Monday, 01 August 2011
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Demonic Dreams: Real or In My Head?
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." -Ephesians 6:12 The Bible is very clear that Satan is real. Jesus was tempted by him in the wilderness during his fasting (right after his baptism), and battled against him with Scripture. Job was spiritually and physically attacked by Satan, when his family and livestock were killed and he became covered in boils. Whether Satan is real is not the question. The question is, to what degree does he attack the members of Christ's church? What powers does he have? Can he give us bad dreams?
I have heard from reliable sources (Christian friends/acquaintances) of demonic activity and attacks, especially in dark places where the Gospel is just being introduced.
October 2009. I am a newly married 20-year-old. My husband and I just moved to our first place together. It was one of the best times of my life. Spiritually, I was a new believer (I was saved May 2008) and had fought a lot of spiritual battles before my marriage. I was "on fire" for God. Meaning, the Gospel was still fresh to me. It was like being in a new romantic relationship. You know when you just can't wait to see your significant other? That's how I was with Christ. I talked about him all the time and couldn't stop reading my Bible.
Anyway, so mid-October, I began to have continuous demonic dreams. Not just your typical nightmare. They were (and still are) unlike any other nightmares I've ever had. I'm scared to go to sleep almost every night (though I should not fear, because my Father in heaven loves me!), and can't sleep without either my husband or my son at my side. Here's what would happen:
Let's say I went to bed wearing blue pajamas and laying to the left side of my husband. During my dream, I would be awake, wearing those same pajamas, lying beside my husband, in our apartment. Nothing looked "weird" or dis proportioned, as is typical of dreams. It's as if I were awake. In fact, at times, I'm pretty convinced I was at least somewhat awake, because I would try and try to keep my eyes open so as to "kill" the dream (meaning, if I'm awake, I can't keep dreaming! If my eyes could stay open, I was hoping I would wake up). The scariest thing is, I try and try to wake up, but I fail everytime. I'm actually pretty good at waking up during dreams. If I'm being chased by a murderer, I just try to squint my eyes as hard as I can and try to open them as wide as I can, and that seems to work. But with these dreams, it's different. My eyes are already open! Again, I don't know if they're really open or not, but to me they are. I usually try to scream for my husband but to no avail. I either can't scream loud enough, or he doesn't wake up.
The dreams are usually exactly the same. The room would have one or more dark figures dancing around it. Sometimes they would taunt me, and threaten me. Other times, they were silent, just letting me know they were there.
My comfort is, I always quote scripture to them and scream at them. Sometimes my voice goes out, which is scary, because God's Word is my sword! If I can't speak, I feel defenseless. I always remind them who is sovereign over them and that "no one can bring a charge against God's elect." At the end of the day, I know I am safe in Christ's arms and that no one can hurt me apart from his sovereign will. Satan has to get permission from God to do anything (see the book of Job). But of course, you're going to have fear if you think Satan is in the room with you.
So here's my questions. I know the human brain is very powerful. I'm more of a "physical" person. Meaning, I have to be pretty convinced that something is actually an objective spiritual experience rather than a subjective emotional reaction. Be it healings or dreams, I usually am a skeptic because I know how powerful the human body is and especially the brain. I know I have dreamt some pretty crazy stuff before and I don't attribute it to divine communication. But in this case, why have I struggled with these dreams for nearly two years now? I find it hard to believe that my brain is doing this on its own. Considering the fact that Satan attacks God's children more than nonbelievers, it would seem that these dreams are legitimately from him and not from me.
They come at random times. It can be during a nap in the middle of the day, or at 3 a.m. Whether I've had a good or bad day, that doesn't seem to matter. The foods I eat don't seem to matter either. I've looked for correlations but cannot find any.
Have you ever had an experience like this? What do you do when something like this happens? Do these dreams have meaning?
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- From: apb102088@xanga
- Name: apb102088
- About Me: Been married to my best friend for 2 years and we have a beautiful son. We are trying to finish school so that we can go to the mission field in 5-10 years so we can share the Gospel to those who have never heard.
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Comments (46)
That sounds like textbook night terrors, which I also get. The reason your eyes are open is because they take place in a different phase of sleep than regular nightmares. You're partly asleep and partly awake, and your brain is hallucinating; your eyes can be fully open.
