“Sanctophobia”

Man has a strange reaction towards fear. It naturally is something he avoids and flees from, but at the same time, he looks for it in many forms of entertainment (i.e., movies, novels and long-running TV series). The entertainment industry has not wasted time in exploiting this lucrative behavior in man. Thus, more and more movies, books and video games dwell on the themes of horror, thriller and suspense plots (i.e., vampires, zombies, psychos, aliens and all forms of monstrous animals and creatures, and so on).

What could be behind this tidal wave of the commercial production of fear? Why capitalize on fear, and what can one really benefit from being afraid? Shouldn’t we be helping people focusing on, instead of escaping from, the real fears of life which are often unresolved and thus prevent us from integrally upgrading ourselves?

Fear is a basic reaction of man before life-threatening realities outside of his control. It has a basic protective effect of “running for one’s life” or for self-preservation. The primitive man’s fearful reaction to a typhoon, earthquake and uncontrolled forest fire is nothing different from our own today.

But this primal response to an uncontrollable natural threat was often accompanied by awe. Primitive man sensed that behind such unexplainable and powerful astral and geological displays, there was something sacred. Modern man still has the same reaction of fear, but what he has perhaps lost is his sensitivity to the sacred and the divine.

Fear plus awe before the unexplainable led man to worship an “unknown divine.” He felt that if he somehow responded through some prayer, sacrifice or offering, his fate would be positive. In other words, fear and awe led man towards shaping — even though basic — his religious beliefs and practices. What was essential was being aware of the Other behind the mysterious events in his life.

Modern man’s overreliance on science and technology has dampened his capacity to be awed. These, however, have not removed fear in him. Thus, man either chooses not to face life’s real fears or he simply tries to distract himself by artificially facing fears he can control through what media and other forms of entertainment may provide.

Now, it is amazing that the greatest fear of modern man is not to be found in what he has imagined.

Among the real fears that modern man has are change, conversion and holiness.

Man fears change and changes, especially a change that invites him beyond what he already is materially satisfied with. He can adjust with external change because he can make do with it and even allow external coercion to simply please others’ expectations. But he is uneasy about a deeper change (i.e., simplicity, health, friends and deeper family bonding) that paves the way towards a spiritual form of change called conversion.

Conversion is a deeper and more authentic form of change. There are some forms of change that we can do with because they are inevitable and often superficial. Conversion, however, requires an inner transformation, a surrendering of one’s will and even coming to terms with who one really is.

Tied to conversion is the reality that many are anxious to also embrace — commitment. Commitment implies that conversion is not a transient form of change. It demands constant sacrifice and perseverance from the person in order to forge choices that deeply mark his existence and destiny.

Conversion often occurs when one discovers a calling to something by Someone. It is often not a place of honor but of service. It is a calling that humbles the individual but fortifies his inner convictions that allow him to have a strong and lasting effect on everything around him. This is why modern man fears conversion because it means surrendering his entire existence to one ideal or into the hands of another.

Ultimately, what modern man fears more than change and conversion is that he is called to holiness! Holiness is a calling for man to engage and unite himself with the sacred. Holiness brings back to man his capacity to be awed by mystery and above all by love. It means becoming one with the divine in order to become an instrument of holiness here on earth. It does not often entail the abandonment of earthly realities and duties but rather a vital awareness that his calling now empowers him to enrich and direct everything he does for the love of God and others.