I asked a pilot about fear. The pilot said, “The only way to overcome fear is to do what you are trained to do. Fear is overcome by procedure. For example, I was flying a test jet alone at thirty thousand feet and there was a leak in my oxygen mask I didn’t know about. I temporarily lost consciousness, and when I came to I was at fifteen thousand feet heading straight for the ground, nose down, completely out of control—and I was still groggy, still fighting for consciousness. Cut the throttle and punch the dive brakes. Cut the throttle and punch the dive brakes. Cut the throttle and punch the dive brakes. Those were the only thoughts I had, and I continued to have them until I leveled out at five thousand feet.”

What if overcoming is the wrong goal?

Are there fears to be embraced?

Are there fears that unfold to fulfillment?

Can the emotion of fear be shaped into feelings of appreciation... reverence... love...?

What can consciousness do with fear?

How might fear inform intelligence?

What can intelligence make better because of fear?