Nightmares. Very realistic and disturbing nightmares. Help?

[Bao Sanniang]

For the past week I've been dreaming my home was being haunted by demons... just lurking there menacingly. In my dreams I can sense them and all I can do to make them leave for any amount of time is pray... but they return eventually and the cycle repeats... it's pretty unpleasant. crying

My home in those dreams looks like my real home, it doesn't look very much like a dream. gonk

Anybody have ways of making sleep more restful and less unpleasant?  

[ThisEmptySoul]

I've had similar experiences. It seemed to only happen at night when the spouse was gone and I was alone in the apartment. My dreams would be fine otherwise.

I've theorized that part of the problem might have been my sleeping mind interpreting sounds in the apartment as something nefarious. If such is the case, one thing that you might try is having some music play while you sleep so other sounds in your home aren't quite as prominent.  

[purpleravenhawk]

What do the demons look like? And are you sure they're demons? To dream of demons usually represents overindulgence, ignorance, negativity, distress, or your shadow self. Do any of these fit into your life currently?  

[Bao Sanniang]

purpleravenhawk

What do the demons look like? And are you sure they're demons? To dream of demons usually represents overindulgence, ignorance, negativity, distress, or your shadow self. Do any of these fit into your life currently?

あたしはポイズン。

I can't see them. They are just lurking menacingly unseen.

If demons represent troubles, I guess it's because I've had gender issues for 18 years and have been intentionally getting closer to my female side since I moved out of my parents house... not that I am into guys, I'm not. Perhaps they represent my resentments over being male and what people expect from me as such?

And perhaps the clash between my Christian upbringing and my desire to physically change myself as well?

あたしはトランス系。

 

[lady ayami chan]

Rei Inaba

And perhaps the clash between my Christian upbringing and my desire to physically change myself as well?

I would classify this as inner turmoil then.
I also have horrific nightmares at times.
They seem to follow periods of high stress in my life.
When they aren't related to post traumatic issues I often dream about snakes or spiders following anxiety periods I have.
Inner turmoil can absolutely give you nightmares, in fact that is a lot of what dream philosophy/psychology is about.
It might be beneficial to keep a log of your dreams when you have nightmares and look through the reoccurring symbols in them
and just try and understand what you are subconsciously trying to work out.
I know my mind won't let me just ignore things, it'll terrify me when I sleep if i try to not face my troubles.
I guess my insight on this is, it's nothing supernatural it's simply your mind trying to make you come to terms or to peace with something.
It's always helped me to actually address the issues i have nightmares about to help them subside.
I also check into dream encyclopedias for what certain symbols are believed to represent in dreams to help me analyze things.  

[Kairanha]

I've had horrible, vivid nightmares ever since I was a young child. Once I realized they were somehow connected to the night itself I became nocturnal and my work and lifestyle have become bound to this. Don't know what it is, but I either have normal dreams during the day or most often don't dream at all. If I oversleep after the sun goes down, like clockwork, my dreams will shift towards being rather unpleasant.

Yay for facing my fear and overcoming it whee oh wait I didn't. And so I've lived in the night for 7 years for fear of what may come when I sleep. Sometimes the nightmares are random and always end up in me dieing somehow, but the worst ones are tied to a location I used to live at some 10+ years ago. I'll dream about myself there and I'll be trying to run away from something (something which I'd rather keep to myself) only I can't move or call out for help even though my family is always there as well.

edits - I've always wondered about it, but after putting my thoughts down into a tangible form... the cause and the cure are painfully obvious to me now. Truly face palm worthy.

Always feeling alone and isolated even in a crowd, calling out for help without a sound. Frustrated feelings that no one would help me even though they were right there and could if only I were able to speak up. And so instead of facing my problem, I chose a path that would further isolate me because being alone was always easier than the pain of trying to reach out only to be belittled and ignored.  

