Изцеление от страха

by Lissa Rankin

Как да развиете смелост и да живеете без страх, за да излекувате тялото, ума и душата си.

Малко хора в медицинския свят говорят за това, че страхът може да ни разболее, но истината е, че ако не се лекува, той се превръща в сериозен рисков фактор за много заболявания – от сърдечно-съдови до диабет и рак. В книгата „Изцеление от страха“ д-р Лиса Ранкин обяснява разликата между „истинския“ страх (този, който се поражда от реална заплаха) и „фалшивия“ страх (този, който съществува само във въображението ни) и как една плашеща мисъл се превръща в болестни физиологични промени. Тя ни показва как в крайна сметка от страха може да ни изцели самият страх, като ни пробуди и отвори очите ни за всички проблемни сфери в живота ни.

Като се опира на сериозни научни изследвания, както и на завладяващите истории на много хора и на личната си битка със страха, д-р Ранкин представя революционно виждане за последиците от страха и ни посочва пътя към един по-пълноценен живот, изпълнен със здраве и вътрешен мир. Търсейки пресечната точка между науката и духовността, авторката идентифицира четирите предположения на страха, които са в основата на всички човешки страхове – от чувството, че сме сами във Вселената, до убеждението, че не можем да се справим със загубата на това, което обичаме. След което ни показва как да ги заменим с четири истини, подхранващи смелостта, които ни проправят пътя не само към физическо благополучие, но и към дълбоко духовно пробуждане.

Д-р Лиса Ранкин предлага широк спектър от практики и духовни традиции и ни учи как да предприемем собственото си пътешествие за култивиране на смелост, за да живеем без страх и да си върнем здравето и радостта от живота.

Д-р Лиса Ранкин е лекар, визионер, който се опитва да промени отживелите представи за медицината и здравето. Тя е автор на бестселъра „Победа на ума над медицината“ и един от популярните лектори в TED. Основател е на Институт по холистична медицина. Провежда семинари и изнася лекции, както онлайн, така и във възстановителни центрове. Лиса Ранкин е страстно отдадена на своята мисия да помага на хората да се лекуват и да се предпазват от заболявания. Тя търси пресечната точка между науката и духовността, за да ни покаже пътя към физическото и ментално здраве.

Genres: Health, Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Spirituality, Personal Development, Science

352 pages, Paperback

First published February 24, 2015

About the author

"Lissa Rankin, M.D., is a practicing gynecologist and the founder of The Owning Pink Center in Mill Valley, California, which is dedicated to redefining what it means to be healthy, vibrant, and alive as a woman in the twenty-first century."
- from the back cover of What's Up Down There?

"Lissa Rankin began painting in 1991, while in medical school and has been exhibiting her art in galleries and museums nationally since 2001. Trained as an OB/GYN, she brings the energy and inspiration of her patients to the art studio."
- from Lanoue Fine Art's artist profile for Lissa Rankin

Reviews

[Tim Larison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complementary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

Fear has been my constant companion. I’ve written on my blog in the past about my fear of public speaking, for instance, which I overcame through the help of Toastmasters. Yet when I conquer one fear there always seems to be another to take its place. That’s why Lissa Rankin’s new book, The Fear Cure, caught my eye. “What if fear isn’t something to avoid, resist, or feel shame about?” she writes in the book’s introduction. “What if, instead, fear is here to help you?” Intrigued by Rankin’s different approach to fear, I wanted to read on.

The author differentiates between true fear – those fears that keep you alive in an often dangerous world – and false fear – unreasonable thoughts that prevent you from reaching your full potential. I’ve often been ashamed to admit my false fears, and generally have considered them “bad”. Rankin believes false fears can actually be beneficial. “Both true fear and false fear can help you, if you know how to interpret them in healthy ways.,” she says.

I like how Rankin shares from her own experience throughout the book, including a harrowing account of being held up at gunpoint in a Colorado mountain tunnel. What fear was she feeling during this encounter? How did she react? The author tells all and turns it into a lesson for the reader. These personal stories are balanced with Rankin’s own research. Drawing from her medical background, Rankin quotes numerous experts on the fear topic. In this way the book appeals to a wide audience. Those who like facts from academia will appreciate Rankin’s detailed investigation into the subject, while others who prefer real life stories will find those accounts in The Fear Cure, too.

