The Inner Life

IN ONE of your Papers I found such valuable teaching about Fear, and was before receiving this Paper I had such an interesting dream, of which I would like to have your interpretation.

I was alone in a room when suddenly there appeared before me some sort of hideous person with an ugly distorted face. The creature jumped about me and stretched out its arms as though to grab me, but I stood my ground and said, “You can’t scare ME, I am NOT afraid of you.”

It kept on jumping about and I went towards it, still shouting, “I tell you I am not afraid of you—you just CAN’T scare me. I WON’T be afraid of you.”

Then the room where we were became flooded with light, also a room behind me, but the creature backed off into a DARK room adjoining. I kept saying over and over again, “I am NOT afraid, I am NOT afraid,” and finally all I could see was the ugly face sticking through the crack of the unclosed door; but its body was all in the dark room. Then I woke up.

As I thought about the dream it seemed to me that the bright light indicated the protecting presence of Christ, and that the hideous creature was FEAR. But why didn’t it all disappear before I woke up? I wasn’t the least bit afraid (though of course it was all repulsive to me), and I wanted to get rid of it. Would that now being sunk on its neck finally strangle the creature, or is there still something left for me to overcome?

Your dream was very significant, for it represents certain qualities of the lower self that are still in evidence, but which cannot harm you if you fearlessly face and see them for just what they are. This you can do by searching your nature for any qualities that cause you to fear anything at this time. Then know that is what you must face.

Had you said to the creature of your dream, “In the name and through the power of Jesus Christ, I command you to leave this room and house and to remain out of it forever,” and you would have been even with it, then it would have gone entirely. Its peering at you through the crack shows that that quality in you still exists, which leaves the door open so that Fear can then anytime you give way to that quality.

On the other hand, if you will turn to God in a perfect love and trust, asking Him to show you His Will and way, He will point out to you just what to do. Then you must do it.