Why Gita Says Fear is Just an Illusion—And How to Overcome It
Riya Kumari | Mar 10, 2025, 23:57 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Alright, picture this: You’re standing in front of your boss, about to ask for that raise. Your palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy—yeah, it’s basically an Eminem song at this point. Your heart’s doing the Macarena, your brain is running through every possible way this could go south, and suddenly, you’re convinced that if you open your mouth, you might just die. Enter: the Bhagavad Gita, the ancient Indian wisdom bomb that basically just rolls its eyes and goes, Dude, chill. Fear isn’t even real.
Fear. It stops us mid-step, tightens our chest, makes us overthink a simple text message for hours. It whispers worst-case scenarios, pulls us away from opportunities, and convinces us that we are smaller than we are. But here’s the truth—the Bhagavad Gita says fear is not real. Not in the way we think, at least. The Gita doesn’t deny that we feel fear. It acknowledges that fear arises in the mind, grips the heart, and influences our actions. But what it does say is that fear is an illusion. It is a trick of the ego, a creation of the mind’s attachment to control. And when we see through it—when we realize that what we fear is never as powerful as the one fearing—it begins to lose its hold.
1. Fear Exists Because We Are Attached
Krishna tells Arjuna in the Gita: "You grieve for those who should not be grieved for. The wise do not grieve for the living or the dead." (2.11) At first glance, this sounds harsh. But Krishna is not being cold—he is revealing a truth that the mind resists: fear is born from attachment.
We are afraid because we are attached—to outcomes, to people, to how things should be. We fear loss because we think something belongs to us. We fear failure because we think our worth is tied to success. We fear judgment because we believe we are only as good as the opinions of others. But the Gita reminds us: nothing truly belongs to us. Everything is passing. The body, the roles we play, the victories and failures—they are temporary. What remains is the one thing that fear can never touch: the soul.
2. Fear Is a Product of the Mind
The mind is a storyteller. It takes fragments of the past, mixes them with uncertainties about the future, and weaves a narrative that feels so real, we forget it’s just a projection. Krishna tells Arjuna to see himself as the observer, separate from the mind’s illusions. He teaches that the soul is eternal, untouched by birth and death, beyond harm and loss. If this is true, then what exactly is there to fear?
The problem is, we believe we are the mind. When fear arises, we don’t question it—we accept it as reality. But the Gita offers an alternative: Observe the fear, but do not become it. Imagine sitting by a river, watching the water flow. Thoughts and emotions pass like currents—some fast, some overwhelming—but you are not the river. You are the one watching. When fear comes, instead of reacting, try this: pause. Observe it. See it for what it is—a thought, a sensation, a wave moving through you. And then remember: you are not the wave. You are the ocean.
3. Action Destroys Fear
Fear wants you to pause, hesitate, analyze. It wants you to wait until you "feel ready." But the truth is, readiness is a myth. You do not become fearless by waiting. You become fearless by moving anyway. Arjuna stands frozen on the battlefield, terrified of what lies ahead. Krishna does not comfort him with soft words—he tells him to act. "It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection." (3.35)
Fear feeds on overthinking. The more we analyze, the stronger it becomes. The only way to break it is through movement. Do the thing. Take the step. Speak the words. The moment you act, fear begins to dissolve—not because it disappears, but because it no longer controls you.
4. You Were Never the One in Control
At its core, fear is an illusion because control is an illusion. We think if we plan enough, prepare enough, worry enough, we can prevent bad things from happening. But the Gita reminds us—life is unfolding according to a rhythm greater than our own. Our job is not to control it. Our job is to participate in it.
This does not mean we do nothing. It means we act with full heart, full effort, but without fear of results. Krishna calls this karma yoga—acting without attachment to the outcome. When we stop needing things to go a certain way, fear loses its purpose. It no longer has anything to protect. And in its place, something else arises: freedom.
5. Fear Is Small, You Are Not.
Fear will come. That is the nature of the mind. But the Gita offers a radical truth: fear does not belong to the real you. The real you—the eternal, unshaken, limitless you—has never been afraid. It is only the mind that fears, and the mind is not who you are. So, when fear whispers, see it for what it is: a shadow, a thought, a trick of the ego. And then, do what Krishna told Arjuna to do—stand up, act, and let the illusion fade.
1. Fear Exists Because We Are Attached
Fear
( Image credit : Pexels )
Krishna tells Arjuna in the Gita: "You grieve for those who should not be grieved for. The wise do not grieve for the living or the dead." (2.11) At first glance, this sounds harsh. But Krishna is not being cold—he is revealing a truth that the mind resists: fear is born from attachment.
We are afraid because we are attached—to outcomes, to people, to how things should be. We fear loss because we think something belongs to us. We fear failure because we think our worth is tied to success. We fear judgment because we believe we are only as good as the opinions of others. But the Gita reminds us: nothing truly belongs to us. Everything is passing. The body, the roles we play, the victories and failures—they are temporary. What remains is the one thing that fear can never touch: the soul.
2. Fear Is a Product of the Mind
Think
( Image credit : Pexels )
The mind is a storyteller. It takes fragments of the past, mixes them with uncertainties about the future, and weaves a narrative that feels so real, we forget it’s just a projection. Krishna tells Arjuna to see himself as the observer, separate from the mind’s illusions. He teaches that the soul is eternal, untouched by birth and death, beyond harm and loss. If this is true, then what exactly is there to fear?
The problem is, we believe we are the mind. When fear arises, we don’t question it—we accept it as reality. But the Gita offers an alternative: Observe the fear, but do not become it. Imagine sitting by a river, watching the water flow. Thoughts and emotions pass like currents—some fast, some overwhelming—but you are not the river. You are the one watching. When fear comes, instead of reacting, try this: pause. Observe it. See it for what it is—a thought, a sensation, a wave moving through you. And then remember: you are not the wave. You are the ocean.
3. Action Destroys Fear
Go on
( Image credit : Pexels )
Fear wants you to pause, hesitate, analyze. It wants you to wait until you "feel ready." But the truth is, readiness is a myth. You do not become fearless by waiting. You become fearless by moving anyway. Arjuna stands frozen on the battlefield, terrified of what lies ahead. Krishna does not comfort him with soft words—he tells him to act. "It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection." (3.35)
Fear feeds on overthinking. The more we analyze, the stronger it becomes. The only way to break it is through movement. Do the thing. Take the step. Speak the words. The moment you act, fear begins to dissolve—not because it disappears, but because it no longer controls you.
4. You Were Never the One in Control
Free
( Image credit : Pexels )
At its core, fear is an illusion because control is an illusion. We think if we plan enough, prepare enough, worry enough, we can prevent bad things from happening. But the Gita reminds us—life is unfolding according to a rhythm greater than our own. Our job is not to control it. Our job is to participate in it.
This does not mean we do nothing. It means we act with full heart, full effort, but without fear of results. Krishna calls this karma yoga—acting without attachment to the outcome. When we stop needing things to go a certain way, fear loses its purpose. It no longer has anything to protect. And in its place, something else arises: freedom.
5. Fear Is Small, You Are Not.
Universe
( Image credit : Pexels )
Fear will come. That is the nature of the mind. But the Gita offers a radical truth: fear does not belong to the real you. The real you—the eternal, unshaken, limitless you—has never been afraid. It is only the mind that fears, and the mind is not who you are. So, when fear whispers, see it for what it is: a shadow, a thought, a trick of the ego. And then, do what Krishna told Arjuna to do—stand up, act, and let the illusion fade.