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Fiery World - Book 1 (1933) - 505:
505. Freedom from fear will not come through convincing oneself in each separate instance. On the contrary, such suggestions drive the feeling of fear inward, permitting it to return with full force at the first opportunity. Moreover, the terror will increase in proportion to the pressure of the artificial suggestion. Imprisoned fear is a very dangerous convict, and it is essential to rid oneself of fear - so declare all Teachings. Fear can be eradicated by comparisons. Point out the terror of facing ferocious beasts to the man who is threatened by fire, and he will say, "I would know how to escape wild beasts, but how can I escape this blaze?" Thus, collect all the possible causes of fear, and one after another they will fall away like dry leaves. Likewise, one should call forth complete relativity in order to become accustomed to the boundlessness of the Fiery World. The attraction to the earthly crust creates the illusion of security; this explains the attachment of human beings to the earthly world. It is quite true that precisely here one should absorb many feelings and lay a foundation of receptivity, in order to tread the fiery waves more easily. For this reason earthly specialization is not as valuable as the qualities of receptivity and containment. It is not surprising that the dividing lines of the strata of the Subtle World do not coincide with those of conventional classifications on Earth. One may find oneself in the Subtle World among the most unexpected assortment of neighbors. Such a surprise threatens only those who cross over with a load of earthly survivals. But he who has refined his spiritual criteria will find the fulfillment of his expectations.
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