I also like how Rankin sprinkles “Courage-Cultivating Exercises” throughout the book. In one of these exercises the author asks readers to examine fears they struggle with. “Ask what message of healing your fear is trying to communicate,” she writes. “What might this fear have to teach you about your personal and spiritual growth? Where might you have blind spots in need of illuminating? Where are you stuck? How can this fear be a blessing?” In this way The Fear Cure can be a valuable tool for personal introspection.

“True fear is a natural survival mechanism, here to protect you, and false fear is an important teaching tool, here to enlighten you,” Rankin writes. Maybe, just maybe, all those fears I struggle with, past and present, aren’t so bad after all. The Fear Cure helped me to realize the experiences of my most intense fears, and overcoming those, were also the times of my greatest growth. The book gave me hope that the fears I am currently dealing with just might be leading me to a better life, if I listen to the messages they are trying to tell me.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of this book was familiar territory for me, but it's good to be reminded in new ways.

Rankin says stress is fear-based. For example, we say relationships are stressful but what exactly does that mean? We are afraid of betrayal or rejection, we're afraid to admit we aren't loved for who we are, we are afraid to admit we need more (or less) sex, freedom, connection, etc. We say we're stressed about money...but "aren't we really afraid of the loss of power, comfort, and safety we think money provides?"

Most often, when we are fearful, it's "false" fear. Rankin says that "true" fear is a survival mechanism that kicks in at a moment when lives are truly at risk...which is less than one percent of our living time (like when we're in a car crash or choking or drowning). That means that when we feel fear in life, 99% of the time or more, it's our minds grappling for a way to feel emotionally safe.

So what's the Fear Cure? It's not necessarily to be cured of false fear...but to understand those fears as a way to enlighten, teach, and transform us. It's about making "peace with impermanence" and waking up to we really are.

She reminds us that pain is inevitable, but unnecessary suffering is caused by our resistance. So how do we drop resistance? We stop identifying with the (overblown) stories we tell and create NEW stories such as her Four Courage-Cultivating Truths that are meant to displace fearful assumptions:

1. Uncertainty is the gateway to possibility. (I call this the fertile void.)
2. Loss is natural and can lead to growth.
3. It's a purposeful universe. (To me, this links to the "growth" part of #2.)
4. We are all One.

For me, when I catch myself worrying (fear-based) I gently nudge myself to shift to wonder (joy-based). When I'm fearful of the unknown, I remind myself to feel the excitement within the adventure. Rankin says that worry wastes our time! And that's so true--it wastes our living time.

I like what she says about how we often use numbing (booze, drugs, food, internet addiction, busyness, sex, caffeine, etc.) as a "vulnerability shield." Once we get more comfortable with the unknown, we are less likely to feel a need to numb out. Even criticism of others can be a "vulnerability shield" because we are projecting our fears about ourselves onto others rather than examining our own shadows. She recommends practicing compassion for others and ourselves.

I like her suggestion of a way to not overly identify with your negative emotions: instead of saying "I am sad" say "I am with sad." That way, you're not saying you're a sad person but are acknowledging a feeling that is moving through you--and will change.

I also liked her idea about how to release resistance to loss by closing your eyes and repeating calmly to yourself (she says for 20 minutes!), "I accept."

Rankin says "Life can be the teacher, if only we let it. ... Every emotion is here to help you move in the direction of peace."