You can get medical treatment for night terrors. They can be related to medication or health issues, as well as anxiety in other parts of your life. After two years, it might be worth checking into.
That said, as a Christian, I believe Satan definitely wants to promote things in our lives that are not good. He has every reason to want you to suffer fear and anxiety from these nightmares. For me, learning that night terrors are quite common in children and adults helped me not to be quite as scared about what I was experiencing (for instance, a character on "House MD" had the same kind of thing you're talking about as a result of another health issue), and like you, I pray and banish Satan when I'm afraid of dreams. I also sometimes specifically pray before I sleep that God will give me a restful night with no bad dreams. I recommend praying with your husband every single night before you go to bed, specifically asking for God's protection and peace over your mind as you sleep. Whether an issue is medical or spiritual or both, there's not question your Father God wants to heal you and bring you peaceful sleep.
Psalm 127:2 tells us that God gives His beloved sleep, and I know He wants to give it to you. You'll be in my prayers.
satan uses any method to attack you. you have it right that the your best defense is that god has authority over satan's servants. he gave you authority over them. satan will run from you if you resist. have you tried praying before you go to sleep to ask that angels be sent to surround you and protect you while you sleep? if these are visitations by demons, god's warriors can protect you.
of course, it's possible this is a medical condition.
I'm not a very impressionable person either; I require much solid, sound evidence and proof before I believe something. So I can relate to your skepticism. And at this point, I would definitely be questioning what exactly is wrong, too. I think you had the right idea in using Christ as your shield against these dark dreams. That certainly can't hurt. I can't say for sure, but it's possible the devil is personally targeting you (why, I can't imagine). Ask around for more info.
And like Pickwick12 said, it could be health-related. Night terrors plague a lot of people, so ask around about the medical side of it too.
I don't know your name, but I'll pray for you!
Just because something is "in your head" does not mean it's not real. Our consciousness/spirit is what connects us to both the physical and non-physical world, so real spirits can be using your imagination/dreams to convey fear and intimidation. However, like you said, it's important not to fear. Christ defeated Satan on the cross and He has given you authority over spirits, so try telling them to go away by your authority in Christ:
"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." -Luke 10:19
It reminds me of something Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church in Redding once said during a sermon (and maybe in a book): every night for several weeks, he would wake up in the middle of the night (or was he awake?) and see a demon standing at his door. I think the demon wouldn't say anything, but would just stand there. Kris said he was terrified. I forgot what the whole process was, but at some point he decided to change his game plan. One night, he wakes up and looks at the door and sees the demon. Then he says aloud, "Oh, it's just you." He then rolled over and went back to sleep. He never saw it again.
I've had similar experiences, many of which have been while I'm awake.
There is a doll on my bookshelf, and sometimes I will feel like I'm being watched and it's coming from the direction of where the doll is. A few nights ago, I was trying to sleep and felt like I was being watched again. Then a moment later, I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye before feeling like I was being choked. I told the spirit to leave, but it didn't leave until I told it to leave a second time. I had to move my hand across my throat as well to relieve the feeling of being choked.
@hippiechristian73102@xanga - @kk_grayfox@xanga - @la_lune_du_chasseur@xanga - @blonde_apocalypse@xanga - @Pickwick12@xanga - Thank you all for the encouragement and advice. It is much appreciated!
I used to have terrifying episodes like that as a teenager until I started researching it and realized they resembled common sleeping disorders (quite a few people hallucinate before and waking up from sleep.) Once I knew what that it was probably just a sleep disorder and that I was still breathing even if I could feel myself doing it, my hallucinations started acting like lucid dreams and I could control them.
Unfortunately, after a few episodes of what was the best sex dreams of my life, the episodes started decreasing in frequency to my disappointment.
Nowadays, whenever I am under more stress or just not getting enough sleep, I see weird geometric patterns and very occasionally a person when I am falling asleep or when I half wake up in the middle of the night. Once I start getting more sleep the hallucinations go away.
My son has struggled with similar dreams and dream states, lucid dreams and sleep paralysis. It was bad enough that it caused him to go to a dr. and get a sleep study done....he describes what you describe as demons as "aliens", to him, that's what they were, and to him, they were so real - he was afraid to tell anyone about them for fear they'd think he was nuts. In his waking life, he is a very intelligent, normal, grounded person without any particular beliefs in aliens or anything of that sort, although he is a strong Christian, both in his heart and in his walk of life. He is resistant to take any meds that could actually help his sleep cycles, so he still struggles with this some. I completely believe him, because I have had lucid dreams and sleep paralysis myself. I hope that you can find a solution!
