Fear will only suppress your ability to learn. If you stop learning you will starve your mind from it's food, then you will become sick.
The fear mentioned here would mean something closer to respect than sheer terror, and regardless it doesn't say “Fear of the Lord is the beginning and end of knowledge” nor did I suggest it was, that's just the starting line. I can personally testify that through the Lord I look at, and understand the things of this world on a whole different level than I was even capable of with my carnal mind before being regenerated. See I experienced an overnight, Paul like, just like described in the Bible, regeneration. This took place in my room all by myself, not in the controlled environment of a church house where they control the atmosphere and use heavy suggestion to “convince” me I felt something and am saved. I have felt the true life changing, life giving, power of God conversion that the people that knew me and saw the change couldn’t possibly deny, and what’s more I wasn’t even looking for Jesus to help due to the fact I thought I had already done that. I also feel this is how His power has always worked, and there is very much proof it’s all true, it’s just not the proof most would even consider much less accept. I can tell you honestly I feel much more intellectually capable than I ever did as a “free thinker”, or when I only “thought” I was a Christian.
For the record I do agree with your point about getting sick by starving your mind of and repressing truth.