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Tackling specific fears in meditation
Is it possible for one to be aware of a particular insecurity or fear and to volitionally tackle that in meditation without needing to confront that fear in the outside world?
Is there any way in order to summon fear, shame, guilt, whatever....experienced in a specific situation and to fully allow yourself to FEEL it, so as to decondition yourself?
Am I making myself clear with my question?
Is there any way in order to summon fear, shame, guilt, whatever....experienced in a specific situation and to fully allow yourself to FEEL it, so as to decondition yourself?
Am I making myself clear with my question?
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In analytical meditation at least, one contemplates or visualizes a particular topic until a specific feeling associated arises then one applies concentration upon that feeling.
If you were to think of and visualize situations that give rise to the feelings you want then you could sit with that feeling. I'm not really sure if doing things that way would lead to a diminishment of the feeling or an increase though so proceed with care unless you find out more.
Im also interested in what others have to add on this
May not be the time and place for such hard thinking.
Reflection and practice is what I use for deconditioning myself to the physical world around me. As you said...a specific situation. My practice is my conditioning.
What I do, is if I notice my mind has strayed to a past event that still seems to contain some form of afflictive emotion is to first sit with the emotion until I see its emptiness and transience. From there, it is not difficult for me to examine how the actions of the moment were ego-centric.
If there is a lasting negative imprint, how were/are you making it about you?
For example, when I was in high school I cheated in a game I was playing with some friends. When I remember the event, there was shame with the memory. As the shame settled, I considered that my actions were driven by craving, and that craving interrupted the joyfulness that arises from the true blessing of the game (intimacy with others.) This interruption very naturally lead to a feeling of isolation, and in the moment gave the others less of an opportunity to build esteem through their skillfulness and honesty. So, it can be seen how cheating is a lose/lose action, wrong action, and so is abandoned.
For me, examining it in this way gives proper honor to the unskillful actions, but also lets the emotion go. Now when I remember the event, it is with insight into the common hopes of all people to enjoy games they play (and lives they lead.) There is no shame, only compassion and loving-kindness... the competitive cravings and disturbing emotions dissolve back into the emptiness.
When I have some specific fear or anger or desire or whatever; that will come up automatically in my meditation without “me” actively bringing it up.
Meditation is not less confronting than the outside world; in a sense it is more confronting. There’s no place to run, no place to hide.
In meditation the fear (or whatever) is welcomed like everything else. We allow it to be there for as long as it needs to be there.
Over time the fear becomes something which happens in our mind. Hey look, there’s the big fear again! Meditation has us looking at it without identifying with it.
Over time we drop it; not as something specific, but along with the rest of body and mind.
(Imho)