Just One Look Forum Archives

Hi John & Carla,

Still trying it and not making much headway it seems. Although I'm quite aware that I'm probably not the best judge of that. I have done a fair bit of investigating into this issue of the pervasive fear that afflicts most of us and don't think it's fear of life as such--resulting from the birth trauma or some such. I think that it is actually a fear of other people and a corresponding fear of our own inadequacy. The fear of other people is both active and passive. We fear that they will actively harm us and/or they will treat us with indifference when we need help. If I sleep with a gun under my pillow, that the active phase. If I worry obsessively about money that is the passive aspect. Money is a defensive technology that allows some to secure themselves against the indifference of the community. My studies lead me to suspect that this great fear developed in historical time about 3000-3500 years ago in the Middle Eastern/European branch of human culture and has been passed from generation to generation from the womb on. It appears that most people who grow up in the nearly untouched tribal hunter/gatherer societies do not suffer from this fear. At least not to the extent that people in "civilized" society do. Your work is the only one I've seen that directly addresses this problem but I think more is needed. There needs to be well developed intentional communities directed specifically at minimizing and eliminating the fear. They need to be particularly conscious of this in the raising of children. I just sent a small donation. Keep up the good work you guys.

I read this post and talked about it at the Worldwide Meeting on July 9, 2011.

You can listen to the entire recording in our podcast. Please let me know if more is needed.

In love,

John