Soothe 'AI' Fear & Anxiety

Do you struggle with fear around AI?
Maybe automation is already affecting your life and creating uncertainty...
You're not alone.
AI is already a top-5 human fear currently.
It will likely climb higher.

This practice is not a magic fix. It simply helps you become aware of your response and soothe the fear around AI.
Inviting you to come back to a place of grounded-ness - a much healthier and often more helpful way to navigate life.

Take this time to reflect, breathe, and explore how we can meet our anxieties with openness and compassion.

There is also a full 25-minute version of this track if you want to go deeper.

Much love,
Felix

Credits:
Mix: Felix New & Shameer
Music: John Broughton (BMI)

Transcript

Welcome to this AI anxiety meditation. Just take a moment to arrive here. Notice your feet, Ground beneath you, Any points of contact with surfaces, Any fabric on your skin, How your breath is flowing right now, Through the nose. All of that just gently reminds you that you're here in this moment, In this present moment. Right now, You're not in some kind of future scenario or in the past, You're right here. And just really letting your brain and your body take that in. The gentle repose of this moment, Sounds, Sensations, Everything going on within you, Regardless of in what kind of state your nervous system is, Just notice being here. Allowing your shoulders to soften and your breath just to flow naturally. And just notice in what kind of nervous system state you're in right now. You don't have to be an expert to be able to determine that. Just see if you're activated right now, Restless, Your mind searching for solutions, Maybe feeling fearful, Stressed, Anxious, Or if you're more shut down, Cold, Sort of like you've given up that kind of energy, There's no right or wrong, It's just noticing where you are. We can work with both today. So if you are on the more activated scale of things, See if you can just slightly prolong your exhale, Which will help your body to calm, Your mind to settle. So maybe that you've been holding your breath, Now you can just prolong the exhale. And if you're more shut down, Just see if you can feel your hand on your heart, That warm contact, And see if there's anything that you can do that brings you more into this moment right now. Maybe really enjoying that in-breath, Feeling how you're getting that fresh oxygen supply. Just gentle ripples of aliveness. And those gentle ripples of aliveness can be enjoyed by all of us regardless of where we may find ourselves. So I don't know if you can hear that, But there was just an ambulance or police car that drove past, I think it's gone now, Ringing the alarm, Sounding the alarm. And for many of us that can feel like that, We hear about AI and ultimately survival. Ultimately survival, Right? Last night I watched a video way too late, But a part of me just felt like, I have to know, I have to know. It was something about superintelligence and AI replacing our jobs and ultimately replacing us and us losing control, Right? And it can be really activating and overwhelming, Leading to shutdown. It's unique for us how we respond. But just noticing that in this moment right now, You are safe enough to pause. In this exact moment, There is no problem to solve right now. You'll be okay if you keep breathing and being here. And remembering that your nervous system is not malfunctioning, It's doing its best to keep you safe, Depending on what it believes you're experiencing. For many of us, There can be so many different parts at play here. There can be fear about the future, Imagining apocalyptic scenarios, There can be anger at companies and governments for taking such risks without asking our consent, Essentially. There can be a part of us trying to control, Just trying to prepare, Seeing if there's something we can do. There can be hopelessness saying it's already too late, I'm doomed, We're doomed. And there can be distraction as well, Reaching for food, Screens, Whatever it is. And just remembering that each of these voices, Each of these parts, Are just trying to protect you, Just like your nervous system. It's not malfunctioning, They're not malfunctioning, They believe this is the best for you right now, This is what needs to be done. So whatever is present for you right now, If it feels right for you, You could just say thank you for caring. You don't have to carry all of this by yourself. Thank you for trying to help, Thank you for trying to keep me safe. If this is your distracting part, If this is your angry part, If this is your sad part, Your controlling part. Just showing appreciation, Even if you don't always like it, And the effect that it has on your life. And it can be really important to remember that instead of trying to silence or push away or resist, Simply being with what is present is the most beautiful, Most powerful thing we can do many times. So sensing within yourself what's present right now for you, Often that can be communicated through sensations in the body, Tension in certain areas, Or specific looping thoughts, Concerns, Must-do's, Things to watch out for. Whatever is present for you right now, See if you can just be with those sensations, Those thoughts, The level of activation or shutdown or in-between. As you know that it's trying to help, See if you can just feel it and be with it here. Just acceptance of it, Without it needing to change, It can be just as it is. Your grounded self that is here has the capacity to hold it in this present moment as it is. A little bit of pain and discomfort, Physically, Emotionally, Is okay. No pain, No gain is not necessarily the best saying ever created, But there's probably some grain of truth in that. But maybe we can also get beyond the idea of having to gain anything, And just like a good friend who's not trying to gain anything by supporting you, Just being here because you care. Is there anything you'd like to ask or be curious about? Now's the space, Now's the time. Maybe it really just wants to be heard, And maybe no one's going to do it for you. Maybe this is your space, Your opportunity, And as much as AI presses so many of our survival buttons, AI is a filler, AI is just a context, Because not everyone feels the same. Some people might feel very much at peace, And there could be a degree of blissful ignorance there or denial, Just remembering this is an opportunity to hold space for your vulnerability, That even if AI vanished tomorrow, We'd come up again with a different topic. So as you feel your groundedness and the ripples of that within your system, Spreading out a little bit more, Yeah the future is uncertain, But I have today, I can live today and make today meaningful. Just making the best of every moment, Taking it as it comes, Doesn't mean not taking action, Just a different way of being, More grounded, More rooted, And setting the intention for how you want to move forward from here on. It can be really simple, Just be more present, Or notice my breath more, Shake my body more, Whatever it is. Have a beautiful day or night, Much love. Soak up these soothing vibes.