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FIGHTING FEAR Fear in the phase is a very common occurrence. The practitioner may experience fear at any stage, although it is expressed much more clearly during initial practice. The causes of fear are very diverse: a feeling that returning to the body is impossible; a fear of death; worrying that something bad is going to happen to the body; encountering something scary and terrible in the phase; painful sensations; overly sharp, hyper-realistic sensations. Interesting Fact! Fear is often specific in the phase and depends on the practitioner's current life situation. For example, young mothers often begin to fear entering the phase just as they're entering it out of a sense that they would risk leaving their children behind. It often worry that they simply might not return or undergo an unsafe situation. One fear dominates all others: the instinct of selfpreservation, which, without any apparent reason, can induce a feeling of absolute horror – a feeling that cannot be explained or controlled. For a novice stricken by insurmountable fear that causes paralysis, there is only one way to gradually overcome it. Each time a novice enters the phase, an attempt should be made to go a step further than the previous time. For example, in spite of feeling terrified, the practitioner should try to raise the hands and then move them back to the initial position. The second time, the practitioner should attempt to sit down. The third time, standing up should be attempted. The fourth time, walking around in the phase is advised. Then, after incremental steps toward experiencing the harmlessness of the phase state, productive, calm action may ensue. Interesting Fact!