[lady leko-chan]

that's rather interesting Kia
continuing off my angel up there -
Oddly enough when i have my nightmares it's in the early morning, almost like I shouldn't still be asleep.
If I have a nightmare too, I usually can't go back to sleep or they come back.
I'm not fond of getting large amounts of sleep regularly because of this.
If i sleep about 5-6 hour I normally do not dream that I know of so I run on that until I crash usually.
I was feeling rather philosophical before which is why I posted that previous one as Ayami rofl
I have two characters for a good reason I need to put my crazy philosophical self somewhere
-edit-
But maybe she's not so crazy after all..
No one should need to feel like that, I'm sorry Kia. sad  

[Kairanha]

Crazy... well my personality can be summed up as this: A fortress is built for one of two things; as protection for keeping people from getting in or to keep people from getting out. Mine is the latter type. I'm well aware of my madness and my nature is already one of contridictions. Because I still have hope in the good things of the world, I fight to keep my madness contained so that my strength is used for positive goals.



But I think I've said about enough before I end up highjacking the thread and make it about me. (´･ω･｀)

edits- well that was rather dramatic. Go me. lulz though it's quite true to say that my past was rather violent and I lacked a childhood, these days I'm rather carefree and I'm constantly having fun experiences to make up for the bad times that were all I knew. (^ω^ )  

[lady leko-chan]

touché
And I appreciate you just the way you are
*glomps Kai*
I'm a bit of the former
I'm difficult to really know twisted
I will also thus stop hijacking this thread
 

[purpleravenhawk]

Rei Inaba

あたしはポイズン。

I can't see them. They are just lurking menacingly unseen.

If demons represent troubles, I guess it's because I've had gender issues for 18 years and have been intentionally getting closer to my female side since I moved out of my parents house... not that I am into guys, I'm not. Perhaps they represent my resentments over being male and what people expect from me as such?

And perhaps the clash between my Christian upbringing and my desire to physically change myself as well?

あたしはトランス系。

Subconscious torturing of oneself is quite common in dreams. As Ayami says, perhaps keeping track of these dreams would help in analyzing and preventing them. Accepting that there's no reason to torture yourself would help too. My parents used to say that the only unforgivable sin in Christianity is not accepting Jesus as your savior. I'm not trying to preach, I'm actually atheist myself, but if part of the problem is the conflict between a Christian subconscious and a modern lifestyle, then the solution may be as simple as realizing that despite the angry rhetoric from today's extremists, god loves you. People forget the part of Christianity that says that god is supposed to be Love. In other words, nothing you do to change yourself or discover the real you matters to a god who knows what you're going through, knows who you are, and loves you.

Of course, if you're not Christian yourself, then you might think this doesn't apply to you. But I was raised Christian as well, and despite my new beliefs, some of the old teaching still reside in my head and occasionally color my point of view, and I'm worked really hard to avoid that. It's just another thing that has to be faced head on in order to deal with it.

There are a lot of expectations from Christianity for both men and women, and they often mirror what society expects. Dealing with whether or not you believe in them yourself could be a first step. Accepting that other people are going to disagree with you, no matter what, would be the next.

Sorry I went on so much. Psychology happens to be a favorite subject of mine. sweatdrop  

[Bao Sanniang]

purpleravenhawk

Rei Inaba

あたしはポイズン。

I can't see them. They are just lurking menacingly unseen.

If demons represent troubles, I guess it's because I've had gender issues for 18 years and have been intentionally getting closer to my female side since I moved out of my parents house... not that I am into guys, I'm not. Perhaps they represent my resentments over being male and what people expect from me as such?

And perhaps the clash between my Christian upbringing and my desire to physically change myself as well?

あたしはトランス系。

Subconscious torturing of oneself is quite common in dreams. As Ayami says, perhaps keeping track of these dreams would help in analyzing and preventing them. Accepting that there's no reason to torture yourself would help too. My parents used to say that the only unforgivable sin in Christianity is not accepting Jesus as your savior. I'm not trying to preach, I'm actually atheist myself, but if part of the problem is the conflict between a Christian subconscious and a modern lifestyle, then the solution may be as simple as realizing that despite the angry rhetoric from today's extremists, god loves you. People forget the part of Christianity that says that god is supposed to be Love. In other words, nothing you do to change yourself or discover the real you matters to a god who knows what you're going through, knows who you are, and loves you.

