HEALING FROM FEAR
Carl Sagan said you can't convince a believer of anything because their belief is not based on evidence, but on a "deep-seated need to believe." Why did we need to believe? Because we were terrified.
When we deconstruct the terrible theology of sin, sacrifice, salvation and damnation, not only have the Scriptures been reduced to a collection of misplaced myths and government meddling, but the horrific eternal damnation and End Times narratives have been reduced to the fear tactics of old apocalyptic trends in literature reappropriated by some early American evangelists.
We don't need to believe anymore. But when you grow up suspended above the flames of Hell, reducing it to ashes doesn't heal the scars burned into your psyche.
Hell. The Rapture. Tribulation. We know it's BS now but does our nervous system? When we live literally every moment of our brain's development in a hyper vigilant state, fearing the end of the world and eternal damnation, the perspective literally wires the brain to stay that way: stressed, worried, catastrophizing, maybe even wired awake to fend off nightmares featuring terrifying Scripture scenarios.
Our fear may not feel as palpable as our days in the fold in which Hell crackled hot and God glared down, but it manifests in pervasive fears, anxieties and worries.
To evangelicals, spiritual warfare is this tangible thing. Demons could possess us if we weren't saved, and oppress us regardless of salvation. If you've heard the narrative as many times as I have, upon apostasy you may have fleeting thoughts about your new susceptibility to possession.
Long after leaving theology behind, the lingering fear of supernatural voices that keep us up at night as kids may have us fighting to sleep still. It takes a while to get used to that we are actually alone in our heads.
These feelings are a normal response to indoctrination that insists the stakes for disbelief involve eternal fire and brimstone. Give yourself time, love and grace.
Anxiety is rooted in past beliefs. Challenging these ingrained thought patterns can change your emotional response over time.
Fundamentalist Christianity feeds on fear. It depends on Hell to keep us in line, on the End Times to keep us afraid.
For those of us still stuck in the church, anxiety over Hell and salvation can be severe enough to cause panic attacks, perfectionism, self hate and self doubt because our obedience and faith determine our fate from one moment to the next.
"Rapture Anxiety." It's a coined phrase.
Fear of Hell is a textbook phobia, Hadephobia.
Hell was a very visceral threat. Our brains learned to associate danger with everything from our own feelings to our natural doubts to books besides Bibles.
Many people NEVER leave the faith no matter how many doubts they have because that fear is so deeply ingrained and hardwired.
Whether you've left the Christian faith entirely, or you've just determined this fundie version of the future doesn't reflect its true message, discarding Hell and End Times theology can be marked with irrational fears that pop up.Psychologists refer to these fears as re-stimulation of old conditioning. They emphasize the importance of learning to label an emotion as "conditioning" instead of "truth" in the process of healing brainwashing.
If you recall nightmares involving hellfire, weeping and gnashing of teeth you are not alone. If you ever thought the world was too still for a moment, and feared you'd been left behind, many of us were with you.
Deconstruction is about digging these bad ideas up by the root and exposing them for what they are. Only then can we exchange the lies for truth.
If you haven't already explored this page, I invite you to deconstruct the bad ideas of eternal damnation and the end of the world with me here:
Fear Tactics of the FundamentalistsHealing Exercise
When we recognize this literature and its interpretations came from men, we can halt intrusive, irrational fears surrounding theology in its tracks.
"Hell is real" can be replaced then with⏭️Hell is a construct. We know WHO, WHEN and WHY it was created.
"The End Times are coming!" can be replaced with⏭️The End Times are a construct. We know WHO, WHEN and WHY they were constructed.
To recognize intrusive thoughts that give you irrational fear, ask yourself: "Is this thought based on reality or old conditioning?"
Are you catastrophizing because the narrative you once believed in had you convinced that every little thing was life and death?
Do you still worry there may be an ultimate judgment of some sort and you will found lacking?
Choose new thoughts. You don't have to live in fear anymore. Tell your inner child.