[Valentina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Došlo je vrijeme kad je rizik ostanka u pupoljku bio bolniji od rizika koji je sa sobom nosio procvat". Anais Nin
Doista treba mnogo hrabrosti priznati sam sebi kako ne vladaš vlastitim životom i dopuštaš da tvoji strahovi upravljaju tobom. Mene su moji strahovi godinama pratili a onda me napokon sustigli i opalili mi jednu veliku pljusku. Otreznjujući trenutak u kojem shvatiš da žališ što nisi riskirao više, što si potratio vrijeme i što si odustao kad si upravo najviše trebao potegnuti. Što nisi iskoračio iz "zone ugode" kako bi napokon započeo to putovanje kojem si uvijek težio i dopustio da te život oduševi.
Nisam veliki ljubitelj self - help literature ali s vremena na vrijeme volim, i osjetim potrebu,pročitati neku dobru knjigu koja će mi pomoći pogledati u sebe, osvijestiti bit i razviti dušu. Obogatiti me. Ovo je upravo takva knjiga, koja liječi, obogaćuje dušu i pomaže ti sagledati, prihvatiti i razumjeti vlastite strahove. Nema tu nekakvih čarobnih formula ili trikova koji će kao rukom odnijeti vaše strahove, ali autorica vas potiče da osvijestite strah u sebi i da se ne sramite što ga osjećate. Ističe kako strah u sebi nosi dragocjenu poruku i ako ste voljni poslušati vlastiti strah, a ne bježati pred njim, on vam može pomoći da se vratite na put liječenja tijela, uma i duše, da rastete. Putovanje započinje kad ste voljni, i usred neizvjesnosti, sagledati život kao učitelja.
Mnogo je ozbiljnije kad vam stres i strah naruše i ozbiljno ugroze fizičko zdravlje. S medicinskog stjališta autorica se osvrće i na to pitanje u početnim poglavljima, te ukazuje kako je strahu moguće pristupiti i s drukčijeg stajališta. Izaziva vas da riskirate, suočavate se sa svojim strahovima i izazivate ih, i time ih postepeno prevladavate. Autorica govori i o intuiciji i na koji nam način ona može, ako ju znamo prepoznati i ispravno protumačiti, doprinijeti boljoj kvaliteti života.
Donosi iskustva vlastitih pacijenata koji su promjenom pristupa prema sebi uspjeli prevadati zloćudne bolesti i ozdraviti. Jer u sebi nosimo moć da u trenu promijenimo sve. Trenutak otrežnjenja dolazi kad bol nepomičnosti i vaša čežnja za hrabrošću nadjačaju strah od promjene.
Čitajući ovu knjigu ja sam dobila dodatnu energiju i hranu za rast.

[Rachel Blom · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, this book was not what I had expected. I thought it would be more scientific-psychological and instead it went very alternative. I can't hold that against the author, because I should have checked her previous books. But when an author states that stress (caused by fear) can contribute to cancer and uses a story of a woman who sought to heal her fear before healing her cancer, that's incredibly dangerous and bordering on plain irresponsible. yes, I get the context and all that, but not everyone will and some readers may take that advice completely the wrong way.

Anyways, this book states that fear leads to stress, which makes you sick in many ways. That in itself is a premise I can follow and agree with, up to a certain point. I think the author has been highly selective in her science to back this up, but okay. The book then continues discussing the false beliefs that cause so much fear and ends with some principles to overcome this fear.

I agree up to a certain point with the facts presented in this book, but the language made it hard to swallow for me. Talking about our 'Small Self' and our 'Inner Pilot Light' is one thing, but using anecdotical evidence for telepathy to prove that 'we are all one'...Nope. It's not that I'm not open to certain possibilities (I'm sure there's way more than we can observe, and especially grasp with our human minds) but to state these are facts, that's a couple of steps too far for me. It also takes away from the strong premise of the book, in my opinion.

I did get some nuggets of wisdom out of this, but my overall opinion is that this is not a book for people who value facts. By the way, the author is pretty honest about this, because she disses our cognitive minds and tells us to purely rely on out feelings. My feelings tell me this is not my cup of tea.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the problems I have with self-help books is that sometimes they veer into what I think of as woo-woo territory--it's like the author has to find some way to make things sound extra-mystical, usually by Capitalizing Things and giving them cutesy names. That being said, once I dug through the self-help-ese, there were some remarkably useful suggestions not just for dealing with fear, but sorting out good, necessary fear from the kind of grinding anxiety our society tends to produce. That means I'll probably reread it at some point, despite my reservations.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book really helpful and inspiring!
I like that there are useful and practical things you can do to learn and grow and become your best, most authentic self. It's not just an inspiring theory, but a real tangible way to live with actual measurable goals to change your life and deal with your fears.

This book did not resonate with me as much as her other book, Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself, but I still found it really compelling, and I will be using some of the techniques to live a life without fear.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Note: Was originally posted to my blog, https://elizabethannsalem.wordpress.c...]

I have followed Dr. Lissa Rankin’s career with interest for several years now, particularly as she inhabits the same corner of the self-help universe as other authors I admire, including Martha Beck and Tosha Silver (and what I refer to in my head as “The Hay House Cavalcade of Stars!”). Rankin also has one of the more honest email newsletters and blogs out there, and I’ve always appreciated her bravery in being so honest and open with her readers about what is going on in her personal life.

