Sorry it’s so late, guys, but I just got back to our hotel after a very long day. Here are three separate sessions on fear and greed. Sorry for the short intro. I’m beyond exhausted.

Me: Okay, here’s another fascinating question. Why is there fear, and how was that energy created? Where does it come from? Do we plan fear into our lives as part of our personality so that when we come here we can overcome it? Is it this environment on the planet that makes us fearful or do we just develop it over time from the experiences we have here?

Erik: Fear comes from ego. It’s not a soul level thing. And there’s a lot of reasons for humans to have fear: A fear of not being good enough, a fear of not being able to do something well. Fear helps to develop ego and ego helps to develop fear. They go in a circle. Fear usually is an absence of connection to spirit—not complete absence, obviously, but a relative absence on a particular issue.

Me: Yeah.

Erik: It’s developed through the environment and it just is. All humans have fear of some kind. So, it’s when we don’t have the connection to the love in a situation or with an issue. Fear is the absence of spiritual connection, meaning it’s the relative absence of love, meaning it’s the relative absence of light. It’s part of that duality that’s so important in the human experience. When we overcome fear, we rediscover love. We rediscover our spiritual divinity. And when we go through that cycle of fear, overcoming fear, finding love over and over in every issue that we gotta address, well, that’s the point of spiritual enlightenment, isn’t it?

Me: Yeah, I guess peeling back the fear reveals the love and our connection with spirit, then?

Erik: Yep. And as humans, you wouldn’t be able to see that connection with spirit without some component of fear. It’s like you have to have the fear so you can peel back that layer and, ta da, there’s the love, there’s my connection to spirit. Kinda like a magician whipping his hankie away and there’s a vase of flowers.

Me: Yeah, I guess we have to put that extra step in there for the contrast, but sometimes duality really sucks.

Erik: I know. It can make life a crock of shit sometimes, but it’s a really powerful tool.

Me: Wish we could just have some special truth goggles to see what see need to see. Be a helluva lot easier.

Erik laughs.

****

Me: Why is there fear, and how is that energy created? Do we plan fear into our lives as part of our personality when we come here so we can overcome it? Is it the environment on this planet that makes us fearful? Is it a spiritual contract at work, or do we just develop fear being here?

Erik: It’s part of human wiring. It’s how the energy works, because it’s a positive, negative location. And when you have positive and negative, they play off of each other. People can even be fearful if something good is about to happen. It doesn’t always have to be fear about something bad.

Me: So, is fear a special kind of energy?

(Pause)

Jamie: No, he’s kind of like rubbing his chin and thinking.

Erik: Its not really a special kind of energy. I don’t really know how to explain it.

Me: Is it just a denser vibration?

Erik: Yeah, it’s a denser and different vibration, and that’s what can create some patterns that come to the surface that normally wouldn’t be felt in a different place.

Me: Is it an important tool, part of the duality we need to—

Erik: Yeah, a lot of times it’s a motivator.

Me: Anything else you can share about fear?

Erik: That’s all I really know right now.

Me: You sure are succinct today!

Erik (chuckling): Well you kind of bummed me out.

Me: Huh, why?

Erik: Look at the dark shit we’ve been talking about!

Me: Oops sorry, Baby!

****

Me: There seems to be so much suffering due to greed. Is there a greater degree of greed now than in the past, or are we just more aware of it due to the access to information?

Erik: Nah, we’re more aware of it due to the access of information, and there’s a lot more intelligence, now.

Me: Why? Why are people so greedy, Erik?

Erik (laughing): Cuz they’re assholes!

Me: Oh, no!

Jamie (giggling): Come on, Erik and tell us. Why are we that way?

Erik: I’m just playin’ witcha. I don’t really know the answer to that, but I’ll tell you my opinion. Those are people who are so afraid of being without, cuz then they have to focus on themselves and figure out who they are.

Me (with a sharp gasp): Oh, yeah! That rings so true.

Erik: Yeah, that terrifies them into reaching out into other people’s pockets or their resources, making it a competition instead of a communion.

Me: Mmm. Well, is there anything wrong with making a considerable amount to money on your own if it doesn’t hurt or take from others, if it doesn’t involve greed?

Erik: Hell, no! There’s nothing wrong with desiring abundance and reaching that level!

Me: Mm hm.

Erik: Everybody’s abundance is different, and even though money has a lot of “weight,” spiritually, it has no weight whatsoever. But we can’t really grasp that idea, because so much is measured against money on earth.

Me: Oh, yeah. I know. People love to use it as a measuring stick.

(Pause)

Me: Well, for example what our family has always loved to spend our money on are things and activities that can be enjoyed by other people. We love bringing friends and family together, to make them feel joy, to help build wonderful memories, because memories, that’s something you CAN take with you!

Erik: And doing that is absolutely fine!

Me: Yeah.

Erik: I have so many awesome childhood memories cuz of all that we did together and all that we had and shared. People sometimes don’t understand the difference between abundance and greed. Abundance is where you create that money and that wealth, and then share it in harmony—your lifestyle, your surroundings. It’s not about tithing 10%. Nice rule, but that’s something made up.

Me: I know.

Erik: But it is about being “loose” with the idea of money rather than “structured” with the idea of money.

Me: So, it’s basically like Love versus fear. Abundance is love based. By embracing abundance, you’re saying that you’re worthy of that kind of lifestyle, so that’s a self-love thing, and if you share that abundance in a pure and sincere way, you’re showing love to others. And it seems like the more you give, give, give, the more you get, get, get. But greed is fear based. It assumes scarcity, so you cling onto it and structure it and hoard it and breech your own morals because of it.

Erik: Yes, and when you fuck up your integrity, that’s a form of self-hate.

Me: Ah, yes!

Erik: And when you’re greedy and stingy, it dwindles and slips out from under you. So just remember to love yourself enough to enjoy abundance and love others enough to share it. Scarcity is an illusion, and when people buy into that, they never get abundance, and if they do, it’s never for long.

Me: Yeah, I know so many people that just seem to not be able to hang on to wealth, much less attain it. It’s like they have Teflon fingers or something.

Erik: Those are people who believe in scarcity and feel undeserving.

Me: Aw, that’s sad.