Dealing with fear of the unknown

FEAR of change is experienced by many people at some point in their life. The fear may not be pronounced, and it may not last very long either, fading away as the person gets used to the change that had triggered the fear in the first place.

This fear is often just fear of the unknown, as we feel uncomfortable, wary or even afraid of how changed circumstances will affect us. We rarely fear what is known, as we are familiar with it, and know what to expect and how to deal with it.

The idea of eternity inspires a similar fear in some people as it conjures up the image of a journey without end, to an unknown destination, through uncharted territory.

One does not know what lies ahead and what one will encounter on such a journey. It is like entering a dark tunnel with no idea of what is inside and where it leads.

But anything that is eternal is cyclical. This can be seen in nature. The cycle of seasons moves eternally.

However, such seasonal change does not cause fear as we know that winter will be followed by spring, then summer and autumn before it is winter again.

Knowing this, we prepare for the seasons in advance. Even birds and insects are aware of the cycles of nature and they collect food, build their home and tend to their offspring accordingly.

Just as the cycle of birth, growth, decay and renewal goes on eternally, the cycle of time, too, turns without end, with the world going through different stages in a process that is repeated identically in every cycle.

It tells us that we have gone through the cycle before, so it is nothing new. There is nothing to fear.

Instead, knowing what is going to come will allow us to prepare ourselves to face the change better.