Fear

Fear is a feeling induced by perceived danger or threat, causes a change in metabolic and organ functions, and ultimately a change in behavior. Fear may occur in response to a specific stimulus occurring in the present, or in anticipation or expectation of a future threat perceived as a risk to body or life. When the body reacts to fear, there are one of three major response categories: Fight, Flight, and Freeze. Accordingly, there are three different fear response scales. The GM will decide the appropriate one to use. Often disadvantages will determine this. In all case, the character will roll a Fear Check with their Will. Penalties may be given because of phobias, current situational characteristics, or perceived ability to respond to the threat successfully. The Required Success Table shows the number of success. If the individual is trained in handling these situations then subtract 4 bonus dice from the required amount.

Levels of Fear

(from https://www.themichaelteaching.com/the-7-levels-of-fear/) Long ago Michael postulated 7 Levels of Fear. The Consortium has expanded this array to explain their implications. Fear seldom is visually detectable as trembling or cowering. Fear acts like a drop of food coloring entering clear water. In a very short time, it diffuses throughout every aspect of the person’s life, and a subtle but detectable haze hangs in the person’s energy field. Subsequently their moods reflect it in degrees of anxiety, rage, or depression.

1. Apprehension/Discomfort/Covert Hostility/Resentment
2. Denial/Ignorance/Rationalization/Pretense
3. Fright/Reaction/Violence/Threat
4. Retreat/Worry/Despair/Dread
5. Terror/Paranoia/Panic
6. Numbness/Trauma/Madness
7. Apathy/Resignation/Collapse

• The purpose of this article now is simple. Fear is not the problem. How you react to it often is. If you know what to look for, you can deal with it head on! Heal yourself first. Forewarned is Forearmed!

As fear deepens, it affects the quality of the entire life. The object(s) of fixation, where fear is either projected onto or is detected from, may be localized to a particular person, issue, or situation. Yet, it can be impersonal and diffused in the atmosphere of Souls; with some fanning the flames into hysteria. But as long as a person refuses to engage their own fears with compassion, courage and truth they will hold that energy in their physical body, as well as their unseen subtle[1] bodies. The result is a state of dis-ease: physical, mental, or spiritual.

When graphed, the above Levels 1 – 5 would be an upward arc at a pinnacle of 5. Yet each step has an inner descent into the distorted, irrational thought. “Fear is the Mind Killer.”[2] Levels 1 of fear is an ‘average’ level of ambient vigilance which maintains social interactions and creates performance stress. Level 2, a person senses the increase in agitation and actively seeks to mask the effects, often from a survival fear of appearing weak. Yet, internal dissonance rises because they choose to suppress their emotion, instead of dealing with it directly. Intensity grows and the amygdala takes over from the more adjudicating frontal cortex which quickly activates your endocrine system. Nor-epinephrine is generated and you begin to produce adrenaline which motivates you into the flight or fight reactions at Level 3.

At level 3, a person may take on the masks of anger, hate, disgust or horror. Yet, it is an active stage, both verbal and expressive, in its attempt to maintain control and self-preservation. It has beneficial survival attributes since at this stage there is still some room for the mind to direct. Albeit, more commonly with a hefty dose of rationalization rather than grounded reasoning. Ones conclusions drawn from that mix of coping behaviors, strategically acted-out emotions, and self-judgments, create prejudices in future encounters; and which form the basis for justifications defending future actions.

Cortisol follows the adrenaline rush trying to counteract its arousal. That results at a Level 4 with feeling of dread, exhaustion, or desperation. More can be seen in the Vitality Tone Scale™.

Yet at Level 5, an already frazzled person can easily be driven into a state of uncontrolled frenzy. Fueled by terror and panic rational thinking is crowded out. Events like running from a natural disaster, gunfire or a horrible tragedy, fear has you totally in its grip!!! Only getting to actual safety will begin the process of calming. A person caught in the trauma of terror can be locked in catatonia or frequently revisit PTSD.

