Fear and 2 approaches

(1) The usual approach to fear is run. Say we see something in the shadows. Fear1 is run.

(2) Fear2 is completely different.

Fear1 is based upon saving a "me." There is the object of danger and there is the object "I" and I must put as big a distance between the two object. "I" must get away. With discrete objects of fear like tigers this is straightforward. But there are other more subtle objects of fear that originate in the mind and how do we get away from the mind? Phobias for example are not like tigers. we can watch other people navigate phobias without coming to any harm at all and having no fear. But for phobia suffered there is considerable fear and we wish to get away. Take spiders. In some parts of the world they are completely harmless, and many people have no fear. But an arachnophobe must get away regardless the actual danger.

Now in Fear2 we notice something about Fear 1. If we think about Fear1 again in fact there are 3 entities. There is:
    1) the object of fear,

    2) the self and

    3) the new object of the fear itself!

Fear1 just makes things worse. Fear2 is a radical switch. We simplify and focus on what is important. We ignore the "me" and just look at the other 2 object. That is the object of which we are fearful (if we can identify it) and the fear itself.

The job for Fear2 is so much simpler. We no longer have to worry about saving a "self" and running away. All we need to do is look at the fear and the object of fear, or shall we say the Thing of Fear (TOF).

Well we looked at TOF already at the start to make sure we didn't need to run. If a tiger comes into the room we run obviously. This is Fear1 and we don't care about the fear we care about the tiger and getting safe.

Now I believe in OCD this first stage gets complex cos people go back and check the TOF again and again and again and again unsure whether it is a real fear or not. They struggle to get to Fear2. The test would be to look at other people. If other people negotiate the situation with simplicity then its Fear2. If we can't tell whether the spider is really something dangerous then ask someone. Some intelligent examination of the TOF is needed to find out if it really is dangerous. When we are facing fear this is really difficult as we can't think straight and see the TOF clearly. Some "recklessness" may be useful. "Feel the fear and do it anyway" kind of logic. Other people are useful here. But even without them study of the TOF and getting to know it is essential. OCD is all about doubt, and if we are doubting that something is really a danger the chances are it is just OCD doubt. I mean even people with OCD don't hesitate to run from a tiger! So if we are deliberating over a Fear 1 and can't make it to Fear 2 chances are its not a real fear we need to run from and we can confidently sit back and switch to Fear 2 where we ignore our safety and start to examine the TOF and the fear itself. 

Now once we are convinced that the TOF is not really dangerous--either logically, through watching other people or through some recklessness--then its time to ignore saving the self. Jesus really was amazing here. He died on the cross not to save himself but to save others, in the face of what was actually Face 1 and complete mortal danger. In ordinary life (where we are not liberating the entire world from its sin) this can lead to overly reckless behaviour, but borrowing from Buddha staying away from extremes is essential. Don't self mortify for others, don't ignore others in the pursuit of our own salvation. Letting go of saving the self is so much bigger than just facing fear, but fear is a sign we haven't done thus yet. And overcoming fear may well help open the doors to liberation from saving the self.

Of course one risk here is that when we rise above a fear the self comes back and owns that win. We miss the opportunity for the real win of getting away from the self. If we overcome a fear the enlightened response would be to wish others can do this and help them thus reinforcing the freedom from self.

But anyway back to Fear2. Once there is just the TOF and the fear we are no longer moving and there is no one who needs saving and no one there to run away. Now the fear becomes just an event, just a think that turned up like a black cloud.

We know immediately Kondañña insight that what has turned up must one day leave. If we think about this fundamental Buddhist teaching it is obvious. Anything that turns up must mobile, and so it is just a matter of time before its mobility causes it to leave. That loud noise that is annoying us has not been there forever: it has turned up. And so we know in its very nature it must go quiet eventually. Indeed a sound that had always been sounding we would no even hear! The very nature of existence depends upon the equal twin properties of turning up and leaving.

So we can see that the fear that has turned up is just obeying the most fundamental law of the universe already.

Now I won't say any more because even getting to Fear2 is the win. Once there is no self to run, and we can begin to "sit with the feeling" then it becomes just a feeling. The more we turn into the experience the more we discover. And the more we discover the more we will be able to face the fear and master it. Eventually in all cases we will see the cause of the fear as a mistake and then we are free.

So in summary the key thing in Fear is actually a very profound spiritual movement that we need to make anyway and so Fear is actually our most precious teacher! Lucky us!