Pratipaksha bhavana overcomes fear by cultivating self-confidence. Fear is not fear of the unknown; fear is the absence of confidence. When you have no confidence, you do not want to take the necessary step as you fear the outcome.
Once you develop confidence and it becomes the hallmark of your mind, it becomes an expression of the mind. In my life I am confident that if I apply myself to anything, I can achieve it. That confidence removes all types of fears, whether they are spiritual or social. If you meditate with confidence you should not be afraid of your own luminosity. However, if you meditate and have not developed confidence in yourself, the fear of the unknown will come in between your realization of the illumination, and that will be the break.
Always believe in yourself. Always believe that if you apply yourself to achieve something, there is no power on earth that can stop or hinder you provided that aspiration is positive, and is leading to your growth and development. Confidence will manage the fear which is psychological, social and spiritual.
Confidence-building comes when you begin to believe that you are not alone, that there is somebody else with you in your life who is always telling you to excel, achieve and succeed. The one who tells you, "Achieve, excel and succeed," is the guru or the God within you. The voice which tells you, "No, I can't do it," is your own weakness of not believing that you can achieve.
If you realize that you are never alone and somebody is there with you who always wants your happiness and success, then connect with that person, be inspired by that shakti and strength, and move headlong into life.
14 April 2014, Chembur, Mumbai, India