"Fear is the mind-killer..."

While this is a quote from a book of fiction (Dune, by Frank Herbert), truer words were never written. Fear shuts down the logical, analytical mind and causes us to react on a purely instictual basis, often to our own detriment. While I have endeavored to keep this blog free of national party politics (and will continue to do so) I have been absolutely appalled at the news of the U.S. engaging in the torture of suspected terrorist prisoners and by the lack of public outcry against it. We have kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured people that we admittedly cannot even prove have committed any crime against us or anyone else, purely on the basis of suspicion. When I reflect on this and wonder, "Why?!?", this quote springs to mind. Fear is the mind-killer. People in this country (obviously not everyone, but enough) are afraid of the nameless, faceless criminals collectively known as terrorists, even though we are thousands of times more likely to die in a car wreck than a terrorist attack. Some people in the public eye try to stoke this spark of fear to serve their agenda of siezing even more power for the central government at the expense of civil liberties. And why does the public allow this? FEAR. Fear drains us of the motivation to do anything but attempt to allay our fear. It causes us to abandon logic, reasoning, compassion, foresight, love, and most of the other higher qualities that separate us from other animals. Fear of rejection causes people to ignore, or even lash out at, those who we care about or are attracted to. Fear of failure can stop us from reaching our true potential. Fear of loss causes people to minimize their connection to others, including their close family. Fear of God(s) causes people to limit their relationship with the Spirit. It is the most limiting and most damaging of emotions. While fear has a purpose (keeping us from leaping off cliffs without a parachute, for instance) it can overpower our better nature and lead us into the bondage of imagined evils. Fear IS the mind-killer. And, I would add, the soul-strangler.