Fear Is a Darkroom: Learning to See Clearly in Times of Uncertainty

«Fear is a darkroom where we develop our negatives.»
This powerful metaphor was coined by one of my students during a class presentation on anxiety. The phrase has stuck with me ever since, and its impact feels even more profound today.

Though the image might seem outdated in our digital age, it still resonates deeply. Fear, much like a darkroom, can amplify the negative aspects of our experience. Yet it’s also a natural and necessary human emotion—designed to help us survive.

In this post, I want to explore fear: how we experience it, how we react to it, and how we might begin to manage it more mindfully, especially in an age saturated by media, information, and uncertainty.

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Fear: Our Companion and Our Captor

Fear often arises in response to uncertainty, perceived danger, or threat. It can be an essential ally, alerting us to danger and helping us protect ourselves. But fear can also become inappropriate, contagious, and destructive—especially when left unexamined.

Much of our response to fear is shaped by past experiences. If you were once chased by a dog and ran away unscathed, you might adopt avoidance as your go-to strategy—not just with dogs, but in any situation that provokes anxiety. But avoidance can become limiting. It keeps us confined to a «comfort zone» and prevents growth.

Sometimes our fears aren’t even based on personal experience, but on secondhand information—what we’ve been told or what we observe in others. Remember the panic-buying during the early days of COVID-19? It wasn’t just fear of the virus, but fear of scarcity, stoked by media images and collective behavior.

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The Conditioning of Fear

Our reactions to fear are often conditioned responses. We learn them from the people around us—parents, caregivers, teachers, friends—and from what has worked for us in the past.

But here’s the catch: strategies that helped us once might not serve us in every situation. And when fear leads us to always flee, isolate, or over-control, we risk cutting ourselves off from growth, connection, and insight.

In a world flooded with polarizing opinions, headlines, and “truths,” we often cling to whatever reinforces our worldview. That gives us a sense of security. But are we really seeking truth—or just emotional reassurance?

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A Little Experiment

Let’s pause for a moment. Try this small emotional awareness experiment:

Read the two statements below and observe your internal reaction:

1. “We have become slaves and victims of state propaganda and of the fears they have induced to keep us quiet and grateful for our lot.”
2. “The media and our democratically elected government, in tandem with science, are doing everything they can to protect, inform and look after us.”

Now ask yourself:

• Which one do you feel is more true?
• How did you arrive at that conclusion?
• Were your emotions involved?
• Were your beliefs or biases influencing your judgment?

This experiment isn’t about choosing a side—it’s about observing your internal world.

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Mindfulness in Conflict Resolution

Last year, I presented research on mindfulness and language teaching at an academic congress at the University of Zaragoza. One workshop stood out: it was led by a conflict mediator who uses mindfulness to work with deep-rooted disputes—religious, political, ethnic.

His approach begins with active listening—asking each side to express their truth while the other listens in silence. He encourages moments of stillness, self-awareness, and even creative expression, like human sculptures representing each group’s perspective.

Sometimes, this process softens barriers. People begin to see that beneath the anger and division, there is shared humanity—like love for family or desire for safety.

And when dialogue stalls, he takes a bold next step: he invites each group to “find the lie hidden in their truth.” This can be transformational. Recognizing the grain of falsehood in our own beliefs helps us acknowledge the truth in others’. That mutual recognition is often the beginning of real resolution.

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Finding Space to Breathe

With the constant noise of news and social media, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. It’s okay—necessary, even—to disconnect sometimes. Find a quiet space, breathe, and allow yourself to feel without judgment.

Fear is not inherently bad. But we must distinguish between real and present danger and fear based on imagined futures—what I call “Future Expectations Appearing Real.” That kind of fear can trap us.

Staying alert is good—if it leads to awareness, wisdom, and compassion. But if it stems from irrational fear or constant vigilance, it becomes harmful.

That’s why I would rewrite the well-known government slogan to say:
“Stay mindfully alert. Protect your mental health and that of others.”

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A Mindful Path Through Fear

Fear is with us. Always will be. But we don’t have to be ruled by it. Through mindfulness, we can learn to:

• Stop and be
• Breathe
• Observe
• Respond wisely

By sitting with our fear and observing it clearly, we open the door to understanding and right action. In doing so, we not only manage our own emotions better—we also contribute to a wiser, more compassionate world.

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Thank you for reading. If this resonated with you or sparked any questions, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to get in touch—especially if you’re interested in learning more about mindfulness, emotional awareness, or how these practices can support education and community wellbeing.

 The Importance of Creating a Mindful Space

In June 2025, we were fortunate to host a group of Welsh school teachers here in Málaga, in collaboration with our partners ACCIPE: https://accipe.org/  and the Welsh mobility programme TAITH (similar to Erasmus+).

Málaga is a city that naturally invites mindful reflection. It delights the senses and fosters a sense of well-being, making it an ideal setting for our work together. The teachers stayed at El Seminario (La Casa Diocesana), a beautiful historic building that now hosts training groups focused on spirituality, therapy, or social development. It’s a space perfectly suited to mindfulness courses—one that invites guests to relax, disconnect, and reflect on both personal and professional contexts.

Throughout the week, we combined daily mindfulness meditation practice with Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) applied to the teachers’ educational realities. The aim was to promote regeneration by engaging participants’ critical thinking and creativity, all grounded in active listening, empathy, and compassion.

We also spent a day at the University of Málaga (UMA), where we explored further the importance of creating mindful spaces. Our first visit was to the Faculty of Education, where Dr Juan G, a renowned local architect, explained the design of a sustainable outdoor classroom affectionately known as “The Mushroom.” This space encourages meditation and small group collaboration in an open-air environment far removed from traditional classrooms.

Dra Luisa M also spoke about how mindfulness is being integrated into teacher training programmes at UMA, as well as other university faculties—showing highly positive results in both student and staff well-being.

Our visit continued to the Botanical Garden, where we were welcomed by biologist Dra Rosa P and our colleague at Laurus, Nathalie Borges. Together, we’ve used this space for activities during a mindful summer camp for children. The garden offers an ideal setting for all kinds of mindfulness practices—from quiet reflection and observation to active learning about nature and regeneration.

We concluded our university visit at the Faculty of Psychology, where we toured a dedicated meditation room—an intentionally designed space for mindfulness practice by our host Dra Myriam D. Having a room like this in your school or faculty can be a powerful tool for introducing mindfulness and fostering a culture of well-being within the educational community. We also received a practical class from our colleague Teresa Roura.

The purpose of this blog is to invite you to reflect on the importance of physical space in nurturing well-being, regeneration, and effective learning.

If you’d like to know more about how we can help you create or transform such a space, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.