Litany against fear

The litany against fear is an incantation spoken by fictional characters in Frank Herbert's 1965 novel "Dune", and its sequels, in order to focus their minds in times of peril. The litany is as follows:

:"I must not fear.":"Fear is the mind-killer.":"Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.":"I will face my fear.":"I will permit it to pass over me and through me.":"And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.":"Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.":"Only I will remain." Herbert, Frank (1965). "Dune". ISBN 0-441-17271-7.]

The litany originated with the Bene Gesserit as a means to calm themselves or reduce their fear. Paul Atreides, the son of Duke Leto Atreides, first uses it when the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam compels him to put his right hand in a black box for the Death/Alternative test. The test uses extreme physical pain to produce evidence of his humanity. While doing so Mohiam holds a needle with deadly poison, known as the "gom jabbar" or "high-handed enemy," to his neck. Paul must endure the agony as a demonstration of the strength of his mental willpower over his physical instincts. The litany restores focus and relaxation to those who recite it. As calmness returns, Paul says "Get on with it, old woman."

The phrase "Fear is the mind killer" had appeared previously in Aldous Huxley's novel "Island", published in 1962, 3 years before "Dune" was published.

In adaptations

David Lynch's feature film adaptation of "Dune" contains an abridged version of the litany, ending in "I will permit it to pass over me and through me." A fuller though slightly different version of this litany was used in the "Dune" miniseries and "Children of Dune" miniseries, replacing "I will permit it to pass over me and through me" with "I will let it pass through me".

References