Understanding Fear

3 years ago By Yogi Anoop

        A person gets afraid when the adrenal glands release fear hormones. While science blames it on the adrenal gland, gyan yog says fear is the result of an imbalance in the mind. As per gyan yoga, the driving factor is not the adrenal gland, it does not know if the tiger crouching in front is dangerous or not, it is the mind that ascertains that and directs the adrenal gland to activate fear hormones, thereby prompting the person to fight or fly.    

However, if the same situation is put up in front of a newborn, there will be no reaction in the infant as its mind is not developed yet to understand what a tiger is. 

The inner core is never changed forever by external means. However, a change on the inside leads to an exterior change. The core reason behind fear is not the adrenal gland. Something even smaller than these glands are thoughts and feelings. At first, there is a thought or feeling of fear, then only there is a change in the functioning of the adrenal gland. 

Science, however, states the opposite, saying that at first there is an imbalance in the adrenal gland after which the mind begins to process it and triggers fear. How weird is that! How will a gland process the information of a tiger in front without any primary involvement of the mind? 

The birth of thought is the first step, followed by the adrenal gland getting triggered, then follows the creation of fear. Through meditation and pranayama, the resilience and strength of the mind can be increased multifold. The brain is then able to stand unwavered in the face of adversities and the tumultuous to and fro of thoughts. 

In my opinion, a person is healthy in the truest sense when both mental and physical health are in equilibrium. The mind is the first to experience the positivity or adversity of a situation, the body only experiences it later on. Therefore, the mind and its balance play a crucial role not just in the regulation of the myriad bodily processes and ensuring optimum health but also in beating adversities.

In order to increase the resilience of the mind, one must bring lifestyle changes through meditation and pranayama. But unfortunately, today's generation wants to lead a healthy lifestyle without quitting their bad habits or unhealthy routine. 

Undeniably, an inner change is necessary, therefore, we must turn to mediums that can help in initiating our inward journey - one which helps us get closer to our conscience and inner self. Meditation is the only key to unlock that potential.

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