Fear Of The Unknown (Ο φόβος του αγνώστου)

-From the Meletic Scrolls.

Fear is a natural and deeply ingrained part of human existence. It manifests in many forms, from the tangible and immediate threats of the external world to the intangible, lurking anxieties that dwell in the vague recesses of our minds. Amongst all fears, there exists one that is particularly profound, one that transcends individual circumstances and pervades every aspect of human thought, which is the fear of the unknown.

In its philosophical essence, this fear is not merely a reaction to uncertainty, but a reflection of a deeper psychological and existential truth. It emerges from the surreal shadows of our inner consciousness, from the hidden depths of our being where the mind struggles to rationalise what it cannot comprehend. This fear in its entirety, represents an unacknowledged reality, a truth we either dismiss or fail to realise in its full significance.

There exists a common pattern in how this fear operates. It is not a passive state, but an active force that takes hold of us in moments of clear instability. When our lives spiral out of control, when chaos consumes order, we find ourselves trapped within an unbearable prison of our own making. It is one forged from anxiety, uncertainty and apprehension. In such moments, the mind becomes a vessel adrift in an infinite and uncharted space, wandering without guidance or anchor.

Once submerged in this vast and unknown abyss, we often find ourselves unable to break free from its tight grasp. The chains of uncertainty tighten, leaving us powerless. Meleticism gives this condition a name; it is the fear of the unknown. It is not a singular emotion, but a multifaceted phenomenon, a shape-shifting spectre that takes on various forms, such as the fear of death, the fear of uncertainty, or the fear of an impending doom that we cannot define yet feel pressing against us like an insurmountable force. All these fears share a common root, which is our confrontation with fate and the limits of our understanding.

To fear the unknown is to submit, even if inadvertently, to the most insufferable and relentless of human torments. It is not merely the unknown itself that we fear, but the absence of control over it. We dread that which we cannot banish from our lives, those inevitable elements of existence that remind us of our apparent vulnerability. This realisation often leads us into a spiral of emotional turbulence, detaching us from the reality of our present circumstances.

Our predicament derives from our inability to trace the sequence of events that generate our fears. If we cannot decipher the origin or purpose of our anxieties, they seem to materialise without cause, existing only to torment us. Philosophy, however, offers a guiding light. It equips us with the knowledge necessary to understand our own nature and to navigate the turbulent waters of human experience.

Through philosophical introspection, we learn the importance of controlling the ego and of overcoming difficulties through reason and self-discipline. Despite our intellectual pursuits, the power to master fear remains elusive. It is one thing to analyse fear and another to conquer it completely. This struggle resembles being lost in an endless, lightless tunnel or a dungeon where no exit is visible, where the darkness is so dense that it absorbs even the feeblest glimmers of hope.

It is in our most agonising moments, in times of suffering and despair that we confront the true image of fear. Why do we allow it to govern us? Why do we tremble at the thought of death when we know it is inevitable? Why do we hesitate to strip away the veil that conceals our gnawing insecurities? Perhaps, it is because we are not as afraid of death itself as we are of what follows, which is something that we cannot predict, control or comprehend.

Our fears are not always grounded in reality, but are often projections of our own uncertainties. The shadows that haunt us are merely illusions of the truth, distortions shaped by our own perceptions. The fear of the unknown is in many ways, an extension of the mind’s tendency to fabricate threats where none exist.

This is not to say that fear is baseless. On the contrary, it serves a function to heed its nature. It alerts us to danger and compels us to seek security. When left unattended, when allowed to remain within the depths of the mind, it transforms into an obstacle that prevents us from attaining clarity and enlightenment.

Meleticism does not promise to eradicate fear entirely, for to be human is to be fallible. However, it offers a viable path towards resilience. Through the awareness of (To Ένa) the One, we strengthen our minds, bodies and souls, cultivating conviction and fortitude. This process is not an expectation imposed upon us. Instead, it is an aspiration that we as individuals, must choose to pursue with desire.

One of the greatest sources of fear is the impermanence of life. We cling to the idea of permanence, seeking to preserve our physical existence and material possessions. When we realise that our bodies are temporary vessels, and that our physical forms are fleeting in the grand scheme of existence, we free ourselves from the burdens of superficial attachment.

Instead of fixating on preserving external appearances, we should turn our attention inwards, towards the preservation of that which truly matters, which is the connection between the body, mind and consciousness. It is through this connection that we attain a greater understanding of ourselves and, by extension, the cosmos.

The worst fear is the fear of the unknown. It is the unsettling realisation that we do not know what lies beyond the life we live or the world we perceive. Life is composed of a series of moments, some brief, others lasting, but all transient. In this transience, we find our reality. We exist within an unique flow of time that cannot be halted or reversed.

The contrast between life and death is not a mystery; it is a certainty. We are born into this world, and one day, we shall depart from it. This is an unalterable truth. If we cannot change it, why should it burden us? Our focus should not be on what is beyond our control; instead it should be on that which we have the power to shape our thoughts, actions and understanding.

Self-acceptance marks the beginning of a profound philosophical healing, one that enables us to transcend the scars of past experiences, whether emotional, mental or physical. The next step in this journey is the belief in oneself. Without trust in our own capacity for growth and resilience, we remain shackled by fear.

The final destination of this journey is the awareness of To Ena, the ultimate reality that unites all things. In acknowledging this presence, we liberate ourselves from innumerable fears. We come to understand that fear in its essence, is powerless unless we grant it authority over us.

Fear cannot harm us unless we allow it to do so. It is at its core, nothing more than a thought or an ephemeral construct of the mind. To Ena is the ultimate freedom, the force that allows us to break free from the errant illusions that confine us.

By embracing this understanding, we reclaim control over our existence. We no longer tremble at the unknown, but embrace it as a part of the natural order. We cease to be prisoners of fear. Instead, we become seekers of truth. This is the essence of Meleticism, which is to observe, to study, to think, and to embrace the vastness of existence without surrendering to the consuming anxieties that arise from it. For in the end, the unknown is not to be feared. Verily, it is to be discovered.

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