On Fear

   Those with trauma have fear about many things, - afraid to speak our truth, afraid to be seen, afraid to express feelings, afraid to get it wrong, afraid of the past and worried about the future, ashamed of our bodies, afraid to connect with others, ashamed that we can't connect! We become afraid of fear itself and we lose touch with this important emotion. Fear tells us what we need to look at and it speaks through our waking experiences and comes up as a creative drama in our dreams.

   I went to an amusement park as a teenager and rode a roller-coaster ride called "Jack Rabbit" that was featured there. I sat in the front cart for maximum effect and allowed myself to be belted in securely. The ride started slowly up the major incline and I felt my body start to energize and my breathing become shallow. I checked the harness to make sure I was safe in my seat and I ignored the screaming people around me. As we moved toward the crest before the steep drop, all my senses were on high alert but I was calm and my breathing deeper. As we began the descent, I found myself "letting go" into the experience, my breath calm and time slowed so I could experience each moment. Letting go now when I wake with a scary dream, means that I focus on the sensations in my body as I am waking up and notice how my breathing slows and how my body comes out of fear. Then I review the dream itself and seek the message it was bringing to me.