Anxiety About Being Human

Anxiety About Being Human

by Linda Heron Wind, Ph.D.

"But what exactly will it be like being human?" the soul asked.

"It is an indescribable experience!" said the Wise One. "The only way you can know is to experience it yourself. Some beings receive bodies but never experience being human."

"Why would they not have the experience if they have a body - I thought that was the most important part," responded the soul, now confused.

"It is because of mortal fear. When souls get to Earth they forget what is real and develop fears about the physical illusion: fear of living, fear of dying, fear of failing, fear of succeeding, fear of being alone, fear of being close to others, fear about what has already happened, and fear about what might happen - you name it and some soul probably has a fear about it. The most important part about being human is not just having a body, it is living in the body," the Wise One said, wishing that this discussion had never begun. After all there is no point in talking about the process to someone who has not yet had the experience.

"How can you have a body and not live in it, and why would any soul be afraid of all of those things?" asked the soul, now becoming frustrated.

"I will only tell you one more thing, and then no more questions until you have had the experience. After that maybe we can discuss it more. What I will tell you and hope that you will remember is that living in a body is perfectly safe - there is absolutely nothing that can happen to you in a body that is not simply an expression of human experience that you agreed to be present for. It might not appear that way from the perspective of the human eyes but nothing that happens in a human body is dangerous to your soul." With that the Wise One bowed to the soul, and left.

Now the soul had heard many things about the human experience but that it is safe was not one of them. The Wise One should know though, having graduated from Earth School. So the soul vowed to keep that in mind as the incarnation process was about to begin.

Many Earth years later this soul was taking some time to make sense out of the human experience that had accumulated over the years. Having tried nearly everything, the soul was feeling frustrated that it still seemed to be working on the same issues - trying to make the right decisions, staying healthy, finding meaningful work, having peaceful relationships, and the list could go on. On an emotional level, the persistent anxiety about choices and the things in life that just seem to change without notice. Nothing seemed stable and no one could be trusted, not even oneself. And the world itself seemed like a mess! Everyone seemed to have their own version of reality and people were suffering, fighting with each other, getting sick and dying. What is the point of all this anyway? As the soul thought about these things, it could feel itself rising up out of the body and the mind seemed to want to go elsewhere, anywhere but here.

Struggling to sort out what was real and how to deal with all the challenges being presented by life, the soul meditated and asked for guidance. A Wise One came that seemed so familiar and brought a message, "Trust; Earth is a safe place; being human is safe." Something about that message seemed to resonate and the soul remembered that the important thing is to live in the body. Have I not been living in my body, the soul thought? As awareness shifted to body, tense muscles began to relax a bit ("Oh good, you are back!" the body whispered.)

How to live in my body? How much am I not in my body? Where am I when I am not in my body? What takes me out of my body? Why am I afraid to be in it and why is my body afraid when I am out of it? What would it be like to be in my body all the time? Questions came flooding in as the soul savored the sensation of being in body right down to the toes.

Many Earth years later, the Wise One smiled and asked the one question that was asked of each soul returning from the Earth plane, "Did you release your mortal fear and really experience being human?"

The soul smiled back, "Yes and you were right, what an exquisite experience it is truly living in a body and being human, but as you said, quite indescribable!"

Banish mortal fear
And remember who you are
Beyond time and space

Chalice of body
Holds spiraling galacies
Universe of love

If you have comments on these articles or ideas for future topics, call Linda Heron Wind at (585) 924-5620 or send e-mail to LHWind@aol.com.

Page last modified April 4, 2004 by RMC