Rankin’s new book, The Fear Cure: Cultivating Courage as Medicine for the Body, Mind, and Soul (released on February 24, 2015), takes on issues of fear and anxiety, and discusses how fear drives how we live our daily lives, even though many of us remain unconscious of this, as Western society in particular tends to treat fear as a taboo subject. The book is a highly useful guide to getting past fear, largely by teaching that the key to handling fear is to embrace it for the lessons it teaches, instead of doing what most of us do, which is to engage in avoidance behaviors.

Rankin points out that fear is actually a useful tool that warns us about the parts of our lives that we need to pay most attention to. Many of us, myself included, have spent years priding ourselves on being busy and stressed out, without admitting that these terms cover up the underlying reality, which is that we’re really scared of uncertainty. We spend most of our time dealing with what Rankin calls “false fear,” which is that sense of anxiety and paranoia that roams through our thoughts, leading us to feel small, to lash out at others, or to see the world as a terrible place. (“True fear,” by way of contrast, is the adrenaline rush that kicks in when we are in actual physical danger, for example.)

The key, Rankin says, is to understand that false fear causes us to awaken to the truth about ourselves. In other words, fear can help cure you. She provides many strategies for getting in touch with fear, being kind to ourselves, figuring out what is really going on in the subconscious, and learning to surrender to the Divine. By becoming more vulnerable and honest, we can find the path to wholeness and a brighter future.

The book contains much discussion of clinical data if you are into that sort of thing, but is far more spiritually-oriented than Rankin’s previous work, Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself. She also provides multiple exercises and activities to help to promote your journey toward learning fear’s lessons and moving forward with life.

I enjoyed this book very much, so much so that I ordered it from Amazon while I was about one-third of the way through my library’s copy.

Source: ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, copy from my local library

[amanda s. · Rating 4 out of 5]

****An Advance reading Copy of The Fear Cure by Lissa Rankin was generously provided to me via NetGalley in exchange of honest review.

I rarely read a book with non-romance as the genre, especially self-help book like this one. But surprisingly, I enjoyed it.

The Fear Cure is basically an experience of some people, about their fears and how they handle it. It's relatable actually, despite the fact that I'm not an American. How fear can literally make you sick your stomach, your head even your whole body and force to lie down. This book explain how fear can trigger sickness and how it's perfectly normal, that you can beat it.

This book is pretty much an eye-opener. Even though it took me days to finished it, so far I enjoyed this book. I find myself silently nods and agrees with the opinion and I appreciate the knowledge.

Definitely won't harm you if you read this book once in a while.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The name of this book is a bit of a misnomer. This book is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a "cure" for fear. However, it has an enormous amount of information, personal stories and tips for the reader to stretch beyond his/her past ideas of fear.

Full review:

http://theinsomniacbibliophile.blogsp...

[Wilderness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greatly enjoyed this book. The first few chapters were a bit off-putting off the bat (I was actually getting anxiety and fear from them!) but push through and you forget all about it as you begin to cultivate courage!

[Marie-Jeanette De Lioncourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Изцеление от страха" се нарежда сред любимите ми заглавия в жанра личностно самоусъвършенстване. Благодарение на книгата успях да преодолея най-тежкия период в живота си до сега.
Д-р Лиса Ранкин представя редица вдъхновяващи истории, практически съвети и упражнения за развиване на смелост и увереност в себе си. Авторката ни учи как да обичаме себе си и да правим положителни промени в своя живот, без да съдим действията на предишното си аз и на хората, които са ни наранили.
От всичко прочетено в съзнанието ми остави най-силен отпечатък следната молитва, към която несъмнено често ще се връщам: "Промени ме, превърни ме в човек, който може да позволи на Божественото да го води!"
Препоръчвам книгана на всеки, който е готов да допусне чудесата и мечтите си в своята реалност. ☀️

[Jordan Clayden-Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really is life-changing and I don’t say that lightly. I read it in the most fitting time in isolation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and it really was meant to be. After all Lissa Rankin’s studies, I am now more educated on the fact that we live in a purposeful universe - that life happens for us (not to us), and that to completely be at peace, we must surrender to the universe. Everything happens for a reason and has its purpose.

I 100% recommend this book to anyone who is looking to overcome adversity from these uncertain times, and to understand the fear that they may hold within so they can live a more fruitful life.