I've had a couple of dreams where I was half asleep and a demon possessed me and I tried to scream/move but really couldn't and my voice was all demonic like. But I'm pretty sure it was just sleep paralysis which is most likely what's happening to you. I wouldn't worry about it too much unless it's really interfering with your sleep.
I've been having dreams like that since I was a child.
They are not night terrors, they are legitimate demonic attacks. Welcome to the world of Spiritual warfare. Too often people write it off as "sleep disorders" but I know, from first hand experience, they are very real. I have had such bad attacks that sometimes all I can do is whisper Jesus, but He comes, He is always there.
Do you have a strong God-fearing (ok, Christian) man in your life that you are close to? He does not have to be a Pastor. Get him and and a few of the other God-fearing friends/family you have and have him pray over your home. Open all the doors and windows, and go room by room and have him pray and kick out the devil. When we did it we had about 8 people with us because it says in the Bible "where 2 or more are gathered I am there" and we figured the more praying the better.
We "spring clean" our homes for dirt and dust, we should be kicking out the devil too.
They are in your head idiot. so is god by the way.
I work with the mind (hypnotist) for a living. I know how the mind works and it works on expectation. Those are not demonic dreams you are having and as soon as you start reading into it what isn't there (demonic dreams) you are setting your mind up for disaster.
Our bodies are a hormonal and chemical machine. As soon as your hormones fluctuate you will have an excess of certain hormones and that will give you an instant dream. I have seen Christians literally run themselves into the insane asylum by the fear and paranoia over "Satan", over-spiritualizing everything under the sun until they lose all credibility and become a clanging symbol.
I did this myself when I was a Christian. Just because someone is a Christian does not mean you should be friends with them. Bad idea's and negative thinking can drive a sane Christian to pure insanity and they blame "Satan" when the real culprit is the fact that they have not learned to run there own brains, as a result there brains run them. Been there done that!
You are seriously getting some bad advice. Makes no difference to me, you can learn the easy way or the hard way. I am done with this nonsense!
You are a spirit being wrapped in flesh. The flesh and the physical earth are not as legitimate as the spiritual world that it contains- this is why it isn't a big deal when God destroys the earth in Revelations and builds a new one. God is spirit and in dreams he can communicate with us spirit to spirit without anything in the way. This is good because he can impart things like healing or deliverance. This also means that demons can get at you when you are sleeping because they are also spirit and communicate in much the same way but as the dark version. You are having demonic encounters and God is allowing you to see everything is the same except this is what is happening in the spirit realm. It is like he is drawing back the veil so you can peek behind. These are encounters that you need to ask God to make them stop because they are not positive and are terrifying to you. God gives nightmares sometimes to get our attention but this is not from God. This is demonic and it is them coming in to torment you. One thing that helps me when I have demonic encounters is I take authority and say, "Leave in the name of Jesus." They are trying to keep you from doing this which is why it is hard to talk- they are oppressing you. You definitely need to pray about this and ask others to pray that it stops. Pray that God would deny the enemy access to you and to your family. Pray that God will send angels to stand guard while you sleep. Pray that God will shut whatever door the enemy has opened in the spirit and it using to attack you.
Did this begin happening during a stressful time in your life or time when you were going through emotional, physical, or hormonal changes? Pregnancy, after childbirth, sleep deprivation from caring for an infant, big move, change in finances, etc?
I've experienced things very similar and you don't even need to begin to explain to me the confusion, terror, disorientation, and fear of sleeping. I understand every bit about the feeling of reality mixed with dream world, not knowing whether you're truly awake or not, and feeling like you're going a little nuts.
