1500+ hours of meditation changes you mentally, physiologically and energetically in way the intellectual mind will never know. I can see this as being so for me because my meditative practice has, over time, brought me to a more direct sense of being; a direct way of interacting with people, with situations and with my thoughts / emotions. A less-direct way of living would be akin to perceiving and interfacing with the world through a filter (over thinking, prejudices, strong beliefs) When overused, our psychological mind ignores the reality of a given situation, and in a knee-jerk fashion reacts unconsciously causing uncalibrated behaviours and inauspicious outcomes. I can see clearly that FEAR is but a feeling, based on old beliefs, old programming and past conditioning that may no longer serve us today. Regardless, this felt sense of FEAR is a felt sensation in the body, and no matter what the situation is, or who the person is that apparently causes you to feel this FEAR, the fear