[Shannon L. Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review:

The Fear Cure: Cultivating Courage as Medicine for the Body, Mind, and Soul
by Lissa Rankin



“While true fear is always protective and not something you want to lose, false fear can make the body sick if you don’t know how to handle it in a healthy way.” (Lissa Rankin)

“When the mind shifts from fear to love, the mind can heal the body and its not some fuzzy New Age metaphysical thing. It’s simple physiology.” (Lissa Rankin)

The Fear Cure is not about conquering that “fight or flight” response of fear. We need that fear to keep us safe from death threatening harm. It’s the physiological response when we let stress and the fear of unknown, the psychological fear that in turn creates havoc on our bodies that can be cured through the exercises in this book.

Dr. Rankin discusses how fear makes you sick. She provides scientific proof how the fear of everyday stresses deteriorates our bodies. When many in the medical community scoff at the idea that our minds create much of the diseases of the body, Dr. Rankin brings it to the forefront of conversation.

In part one of the book she discusses how fear makes a person sick. In part two of the book she continues with the truth of fear, discerning between what true fears are and what is imaginary stress scenarios. She discusses how as a culture we cling to certainty and the fear of uncertainty that rules how we decide on the course of life. She lists personal scenarios where she herself was put in physical danger and then how the stress scenarios that followed kept her in the state of fear response beyond what was needed to keep her safe. With more stories of patients and friends, she continues teaching by example of pitfalls in life that created fear and how they overcame that fear to grow and survive.

In part three of the book she gives the prescription of change to free yourself. She says from her ride on an adventurous roller coaster ride, “If you’re able to trust that you’re safe, fear can be transformed into a thrill. Without trust, fear is just plain scary.”
She discusses ways to cultivate courage through moving beyond the comfort zone but in a safe manner. She discusses find trust in something to be an anchor so the cognitive mind can feel safe; so the cognitive mind can release its grip on certainty. In releasing control of avoiding uncertainty, a person can let courage be the place where they make decisions rather than a place of fear.

Dr. Rankin teaches that this false fear will always be there as it is impossible to quiet that fear-filled voice inside the mind, but the volume of that voice will be turned down so low that decisions aren’t made because of it. Instead it becomes a milestone marker with which to gauge progress. She finishes by asking “Who would you be if fear wasn’t stopping you?” with her six steps to cultivating courage anyone can follow the 27 detailed exercises to improve their lives, to heal themselves from the false fear response.

For more information about Dr. Lissa Rankin’s work and her other books please visit her website at http://lissarankin.com/



FTC Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this title for review purposes only by Hay House Publishing. No other compensation was awarded.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would rate this book more like 4.5 stars out of 5. This book has many beneficial tips and I appreciate the scientific background offered. The only thing I really craved were for more personal stories of ordinary everyday people muscling through/healing/growing out of the fear/stress. Often, it's the everyday that stresses us out and not some extraordinary circumstance(s). Those stressors can cause a slow bodily and spiritual death. But, overall, I highly recommend reading this book. The author's blogs are great, too.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book. Only finished because I can never leave a book unread once I start.

Book starts off with click bate material by describing detailed fear inducing scenarios that is so unnecessary and frankly feeds the monster that some people might have.

Do a rain dance to cure the drought in California? Is this book for real? Seriously some parts just made me laugh out loud - so rediculous!

Don't bother reading this one.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good rule I follow when reading such books is to track the number of anecdotes that the author uses to reinforce a position. This book has oodles! While the first section is good and talks about the physiological impact if fear, worry, and stress, the test is a boring journey through stories that are mostly fluff to support hokey ideas.
Read the first part, then walk away from the book.

[Laura Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me forever to get through part 1. I thoroughly enjoyed Part 2 and Part 3 was a bit of a struggle but I discovered quite a few golden nuggets and finally found myself underlining and dog earing the pages to come back to passages later. I'd say it was 3.5 Stars.

[Silvia Boyadzhieva · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a waste of time and money.
70% of the book consists of stories of other people, which are not believableat all.
The rest is garbage too. The chapters start with "Scientifically proven" and then you get "many people believe".

[Manisha Rafai · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to manual for curing fearful thoughts ! Loved the clear methods presented,

[Brooke Waite · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a complete perspective-shifter for me dealing with a chronic illness.

[Jamie Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my review on my blog

[Mohammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book number 122.

This book has opened an ocean of awareness and new possibilities for me. In part 1 it started all scientific, which spoke to the part of me that likes concrete facts. Then it started shifting to the realm of wisdom and spirituality. This is where the magic started happening.

