Fear Less: Living Beyond Fear, Anxiety, Anger, and Addiction

by Dean Sluyter

Simple and easy meditation techniques to help us have less fear, especially when times get tough - from the author of Natural Meditation.

Everywhere you look, life can look hard, complicated and even scary at times. How do we navigate through the confusion and fear, so that we can have peace of mind?

Dean Sluyter, author and meditation teacher for more than 45 years, offers an antidote to a fear-filled life: natural meditation. Expanding on the techniques he described in his popular book Natural Meditation, Sluyter shows how fear plays a major role in our lives, and when we let fear control our thoughts and actions we end up worsening our experience. The methods many people use to try to calm their fear - such as avoidance, alcohol and drugs, overeating and procrastination - end up creating more negativity, and therefore more fear.

Now, in Fear Less, Sluyter shows us that simple practices that we can perform immediately can have a major impact on our daily lives and our futures. Instead of complicated meditation methods that leave readers frustrated and vowing that they can't meditate, Sluyter shows how meditation is one of the most natural acts that we can do, and in fact we meditate daily without even knowing we do. Becoming aware of this state of natural meditation allows us to direct our thoughts in different ways, and to have deeper experiences of life. When we do this, we can release much of the fear we hold on to, allowing us to live a less-fear-based life, filled with more meaning and joy.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2018

Reviews

[Christy Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far one of the best mindfulness/meditation and self-help books I've read in a long time, Fear Less has great stories, practical tips and techniques and a wide variety of approaches to offer without the necessity of any particular belief. The blend of Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Yogic, Humanistic and other ideas and aspects with elements of cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness approaches to releasing thoughts, feelings and ideas of self in a moment to find greater peacefulness and awareness were well written, fast paced and spot on in effectiveness. I loved the blend of story, practice and explanation that Sluyter weaves throughout the book. I listened to the audiobook version of this, but liked it well enough that I'll seek out and purchase the paper version so I can refer back to it again. There is also the author's website that I recommend as an additional resource.

If I was to offer any critique, it would be that the weakest chapter in the book for me was the highly negative reaction that the author owns in response to the election of Trump as President. While there is an eventual acknowledgement of dealing with anyone one dislikes as a teacher to see where the person is pushing our buttons so there is ultimately application of his own techniques, I was a little taken off guard by the virulence of his acknowledged response. It felt like an overall really great book would, unfortunately, be off-putting to anyone of a more conservative leaning as a result of this one chapter and the inflammatory language used in a few places. I may, in my own liberal leanings, have my thoughts on this particular politicians or some more conservative views, but it frustrates me when I feel like fairly liberal people apply a standard of let's all be accepting of each other and inclusive...oh, wait...except for those intolerable X group of conservatives. It feels like a double standard. I believe we can hold different view points, stay true to our commitment to stand for our view, but find language and ways of speaking about those we disagree with that doesn't feel like it furthers the divide. It felt like if there had been an acknowledgement of difference, but a greater degree of seeking equanimity rather than making all conservatives an "other", I would have had greater respect for the teaching. As it was, there was enough good in the book to outweigh what felt like an area of blind spot, but it did feel like such to me.

[Jade Geary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my cup of tea.

