It's emotionally charged so that centered neutrality is impossible. The content is often cruel or demeaning, with no gut-level confirmation. 

Tactic Three. Say A Prayer to Lift Fear

Sometimes fear grips your spirit and just won't let go. You do everything right. You know fear is irrational, but still can't shake it. Now, ask for another kind of help. You may believe in angels, or that your grandfather is watching over you (mine is!). Whoever your positive energy emissaries are, get ready to call in the troops. 

Breaking the Trance. Take a breath. 

Close your eyes. Know that the non-material world holds much magic our rational mind can never understand. Then say a prayer from the heart. It could be very simple: "Please take this fear from me." Meanwhile, just stay open. Let the positive energy you're summoning do its job. 

Tactic Four. Make a gratitude list

Concentrating on what you're grateful for shifts fear. Gratitude is a form of positive energy. If you want it, you've got to seek it out. Gratitude doesn't just happen. By accentuating blessings, not problems, you're supplanting negative thoughts with positive vibes. 

Breaking the Trance. Take at least ten minutes to compile your list; keep adding to it later. An attitude of thanksgiving is a mighty trance-breaker. By enlarging your list and reviewing it daily, fear doesn't have a chance. This is list shifts energy from negative to positive. 

Tactic Five. Visit an uplifting energetic place 

When fear takes hold, brooding in isolation isn't the answer. Get out of the house. It's all over if you become fear's captive audience. Go to a setting that has positive energy and makes you happy. Positive vibes will rub off on you. 

Breaking the Trance. Visit places that feed your soul. When I'm depressed, I huddle reading in a corner of a book store, go to animal shelters and melt at all those sweet eyes, or if I'm really lucky, a circus comes to town. 

Tactic Six. Heal Energetic Scars 

If fear persists, it may be rooted in the past. Unlike traditional psychotherapy, Energy Psychiatry doesn't view old traumas simply as a memory; it acknowledges that they lodge in our fields, forming energetic scar tissue which blocks life force. Fear is locked in these scars, but when scars break up, fear dissipates. Traumas must be retraced and healed for energy flow to resume. 

Breaking the Trance. Don't let fears fester. For stubborn ones, it's wise to seek psychotherapy (energy- oriented is best; see Resource section for referrals) or anger workshops. As you recognize fears, also keep breathing them out of the body. Visualize them exiting from a stuck place--say the stomach--with each exhalation. 

Tactic Seven. Avoid Absorbing Other People's Fears 

Empaths alert! There's no upside to taking on the fears of others. As I train my empath-patients, be extra- vigilant when fear strikes to avoid emotional overwhelm. If you've been around a frightened person, and you leave upset or afraid, it's a good bet you've shouldered some of that angst. 

Breaking the Trance. When fear crops up instantly ask yourself: Is this mine or someone else's? If the fear is yours, softly confront it. If not, it may be easy to pinpoint the obvious generator. To detach from fear: 

(1) When possible, distance yourself from the source. Move at least twenty feet away, out of their energy field; you'll feel relief. Don't err on the side of not wanting to offend strangers. In a public place I don't hesitate to change seats if I get unsettling vibes. 

(2) For a few minutes, center yourself by concentrating on your breath: keep exhaling fear, inhaling calm. 

article published July 7, 2004 in the newsletter of Susan Dunn, MA, Psychology, Emotional Intelligence Coach - site : susandunn.cc

Susan Dunn commented :

Occasionally I find an article so good I must pass it on in its entirely. Today's guest column is such an article.

Judith Orloff, M.D is a board certified psychiatrist and practicing intuitive, author of the new book Positive Energy..

Dr. Orloff is also author of the bestsellers Guide to Intuitive Healing and Second Sight. She is assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry at UCLA and an international workshop leader .

In introducing her article, she wrote: 

"I want to share with you some pertinent information from my new book about how to heal the negative energy of fear. Many of us are drained by fear and negativity because we don't have conscious strategies to reverse it.

"Healing fear involves realizing that it is a very real subtle energy in our body. Also know that past emotional traumas can injure our subtle energy field if the fear and pain associated with them is [sic] not healed. In traditional medicine, how we process subtle energy isn't typically factored in. 

"As a physician and intuitive, I know how vital it is that we honor the area of subtle energies, the invisible realm that science has yet to acknowledge. If you are an intuitive empath who absorbs the fear of others into your body I hope this excerpt will be helpful to you. Much love, Judith."

While Judith is talking about healing fear, from the perspective of a psychiatrist, we learn about managing fear in Emotional Intelligence and coaching. 

We always need to learn more about this strong, invasive emotion which serves to keep us out of danger (when appropriate) but cripples us (when not appropriate).

Judith Orloff, M.D. is a psychiatrist and author of the bestseller Positive Energy: 10 Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress, and Fear intoVibrance, Strength & Love, and author of the bestsellers "Guide to Intuitive Healing" and "Second Sight."

She is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA, has a private practice in Los Angeles, and leads workshops on intuition, energy, and medicine. For more information about Dr. Orloff's workshops and books, visit http://www.drjudithorloff.com

Also by Judith Orloff, MD.: The Power of Intuition [audio]

Also see interview with Judith Orloff [by Douglas Eby]

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Judith Orloff, intuitive empath, intuitive psychiatry, energy medicine, psychic energy, psychology of creativity