But at stages 6 and 7, our graph would sharply dive downward. Persons have entered into the range of passivity and defeat. Virtually cut off from self-love or Essence contact, apathy and depression drown a Self and destroy it. Feelings of alienation grow causing them to withdraw from others. They perceive an existential worthlessness and burden of life. A malignancy spreads corroding a person’s internal desire to survive and thoughts of death pervade.

At Level 6 and 7 strategies seem to diverge. Some act out in suicide, victimizing themselves. Others fall prey to the disgruntled numbness of the perpetrator and become the suicide bombers or mass shooters or family murderers. They have undergone an existential death in hopelessness and the mind succumbs to complete collapse. Their last acts are virtually devoid of any remorse or concern for themselves.

The number of persons entering into the declining steps of 6 and 7 is growing! More fear is present in the world today than ever before. It is not however valid survival fear like your ancestors faced. Most is manufactured fear! Caught in this cascade, all are immersed under deeper levels of fright – gasping in the background of their psyche.

In this time of widening pressures on human beings, it will take more than affirmations to end the cycle of fear. One seldom acknowledged phenomenon is happening broadly and right now: fear-passing. This is not a metaphysical concept! Fear mongering through mob psychology and mass hysteria stimulates the brains receptor system. The cells called ‘mirror neurons’, essentially react and copy the emotional wavelength being vibrated. Like a tuning fork of sufficient size, in room full of instruments, can cause each one to resonate to that same note. That triggers a chemical torrent and psychological domino effect.

All emotions operate on the same principle not just fear. But your mammalian brain is attuned to fear for physical survival. The active personal work of self-determination required to rise-up out of levels of fear from 7 – 1, happens only when the lower, and reactive octave of self-preservation is first acknowledged. Then conditions can change. The person shifts to a different emotional wavelength. It will take collective acts to restrain those who can mass manipulate. And mutually re-instill a more cooperative and less hostile climate of social interaction. Yes, it begins with you but it only ends when the many are addressed. No one lives in a vacuum.

But mass fear can be counteracted! Love, in the forms of tolerance, principled action, and mutual respect are the ingredients to combat fear. It is an active use of the Will. Detecting fear and having the determination to confront it is the key first step.

Required Successes

Ss	Description
1	Eerie surroundings, Implied threats, public speaking, Heights of less than 10 meters
2	Snakes, Spiders, mice, or other animals; People in scary surroundings; Heights greater than 10 meters
3	Direct threats of nearly guaranteed pain (but not death) even if possibly avoidable
4	Direct threats of guaranteed pain and possibly death, even if possibly avoidable
5	Direct threats of guaranteed extreme pain and possibly death, even if possibly avoidable
6	Direct threats of likely death, but a clean quick death
7	Almost certain death, but a clean quick death
8	Direct threats of likely death, but a painful death
9	Almost certain death, but a painful death
10	Almost certainly a slow, painful death

Fight Responses

Missed Ss	Response	Effects
1	Verbal threats and warnings	-1 to all skills
2	Physical posturing and verbal threats	-2 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
3	Physical attacking to hurt or fear, not necessarily to kill	-3 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
4	Physical attacking to incapacitate or inflict pain	-4 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
5	Physical attacking to cause extreme pain	-5 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
6+	Physically attacking to kill	-6 to all skills; -3 to all Attributes

Flight Responses

Missed Ss	Response	Effects
1	Negotiation	-1 to all skills
2	Begging	-2 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
3	Slowly backing away	-3 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
4	Retreating quickly	-4 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
5	Running	-5 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
6+	Blindly running	-6 to all skills; -3 to all Attributes

Freeze Responses

Missed Ss	Response	Effects
1	Sweating, laughing, blushing, or crying	-1 to all skills
2	Vomiting, soiling oneself	-2 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
3	Inability to make a decision or talk	-3 to all skills; -1 to all Attributes
4	Loss of muscular control	-4 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
5	Complete Paralysis	-5 to all skills; -2 to all Attributes
6+	Catatonia	-6 to all skills; -3 to all Attributes