When Fear Falls Away
The Story of a Sudden Awakening
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- £10.99
Publisher Description
"Jan Frazier shows us the anatomy of epiphany and reminds us of the ever-present possibility of healing and freedom and grace." —Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, New York Times–bestselling author of Kitchen Table Wisdom
In August 2003, virtually overnight, Jan Frazier experienced "a dramatic falling away of fear"—not just the immediate fear of her annual medical test but, as she learned as time went on, her fear of everything. She was "flooded with a causeless joy that has never left me." In this book, the commonplace belief that enlightenment is only for saints comes apart at the seams. Anyone can be enlightened, and all we need to do is ask. This rare and beautiful account puts Jan Frazier solidly in the tradition of enlightened teachers from J. Krishnamurti to Byron Katie. Guns and money aren't going to buy peace of mind. Giving up fear is.
"A breathing translation into language of an advance in evolution that is available to the focused heart and the fortunate intention." —Stephen Levine, bestselling author of Unattended Sorrow: Recovering from Loss and Reviving the Heart
"Read this delicious, liberating, radical book." —Jack Kornfield, bestselling author of No Time Like the Present
"If you have ever wondered of a life filled with freedom and free of fear was possible, then this is the book for you. Jan Frazier shares her personal journey with a level of intimacy normally saved for one's closest confidantes. The result is a book that serves as a beacon for anyone who is ready to experience joy on every level."—Shelly Rachanow, author of If Women Ran the World, Sh*t Would Get Done
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The summer she turned 50, Frazier suddenly lost the nearly crippling fear that had plagued her for decades. In its place came love, tears, laughter, ecstasy, delight, bliss, understanding and, eventually, an unshakable "undercurrent of fundamental contentment." This book, she says, is not self-help but a "testimony to a life transformed" and a promise that her experience is open to all. Frazier, a poet, knows how to turn a phrase, but her dated commentary, covering 18 months beginning in August 2003, often evokes the self-absorption and inchoate emotion of an adolescent's diary: "Every single thing I do is a total blast. It's like being stoned, only it's entirely clearheaded." Interspersed with celebratory journal entries are lyrical descriptions of her worshipful encounters with Gurumayi, the controversial "perfected master" whose Siddha Yoga mantra is translated "I bow to my inner Self, who is God." Some readers may find Frazier's unremitting attention to her emotional state tedious, if occasionally worrisome ("I expend a lot of energy to keep from whirling in circles with my arms out to the sides"), while others will perceive deep wisdom in her awakened realization "that being released from fear was independent of being released from bad things happening."