I'm a person full of fear, I'm even fearful while I'm writing this review. Having AvPD and other cluster C personality disorders, more than one anxiety disorder, and Bipolar II, makes me fear walking on two legs. I've always had low self-esteem, and been dependent on others for validation.

I've come a long way with my depression and anxiety, but the journey is still long. That's why I read.

This book for me is a game changer, I just feel relieved while holding it. A friend of mine who lives in Canada shipped it to me. And it sat there waiting to be read since 2015. I think this was the perfect timing for me to read it.

I can't begin to list all the new notions I've learned:

The whole idea of the Universe having an innate intelligence within it, that it's friendly and wise, this came right in the perfect timing, when things were happening in my life that just could not be coincidental, I'd just lost my belief in religion, and couldn't find a source of spirituality. This book showed me that I can have a spiritual life without having to contradict my logical and scientific mind.

The idea of the small self and the Inner Pilot Light is similar to Eckhart Tolle's false ego and Consciousness.

This book is an important lesson about surrendering to life, opening up, accepting, and taking courageous action. It aligns with all the spiritual teachings I have come across before.

Finding your purpose in life and dealing with its hardships is no easy mission, I'd reccomend this book as an important step forward.

This book is going to be put in a special place in my shelf; because I'll be back to read it again and again.

[TheWhiteDKLing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read and my first approach to curing my fears as most of them were created by my imagination and affecting my life, causing me unnecessary anxiety. I appreciate that she was sincere and open in her writing instead of delivering lectures on how she cured her fears. I felt as if she was on this journey alongside the readers. I felt better when reading the book; her good stories built the foundation of my cure. It is a long process, and just one book is not the key, but the book makes me feel positive about myself; it motivates me to take one step further. In some of the reviews, I read that she exposes the readers to some of the fears and only encourages them. Yes, she did, and that is exactly what she had to do, as the first step of this long and challenging process is acknowledging your fears. I am not afraid now to say the words that previously gave me goosebumps and were taboo in my vocabulary, like cancer, death or spiders. I am ready to take the next step and read the recommended further reading suggestions. Thank you, Lissa.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a scaredy cat. Fear has taken on a life of its own in my body. I have been working on my fear this year and I have started to befriend it. While this book has been a little helpful, I can't say it has helped me heal my fear. Fear is physiological. We feel it in our bodies. Even though we have higher brains, we cannot always think ourselves out of fear. It must be also be address on a somatic level. This book failed to account for this. This oversight doesn't render this book insignificant. There was comfort and tools I did take away from this book, afterall I still give this book four stars. However, I would recommend anyone struggling with fear to check out Peter Levine's books to address fear on a somatic level. Once we heal our physiology, we can then address fear on a spiritual and cognitive level which is what this book addresses.

I would also recommend skipping this book entirely if you are not open to alternative medicine and spiritual beliefs.

[Julie L · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were many things I liked about this book, especially at the outset. Partway through though, I realized that it went from "sciencey" to extremely new-agey very suddenly. If I wasn't already familiar with the more out-tgere concepts, I would have really been thrown for a loop. So I'm not sure who this appeals to someone super new in the topic --but then, it didn't really add anything NEW to the topic of managing fear either. There was a bit too much referring the reader to the authors friends--and then, there were SO MANY exercises that were all fairly similar.

Anyway, a good book, but not the bible on fear.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there's some interesting and useful stuff about fear and its effects... the author's solutions are stuck in a particular worldview that only certain readers will find attractive. If you're new age, esoteric spirituality etc then you'll be fine. Anyone else, and you'll find her judgements of what is fearful (small self) and what is courage to be very limited. Apparently divorcing your husband and stopping going to church is great and fearless. Well perhaps in certain situations, but in many people's lives those would actually be the fearful options. It's a shame.

[Annie Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good and brought up a lot of things I knew I had a problem with but didn't know how to solve. Some I didn't think of. The only bad things I have to say are it's not easy to read in some parts since it's all clumped together. And the pages of facts and statistics at the beginning were too much and really boring.

[Chloe Faure · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting essay on fear. I liked that the book is separated in 2 parts, one more scientifical and another more spiritual. My only cristism would be that the book didn't need to be that long, as the author repeats herself a lot throughout the book and I felt towards the middle/end that I wouldn't get anything more out of it. If that makes sense.

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is about what it says it the title but then, now and then, just wanders far far away and comes back on quite different topic. Very incoherent in my opinion....

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Partly read