This could very well be evidence of narcolepsy. In some people it can produce what is known as nocturnal hallucinations. Basically you enter REM at inappropriate times and very quickly after falling into even the lightest sleep (sometimes to the point that you didn't even think you were asleep yet). I'd suggest talking with a doctor. Now, be aware, they are going to ask you some weird questions to rule out any possibility of mental illness (that's routine, don't worry). Hopefully they set up an overnight sleep study for you (if your insurance covers something like that) to see if a sleep disorder is to blame. Sadly, they will only suggest anti-depressants or sleeping pills to remedy. I wouldn't suggest either. There are some natural remedies you can try. Red clover leaf tablets got me through a rough patch of this stuff back in 2010. I'm about ready to go back to it or try another natural aid. What you are seeing specifically is probably no more than your mind's fear put into action.
I don't mean to make sleep terrors sound like a walk in the park but nocturnal hallucinations (anything from sight, touch, smell, or hearing can be involved) are something in a whole different ballpark. I've dealt with both and I'd take night terrors over narcolepsy induced nocturnal hallucinations any day!
I've seen... and heard... and FELT, it all. It's awful. I'm sorry you're going through that.
yes and you are not alone. Before bed always ask for protection and bless yoru house. if you cant physically scream at these demons, quote scriputure in your head. while they can taunt you, they cant take over you. they can physically touch you. but dont fear. jesus has got your back! Do not give up quoteing that scripture. satan hates you and will go to any lengths to hurt you mentlaly and psychologically.
Sometimes these nightmares and assults are part of the REM stage 4 i belive its called a night terror. dont go reasearching into demonic dreams because that will just intensify the nightmares. Usually a christian will experiance these assalts because they are strong christians. dont let satan get to you just remember that god is all powerful. and is fighting a battle that you cannot see. stay strong and keep up the faith.
Dreams can be caused by many things. Health like last night's pizza or stress or Spiritual- the pain in the neck from below!
Mind and Body and Soul are connected.
I'd like to toss out a few ideas to try. They, will empower you in both areas and this comes from a real Licensed Christian Counselor and our family MD.
1) Try Journaling before you go to sleep. I do prayer journal. I vent everything in there. That gets all the stress is out and in the hands of the Lord before you even lay down.
Be very specific in your prayers and requests. Like the Lord protect your mind while you sleep ect.
2) Put a small drop of anointing oil on your pillow or under your nose. The sense of smell is powerful to the mind and having that there will be a reminder to you (and your brain) that the Lord is close by to keep you safe.
3) Cut the caffeine out of your diet. Do this slowly because it is hard on your body if you drink a lot of it.
4) Have at least one full hour of cool downtime/non-stressed time before bed. Use this time to shower/bath to play soft quiet music. Light a candle, Pray and journal. That means Not watching the 11pm news. No doing bills, or fighting with family members just before bed! lol
5) Your room should always be about 2 things ONLY: loving with your spouse and sleeping. Never fight or do bills or discipline your kids in your room. You may not think its a big deal but the "back of your mind" has a memory. :)
6) Avoid meals &/or exercise at least 3-4 hrs before bed. That raises up chemicals in your system to keep you awake.
7) Get a real pillow- not one of those cheap things that's around $6.00 at the dollar store. The bed should be inviting not a dread. The colors of your bedroom in soft muted colors. Keeping it clutter free and fresh keeps it stress free. If possible- open the window and let the fresh air in before bed- if you have filters on your heat or air- keep them clean. You'll breath better at night.
8) My husband works 3rd shift and he uses Sleep MD - it is recommended by our pharmacist (and our Dr.) It's totally natural supplements. Non addicting! For ages 18 & up.
Last of all, for some of what you dream, certainly not all and maybe not at all, but... as soon as you wake up Pray about what you have dreamed. The person in your dream maybe pictured as you but maybe And I do mean Maybe!) someone else in "real-life." Just pray for that person- pray about everything you see. If you can't bear to talk about it or care to remember it- just say- Lord for what I saw- your will be done. You may have a gift of being a night-time prayer warrior. It should bring you a sense of real peace when you do this.
If it becomes to much to deal with- ask the Lord to make it stop and for him to put angels around you to protect you. The Lord is a bringer of Peace and He will do that for you- just trust Him! If it does not stop then it is from the enemy. You can pray and/or fast over it like any other attack from below.
One last thought- DominatingThinspo has a point to a certain extent. One could possibly Physic oneself into deep trouble. But God created you and He loves you. We also live in a nasty fallen world. It does God the greatest honor & glory when we honor Him AND His temple!
There is this thing called "Balance" Anyone telling you otherwise is a lair!