[Sabrina Constans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything about this one. Tone, message, all of it.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's face it, we could all stand to learn some practical techniques for letting go of anxiety right now, and Fear Less delivers the goods. From the very first chapter, I learned several easy, simple practices that had an instantaneously relaxing effect. What I like about the exercises in this book is that they can be done any time, anywhere - you don't need any special space or equipment or even external peace and quiet; you can do them (or at least most of them) in your office, in the shower, on the train, or during / after an anxiety-inducing activity (like reading the news!) I should note that I was already a "fan" of Dean Sluyter's work when I read this book (he co-officiated my wedding!) but having read several of his books, I think Fear Less is his best, because it's the most practically applicable. If I have one criticism of the book, it's that it could have been edited down. The first third of Fear Less contains all the essential information and techniques; the latter two thirds simply elaborate on it. The latter chapters are probably what earned Dean many of the negative reviews below. I understand their criticism, but I wonder if some of these reviewers actually read all the way to the end? Dean Sluyter's greatest weakness as a teacher is also his strength; he's not an enlightened sage, he's just a regular guy who meditates, and as such, he has his sore points, his prejudices, and his blind spots. He's unapologetically liberal and struggles to understands those who are not (but don't we all struggle to truly understand and have compassion for people who's views are radically different than our own?) While some might argue that this book would have been better without its one blatantly political chapter and handful of political asides, I think the purpose of these seeming digressions is to point out that meditation is something you can do right here, right now, even when you're the most terrified, the most angry you've ever been; that's what it's been for all along. These techniques are often referred to as a spiritual "practice;" well, perhaps this turbulent news cycle is what we've been practicing for? The past two years have been viscerally hard for millions of Americans, and meditation may be the last thing on one's mind when it feels like the world is on fire, but that's actually when we need it most. Ultimately, meditation isn't a point of view. It isn't a belief or a thought or affiliated with any particular religion or ideology. It's an experience. And maybe some of these techniques can help you have that experience. It certainly helped me.

[zasou.reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure how useful the tips are, there was nothing ground-breaking there (once you've read a few books on anxiety and how to "cure" it, they pretty much all become the same, there is sadly no miracle cure). Telling an anxious person to simply stop being anxious because it's useless was useless... It was hard to take this author seriously when they clearly use their book to pass on political views and opinions (no matter how much I agree). One image did particularly hit me though: If you are falling from the sky, trying to grab at air and clouds won't help you, there is nothing you can do about the falling, so you may as well relax. Easier said than done, sure, but it does apply to how useless fear/anxiety can be. The simple meditation methods and acts grounded in different religions/faiths was interesting.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Surprise ending.

Found the book helpful until the last few chapters. This man's hate for Donald Trump came through and I was appalled. As a conservative finding his use of the the president as an example to overcome hate, fear etc.was appalling. Questioning his advice through the reading of the book came up occasionally but the end answered my questions about his judgement.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ pg 65

This is a book about how to manage anxiety by a man who has clearly never experienced anxiety. Let me save you some time and sum it up - just stop being anxious. And fearful. Just stop. Anger and addiction were not covered in the 65 pages I read, but I imagine the advice to be along the same lines. Just stop. And then the remainder seems to be largely how to meditate, which is not at all what this book is marketed to be about. So I took his advice... I just stopped... reading.

[ALD · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed some of the cozy feel of dialogue about meditation and love concepts with the author, much of this rapport was damaged by the chapter “November 9, 2016” and various other bitter political statements referring to the POTUS.

[Judi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received ARC long ago as a goodreads giveaway - misplaced a stack of giveaways that have been refound, so lots of catching up to do.

Conversational tone, but felt like a soapbox oration on occasion - lots of bit to ponder.

Felt repetitive at times, but that may just be the nature of the topic.

[Kerri Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great start, but went down hill on last half. Struggled to finish this book, and decided to stop. Some good tips, but found way too boring. Good luck, and remember to be just you and brave to move on to other adventures with Love, not fear!

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Le sigh.

Well, it was alright until he started mansplaining to me about how I should get over my RBF and smile more because that will apparently make me happier. NOPE.

I did try it as an audiobook, which I usually can't pay attention to, so I guess that's something.

[Estelle Angulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed and loved the first 90 pages of this book. The rest was hard to follow, I tossed it a few times. The breathing techniques have worked so far for me, and hopefully that’s a habit I’d adopt going forward. 👍🏾

[Utkarsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come and see.

[Kseniya Kosmina · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read for anyone who wants to live a fuller, happier, calmer life.

[Shiva Shakthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a light yet profound book.
meditation and being in the moment makes all the problems tolerable.🧚🏾‍♂️