Fear Needs a Future
Fear is dependent on the future, anticipating events that may have negative implications. Anxiety, a subclass of fear, also relies on the future for its existence.
Fear is associated with imminent and objective danger, while anxiety’s target is a more distant and subjective event. Despite these subtle differences, fear and anxiety share a common element of survival — the future.
We view time as having three primary divisions: past, present and future. The physiological feeling of fear, however, can only be felt in the present.
It may seem contradictory, but the key to extinguishing fear is to focus on the division of time where it can be felt — the present.
Imagine if our minds were not able to conceptualize the future. Consciousness (the present) would have access to the past, but not the future.
A futureless mind would participate only in the present, using the past as a guide, but without the need (or ability) to obsess over negative or harmful outcomes.
Without the future to distract us, we would minimize hesitation, allowing us to experience more.
Without the future to distract us, we would be more loyal to our true self, unencumbered by thoughts of how we may be perceived.
