As most of you probably realize, the title of this article is derived from Psalm 23. Please imagine with me, if you will, that it could actually be possible to “fear no evil.” Consider how much more light-heartedly we would go about our activities. In this day and age, our minds are so bombared with negative news that we’ve accepted such as normal. Imagine how good it would feel to shrug off the heavy burden of worry that most persons carry. Is this delusional to suggest that it’s possible to fear no evil? No, dear friends, it’s not. When we know more about our essential nature, we can, indeed, fear no evil. Before we dive deeper into the article, I offer the 23rd Psalm in full for you to contemplate:

***

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

***

I’d like to share a few facts that may have a bearing on whether you take anything of value away from this article. I openly admit that I’m not a Biblical scholar–not even close; I don’t own a Bible (although I’m certainly not against the idea); and I haven’t attended a formal church service for years. Why does such an unlikely candidate send messages of spiritual rebirth out into the world? Because the heart, once opened, can’t turn away. I admit this just in case you’re tempted to close your mind based on past experiences related to overzealous teachers of religion. The knowledge that I share has been gained by reading countless books about spirituality and the Law of Attraction; and the ideas and content for my articles is largely intuited spontaneously.

I apply a logical approach to the subjects of consciousness, spirituality, and the law of attraction–and with good reason. In my opinion, a bridge built solely from belief–without the supporting structure of understanding–will always be too weak to support a crossing from ignorance to knowing. To know that it’s possible to live without fearing evil, we must understand a few key points:

• Fear belongs to the body-mind, aka, the person. You may be thinking, “Hey, wait a minute, bucko, I thought you said that I could live without fear evil, and now you’ve just contradicted yourself!” I hear what you’re saying. To understand this more fully, please read the next point.
• You’re not the body-mind. The body-mind (person) is rendered totally via the mind. To support this, I’d like to offer a quote from The Tibetan Book of The Dead: “Phenomena only ‘exist’ in the mind that perceives them.” Another quote, borrowed from a book of esoteric knowledge entitled The Kybalion, supports this: “The All is mind; the Universe is mental.” You might add to this by asking yourself whether it could ever be possible to have an experience without consciousness. No, indeed, consciousness is the very linchpin of experience.
• Consciousness is not created by the brain. Although the majority of persons on this planet assume that there is a little “i” located somewhere behind their forehead, there is not. That this could possibly be true is easily verified by a search on the internet. Please enter “The hard problem of consciousness” in your browser. You’ll find many interesting articles and discover that the term was first coined by David Chalmers, an Australian philosopher and cognitive scientist. Science has basically assumed that consciousness arises from neural processes. It doesn’t.
• Matter doesn’t exist. That’s right, you read correctly; matter doesn’t exist (independent of the mind). “But, how the heck can that possibly be?” I can hear you asking. “I exist, and I’m pretty darn real!” The answer is that so-called matter is rendered via the mind. Please do another internet search and look up the famous “Double-Slit Experiment,” which was first performed by Thomas Young. Quantum physicists have known for more than a hundred years that light can behave as both a wave and a particle; and that the observer is exerting an effect with regard to what’s witnessed. So-called matter is comprised of packets of energy that are flashing in and out of existence at an incredibly fast rate.
• Human life is a dream. To understand this fully, we must realize that what most persons erroneously assume to be “reality” is actually the Waking State. It’s similar to the nighttime dream state, but is more clearly defined and has a continuing plotline. When asked about the difference between the two states, Ramana Maharshi (who was a realized sage) replied: “Waking is long and dream short; other than this there is no difference. Just as waking happenings seem real while awake, so do those in a dream while dreaming.”
• You’re true Self is Awareness, aka Consciousness. You are an aspect of God. As such, you are an eternal Being. Logically, if what is happening now is a dream, what is there to fear? This may help you understand why the following line is included in Psalm 23: “Yea, though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Do you find “shadow” an interesting choice of words?
• God is All There Is, playing a multiplicity and diversity of forms, including your body-mind and mine. By spending a little time in meditation, you may realize–directly–that you can witness your sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts. They’re not who you are. You can also witness your body; for it is also an object in consciousness–not the subject of Being as you have been conditioned to assume. The true YOU is prior to the mind.

And there you have it, dear friends–my attempt to explain why it’s possible to actually live without fear. The key is to Know Thyself. The great news is that when we realize Truth, we’re free to live so much more fully. Go now…live your dreams!

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), press here. My YouTube videos can be found at Think2wice@I-Am-Aware. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. “Thank You” & “Note to Publishers” 🙏🏻🧡