The Gift of Fear

In the sidebar of my blog, I have listed "Books to Read". One of those books is called The Gift of Fear, by Gavin De Becker.

Everyone has the Light of Christ. That precise phrase is found in the Book of Mormon and is synonymous to the terms “spirit of the Lord” and “light of life”. The “spirit of the Lord,” however, sometimes is used with reference to the Holy Ghost, and so must not be taken in every case as having reference to the Light of Christ. The light of Christ is just what the words imply: enlightenment, knowledge, and an uplifting, ennobling, persevering influence that comes upon mankind because of Jesus Christ. It is this light that quickens man's understanding and can tell ALL men what is right and what is wrong. Good and evil. The Light of Christ is not the Holy Ghost. It is not a personage at all...just an influence.

Gavin De Becker talks about these things in his book and calls them intuition. He speaks of fear, apprehension, suspicion, hesitation, doubt, gut feelings, and hunches without the true knowledge of their source. That's OK...we'll convert him later. Here are a few quotes from his book that struck me enough to write them down.

“Real fear is a signal intended to be very brief: a mere servant of intuition.”
“True fear is a survival signal that sounds only in the presence of danger.”
“Fear is not an emotion.” [it's a response]
"The intuitive signal of the highest order, the one with the greatest urgency is:
1. Fear
2. Apprehension
3. Suspicion
4. Hesitation
5. Doubt
6. Gut Feelings
7. Hunches
8. Curiosity"
"When it comes to danger, intuition is always right in at least 2 important ways: 1. It is always in response to something. 2. It always has your best interests at heart."
"Animals NEVER question their fearful instincts. They act on them immediately and with extreme prejudice."

Have you ever met someone, or been around someone that just gave you the heebie-jeebies and you couldn't put your finger on it? Is there a guy in your neighborhood that just seems to rub you the wrong way, even though he's never done anything offensive to you?

For years Lisa and I have discussed an ability that I have. We call it the "guy feeling." When my sister-in-law would bring home a new date or boyfriend, I could tell you within 5 minutes (or less) whether he was marriage material or a scumbag. For years it was a subtle thing that I slowly became more and more aware of over the years until I mentioned it to Lisa. Now she asks me quite often, "Do you ever get the guy feeling about so-and-so?"

I have known and met a half-dozen people in recent years who have elicited immediate gut responses where I knew, without a doubt, that something in their lives was out-of-whack. Whether they were child molesters or serial killers, or abusive to their spouses, I knew that something was not right with them. In every case those feelings have been justified. Every. Case. One time it turned out the acquaintance was heavily into pornography (even child porn) and embezzled a half-million dollars from his employer. Another went to jail for molesting a little girl. I am also reminded of many, many times during my LDS mission to Ecuador where I could tell whether a person was lying to me. It was uncanny and I trusted it completely, because those feelings were always right.

Once we are baptized in the LDS Church, we are given the Gift of the Holy Ghost. If you live in accordance to the Gospel, that simple Light or intuition can be intensified by the constant companionship of a member of the Godhead. Wow. And the Gift of Discernment is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

De Becker writes a good book. He writes with authority and manages a consulting firm that deals with the prediction and management of violence. If you don't have the time to read it, get the CD's from the library. It is worth your time.