Overcoming Existential Fear

When we deal with our existence, it affects all areas of our life. At first glance, one might think that existence is just an arbitrary, superficial goal that is really only about one’s job or finances or different fears. In the end, however, it affects our entire life. Our partnership, our relationships, and our family – everything that plays a role in our lives or seems important to us is part of this theme.

All of the explanations in this book can be applied, if we are willing, to any area of our lives that is hurting us at the moment. Everyone has at least one area that is particularly challenging. No one would be interested in protecting themselves from the pandemic of existential anxiety if they did not have some challenging situations. If he thinks he does not have them, it is because he is not yet aware of them.

Some spiritual paths require extensive renunciation of all aspects of life. They even require living as a hermit and separating from loved ones. This is often justified by the fact that it is easier to find oneself that way. For a newcomer to the spiritual path, it is tempting not to worry about life’s tasks, i.e., doing one’s homework, but simply to detach from them.

Renunciation in all areas of life

Undoubtedly, such students do at first gain a little more access to themselves, because they are no longer so distracted by the many problems of life. But this only lasts for a short time, and then they are back to the daily challenges. Such pseudo-esoteric ways of escaping the world distract from the real tasks of life.

They waste the precious time of life and miss out on real spiritual progress. Existential anxiety drives people to become active. Some people are drawn to drugs and addictions because they promise a shortcut. No advanced spiritual path needs drugs because they destroy the body, especially the nerve pathways necessary for spiritual unfoldment. Drugs are the greatest aberration, as they numb the senses and render man incapable of expressing his potential and contributing to society. Drugs serve as an escape into illusory worlds and rob people of confrontation with reality. Drugs act as a shortcut that promises joy, happiness, serenity and shimmering visions. The price is a painful addiction and the degradation of human dignity.

The fruit of the tree of life

Everything has meaning and synergy in some way. Imagination can also cause physical reactions in us. If you imagine biting into a lemon, your mouth will suddenly become juicy. But someone who wants to go on a spiritual path just to get rid of a small physical symptom will probably not get it that way. Because then that person would not be on the path for spirituality, but would have some other motive. There are countless people who claim to have been healed by spiritual forces. This may be true, but it does not matter. Some say it is placebo without knowing what placebo really is. As mentioned in another chapter, “placebo” indicates that it is possible to influence the body spiritually. Undeniably, there is a connection between spirit and matter, otherwise this creation could not work.

However, the corresponding laws should be followed. If you do not provide your body with enough water, sunlight, macro- and micro-nutrients, etc., you cannot make the deficiency disappear with some nice esoteric studies or techniques. Such an attempt is foolish. This applies to all areas of life. Spirituality in no way means neglecting basic physical needs. For even a “spiritual” person has physical needs that connect him to creation. Man is in relationship with creation. Those who believe otherwise should stop breathing, and after a few minutes they will see how absurd such a belief is. A few minutes of oxygen deprivation or a few days of water deprivation are enough to make sure that such a person is connected to the material world. Such spiritual and widespread fantasies that we must completely detach ourselves from matter have nothing to do with authentic esoteric training. The material world is our laboratory where we experiment and gather knowledge. This world is like the fruit of the tree of life. To denigrate this fruit is to denigrate the work of the Creator. We are incarnated in this world in a physical body and we are here to realize and apply the laws of the physical world and the physical body.

Spirituality is like a war, a battle between our constructive and destructive qualities. If we really walked this path alone, we would not even get to the front – we would fail at the very beginning and perish painfully. If we really want to walk a spiritual path, we have to walk it in a community. But spirituality is like a battlefield. We need the proper tools and training. It is also necessary that we learn to understand the plan and know where we are and where the journey is going.

(Excerpt from the book “Protection From The Pandemic of Existential Fear” by Elias Rubenstein)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE PANDEMIC OF EXISTENTIAL FEAR
THE ORIGIN OF MAN’S EXISTENTIAL FEARS
AN INSURANCE POLICY AGAINST EVIL?
THE PARABLE OF THE TOWER OF BABEL
CAUSE AND EFFECT
THE REAL PROBLEM OF EXISTENTIAL FEAR
THE MYTH OF THE FULFILLING PROFESSION
HOW WE FEED EXISTENTIAL FEAR
THE FALSE IMAGE OF RELATIONSHIPS
WHERE IS THE SENSE NOW?
THE FEAR OF OURSELVES
HEALTH – OR WHEN IT REALLY GOES TO THE SUBSTANCE
SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH
BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS OF PHYSICAL WELL-BEING
THE WAY OF HERMETICISM
HOW WE CAN CONCRETELY OVERCOME THE FEAR OF EXISTENCE
CONCLUDING REMARKS