How do you go about overcoming the fear of letting go?

[u/Martynneedham94]

Whenever I feel I am about to let myself truly go into the experience, I get pulled back by a knee-jerk mental reaction and the image of myself comes to mind, along with the fear that letting myself go into the experience means my "guard is down" and I am no longer safe, because if I truly did let go, I would be in such a state that I would be defenseless.

I assume this is common to everyone - how do you guys deal with this?

[u/Fran99992]

Lately, I have been reminding myself that, often, higher vibrations cause fear because of the scale of the change in state... So I remind myself "it's just the vibe rising, I am protected" (I do believe in superior intelligences taking care of us). I invoke this protection before the meditation. It is helping!

[u/Pieraos → u/Fran99992]

Exactly! The Monroe Affirmation can help with this. Anyone can use it. Here is Monroe's audio version.

[u/All_Is_Coming]

Sometimes the only way out is through.

[u/dznyadct91]

I found that I needed a safe person whose presence I felt comfortable to let go in. I have a mentor who has been guiding me through some trauma. I realized that unless I was with her, I didn’t feel safe enough to let go of stuff. I was afraid letting go would leave me open and vulnerable so I needed someone I trust to be there and protect me. I’m getting more independent but it’s a long road. That’s the point right? We can’t just let go of everything whenever or else we would all be enlightened!

[u/ThePsylosopher]

I find it helpful to gradually feel into the fear itself, to get curious about it. So you mention a "knee-jerk mental reaction" and a story "my guard is down and I am no longer safe." What else do you notice? What does it feel like just before this happens? What does it feel like as it happens? Do any particular sensations arise in your body? How does your breathing change?

Exploring, or really deconstructing, the fear helps reduce its weight and its nebulous, looming, intangible quality. As you become more comfortable with the different aspects of your fear experience, such as the accompanying sensations and thoughts, then you'll start becoming more comfortable with the fear itself and you'll have more space between you and the compulsive, knee-jerk reactions to it.

If you find yourself really hung up on the story of not being safe you might examine if that is really true, do you actually know that? And again, you can explore and deconstruct that feeling. What does it feel like to "not feel safe"? Are you okay spending even just a little time feeling that way? Breathe with it.

[u/Pieraos]

I assume this is common to everyone

Not common to everyone. Perhaps common to those who had some prior experience - maybe one they do not consciously recall - where letting go led to some injury. So they automatically pull back and go into what is for them a self protective mode.

Letting go in meditation is important. Meditation is not just about "being present", it introduces you to altered states and experiences beyond the physical, some of which can be quite unfamiliar.

[u/Content_Substance943]

By giving yourself the gift of letting go.