Illustration by .An Ruee
In this post, my intention was not to diminish how painful and scary panic attacks are when they occur, but rather to explain them from a spiritual perspective, and hopefully take the fear out of them. Below are the channeled answers I received.
What are panic attacks? Panic attacks are an indication a person is in the midst of healing the fear, anxiety, shame, guilt, or any other unloving emotion or thought that has been residing within their subconsciousness. As what needs to be healed journeys toward their consciousness, their ego lashes out, trying desperately to plunge these emotions and thoughts back into their subconscious where they will remain unhealed. This war between the ego and higher mind causes the body to react as if it were in the midst of a physical battle. A person having a panic attack is having the same adrenaline surge and fight-or-flight response as a soldier, but, because the hidden pain has not fully risen into their consciousness, they remain unaware of why these panic attacks are occurring.
Why does the ego want us to remain unhealed? The ego knows when a person becomes fully healed, he or she will awakened to their divine self and communicate with the Divine without hindrance. An awakened person will no longer believe the lies of the ego, leaving it voiceless and powerless.
The ego pretends to be God, ruling the minds of those who are still asleep, but when a person is healed and awakens, the ego becomes powerless. To be powerless is the same as death for the ego, which does not understand the power of love. The ego’s fear of death is felt strongly by the person who is in the midst of a panic attack.
What if I let the panic come instead of resisting it? The Divine would never facilitate an increase in fear—only its release. Offer your panic, which is an expression of your fears, to the Divine. Each offering is practice for your full and final release, which ultimately leads to your awakening.
Recently while at the movies, I felt a panic rise up within me during a violent scene. I don’t think that’s an awakening. To not enjoy the destruction of others is an awakening. You felt helpless to protect the movie characters and so your energy swelled, giving rise to the “fight or flight” instinct, causing an adrenaline rush, but beneath this was the root of the issue—the desire to save the characters in the movie as if you were saving yourself. You understood the concept of Oneness even if it was unconscious.
What about the times people wake up in a panic or are overcome while relaxing? People keep themselves preoccupied with thoughts as a means to keep their fears in the subconscious parts of their minds. When they finally relax or sleep, their preexisting fears rise to the surface. This is a time for healing. When a panic attack arises, they would be wise to ask the Divine for healing. Be assured, the Divine will heal it. Until the panic attack passes, they could take a moment to go outside and feel the ground beneath their feet or gaze out a window and view the glorious sky and landscape to remind themselves they are part of everything, and the Divine loves them.
Shaman Elizabeth Herrera 