Overcoming night fear: identifying the source and dissolving it for good

“FEAR is an acronym in the English language for False Evidence Appearing Real.”

– Neale Donald Walsch

Last night, I was unable to sleep. Instead, I felt myself sinking into the prickly feeling of night fear for no reason. I wondered: where was this coming from? Is there a trick to overcoming night fear?

I was in bed alone, in my lovely new home on a quiet street. I live in a small, charming town with history extending back to the 1700's. Since I moved, I've felt safe here. Cozy. I slept well from the very first night.

Yet here I was, in the wee hours, wide awake. I had a busy day the next day. My mind whirred. I became aware of taps, cracks, echoing as if magnified. I wondered if it was the wind, branches, the furnace. Then my wee kitty Smudge pawed my arm.

So I got up to feed Smudge though he'd already been fed. While I was up, I checked my gas stove and it was off. The fridge was closed properly, too and my doors were locked. I went back to bed, curled up pretending sleep.

Ghosts are all around you

Last week, I had local painter and interior decorator Ken over to paint two small rooms upstairs. Ken's in his late 60's, trained in Denmark, and has been painting and decorating for 46 years.

“I used to live in an old house,” he said. “They crack, they move around.” I nodded. “They have ghosts around too...” he looked up at me with a bit of a smile.

I do expect that my 160 year old home has ghosts. I've politely requested not to be woken up in the middle of the night. Thankfully, I haven't. Instead, I was keeping myself up, exhausted, utterly awake. Smudge began pawing at my arm again. He never does that at night.

I got up again and went downtstairs. I turned on all the lights. Checked the stove again. Went into the basement this time, and checked its windows and its shadows. Turned off the lights. Went back to bed. The fear prickled. It was rather on the surface. Rather like electricity crawling on my skin.

I closed my eyes. I had to shake this or I'd be exhausted tomorrow. I whispered: “I am safe, I am safe, I am safe.” The tension released a bit. Or maybe I imagined it.

Is the source inside you or around you?

I thought about my day. A snowstorm. Busy working. I spoke to my father, who's elderly and dealing with grief over my mom. I had meetings. I was on a call with a rather shrill, demanding client. A ton of emails, carrying the energy of many deadlines.

Curled up in the dark, desperately overcoming my night fear, I began to whisper: “All of my energy returns to me, all of my energy returns to me.” I wondered about how I'd look to some of my friends who don't see the world as I do. Which is most of them, I might add. I began to giggle.

Your fears of theirs? Learn to tell the difference.

As a sensitive, open-hearted person, you may be noticing. Fears, emotions, energies that you can feel, but that don't feel like yours. Be open to receiving back what's yours and letting go of what isn't. Facilitate this with love.

Personally, I know many who are clamping down on their hearts now not wanting to feel what's rising up. I'm also surrounded by those whose patterns I'm not aware of and so the only way to navigate is through my senses.

There's so much fear right now. Fear of what will happen in the world. To the earth. To our lives, to the lives of those we love. Fear wears many masks. Control. A shrill voice. Cynicism. Addiction. Anxiety. Workaholism. Not able to be in silence.

Sensitive hearts: you aren't imagining it

Some days I feel more connected than I ever have. Sometimes, I feel as if I'm utterly alone. That I'm odd. That everyone else is just fine not caring as much. Or believing that because they've made money or win at video games, they've mastered life.

Yet when fear forms the words “I'm fine” when nothing could be further than the truth, this is when the energy seeks a new home. When fear isn't claimed, or anger, or grief, it flows into the living matrix that holds us all. And it seeks life, as we all do. Any heart that agrees to feed it will do. Fear will hang around – unless you ask it to leave.

Last night, I finally slept, overcoming my night fear. Smudge settled down, too. I don't remember dreaming.

This morning, I got up in the dark. My old house was home again.

I'm writing here at the train station, waiting to go into the city. I see that after a two-hour wait, my train is on its way. And so is yours. For the train of life after life only goes one way, to one station.

(I'm so glad you're aboard - and overcoming your night fear)

Meaning of life articles for your heart. Created with love.

Tweet

comments powered by Disqus

---

Take me to:

Moondancing e-newsletter – This was first published in Moondancing. Would you like more inspiration delivered to your Inbox?

Spiritual awakening blog – Go back to read the full list of past Moondancing issues organized so you can easily find what your heart seeks today.

Home page