Invisible, Irresistible Force

Edwin Teale, the naturalist writer, tells about a period of anxiety in his life during which he could not sleep. One night he employed the time-honored remedy for insomnia: counting sheep. He says he went to bed and closed his eyes, but when the first sheep came along it stumbled and fell. His state of mind was such that he became totally involved with the situation. Would someone come along to help the sheep? How many more sheep would stumble over the fallen one? How much money would the shepherd lose as a result of the accident?

The mood of apprehension about past, present and future events has penetrated our culture so deeply that we find it reflected in much of our contemporary art, music, drama and literature. And it is this constant anxiety we carry around with us that robs life of its joy, drains our energy and vitality. Moreover, as the medical profession tells us, it contributes to many forms of illness. Consequently,…