@KateeLee1@xanga - Thanks! I will try some (if not all) of those things and see if it helps!
@MyGlosoli@xanga - Appreciate the insight/advice! @DominatingThinspo@xanga - I appreciate that point of view. Thanks!
@kk_grayfox@xanga - "Just because something is "in your head" does not mean it's not real."
Albus Dumbledore said that too :)
I have had the exact same experience! Apparently it's called Sleep Paralysis but every time I have it I pray out of fear. It is extremely scary and drags all the fear out of me.
This is sleep paralysis. Your mind wakes up before your body, and to trigger yourself back into sleep your mind projects dreams/hallucinations.
What you're describing is textbook sleep paralysis. In a normal sleeping pattern consciousness is lost and then the body is paralyzed so that if you were to run in a dream, for example, you wouldn't run in your bed; your body needs its rest. Sometimes this can go haywire and the paralysis and dreaming cycles can begin before consciousness is lost. Fully conscious, seeing, hearing, smelling etc., you cannot move, alter your breathing, yell, or close your eyes. When dreaming begins with your eyes open, the dream just happens in your room.
Because you're nervous and want to breath hard, but your brain stem is controlling your breathing at a steady pace, it's common to feel pressure on your chest. Additionally, because your body is completely paralyzed, there can be a sensation of falling, or sliding off the bed.
Finally when you actually lose consciousness and fall into the dream, the line between the two may be seamless, making it hard to distinguish reality from the dream.
This is thought to explain almost all instances of believed demonic possession or alien abduction. If you saw an alien in your room during an episode of this, where it feels so real, and then fell into a dream where you were in a space ship being probed, it's easy to think it may have really happened. Something like 90% of supposed abductions start at night when the person is lying in bed.
Similarly, the symptoms associated with demonic possession closely resemble sleep paralysis (ex: many depictions of possession show the demon sitting on the person's chest, which is referencing the pressure they feel)
Almost every adult will experience this once or twice in their lifetime.
However, if it's happening regularly you may want to see a doctor as it could be a sign of a neurological or sleep disorder.
Epilepsy, for example, is known to be highly correlated with episodes of sleep paralysis (this combination of epilepsy and sleep paralysis is thought to be the explanation for the events in "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" which was a true story).
Some ways to prevent it: reduce stress, and make sure it's dark and quiet in your room when you sleep (no t.v.!) so allow you to sleep soundly. Also, going to sleep at a reasonable hour can help. It's much more likely to happen when you're exhausted, which is why it more commonly occurs around 3am than at 8pm.
But my biggest piece of advice: try not to be scared. I know that's easier said than done, but if you remind yourself that it's just a dream and that it's no big deal it might help the fear to go away. Being afraid of sleeping may be causing you to fall asleep long after you're actually tired (trying to stay up to avoid it?) and therefore actually make it more likely to happen. Additionally, if you're thinking scary thoughts and thinking of demons that's exactly what you're going to dream about, and that's what's going to be in your room during these episodes
*Nerd rant over* i'm a neuroscience student, I love this stuff =p Sorry for being excited about it, I know it really sucks to have it happen to you =(
My friend has terrible sleep paralysis, similar to what you've had but far worse, far more violent. No, it's not Satan. It's your brain. See a doctor and get some help, though I understand there is not much they can do, he's had it all his life.
I haven't had that exact thing happen to me, but I have woken up to see dark figures in my room. One time as a child I saw a dark figure praying in my room, and I pulled the covers over my head to make it go away. But it didn't work. It was still there and didn't go away until I turned the light on. Another time very recently actually I woke up to a dark immense figure leaning over me and I started screaming and punching. Of course the only thing that accomplished was knocking everything over on my nightstand. I have followed figures that looked like people (actually talking to them) and followed them into a room to have no one be there. In college something was going on in my dorm room. My tv would turn on and off by itself, shelves would fly (yes fly) off the wall at me, books and picture frames would just fall over, I would hear footsteps walking around my bed to have no one there, and there was always this weird "presence" in the room.
I don't know what any of it is if it is anything even, but it can be very scary. I often wonder if what I see is real or if something else is going on. All you can do is trust in God. He always beats the devil, so the only way the devil has power over you is if you let him. I would explore all those options, medical, scientific, and spiritual. Hopefully you will find something that will help.