Of course, if you're not Christian yourself, then you might think this doesn't apply to you. But I was raised Christian as well, and despite my new beliefs, some of the old teaching still reside in my head and occasionally color my point of view, and I'm worked really hard to avoid that. It's just another thing that has to be faced head on in order to deal with it.

There are a lot of expectations from Christianity for both men and women, and they often mirror what society expects. Dealing with whether or not you believe in them yourself could be a first step. Accepting that other people are going to disagree with you, no matter what, would be the next.

Sorry I went on so much. Psychology happens to be a favorite subject of mine. sweatdrop

I was taught that modifying the body to change it's gender is changing it in unnatural ways. Of course there's also the idea that it's taking on a role unfitting of one's biological gender.

But I'm already questioning my beliefs, I mostly go to the meetings to keep my family happy and once I can move away from my relatives I'll probably start getting real human female hormones and saving up for the surgery...

I was taught that God is many things. A parent, for one, and parents don't always approve of what their children do. Also that he's a lawmaker and a taker of action, and if people knowingly live in a way he disapproves of they have no place in his organization.  

[lady leko-chan]

Rei Inaba

Also that he's a lawmaker and a taker of action, and if people knowingly live in a way he disapproves of they have no place in his organization.

I also struggled with this quite a bit, and at times I find it pops back into my head for no good reason. But honestly, my trying to be something that I'm not to fit into a narrow description of what is morality was running me into the ground. Do I really deserve not to be happy? How could anyone, anything, really want that for me? When you can honestly say that you know you wished to be happy for every birthday you ever had and partially the beliefs you were given are the thing in reality blocking you from that well I don't see how that makes sense. I'm not an atheist, but I'm not sure what I "believe" anymore. I like you, was raised christian - namely Dutch Reform then Lutheran then Baptist then word for word page by page back to the original language of the bible. I am preached at every time I go home and well, that's not my life and it can't be. I never ignore what is being taught to me, I never close my mind but instead I take from it what I can and use it to help me rather than form me. I will not turn my back on god by saying i know without question he is not real or a fabrication but i will also not hurt and restrain myself for the sake of what I've been told by man I am to do. In the same respect I will take full responsibility for every action of mine and the repercussions of such. In the end all I want is to be happy, and if you just want the same then how can following something that binds you from being that be okay? - says the demon rofl sorry i love irony
so i suppose in a nut shell, I decided to interpret and decide what my own morality was and I used the ideals I was taught growing up to help guide that but not dictate it.  

[ThisEmptySoul]

Since we're getting a bit into religion... ninja

One thing I like to point out in times that people get the impression that if you do not follow Christianity in the manner that they deem to be the correct and only way then you will go to hell and burn for all eternity..... God is pretty much universally considered loving and merciful. No loving and merciful entity would doom someone to an eternity of suffering due to a single decision in one lifetime that might not have been fully agreed with. That's something that one who is bitter, controlling, and vengeful would do. If God truly did not want us to do certain things, He has full capacity to make us unable to. He could have made us in a manner that we only do what He wants us to, but instead He granted us freewill and does not interfere with it.

Now... the rest of this is based on my own religion so you might not necessarily think it applies to you, but I find it makes logical sense. The reason for our existence here on Earth is due to God's desire to please His creation. In the spiritual world {what Christians call "heaven"}, everyone serves and loves God. Every action they take is for His enjoyment. When they begin to desire taking actions for their own enjoyment rather than solely for His, He grants this wish by sending them to the material world {that would be here} where they can do so, even granting them the ability to forget Him completely if they so wish it to allot themselves even more freedom to act how they wish without serving Him in even the most simple of ways without feeling bad about it.

However, part of the responsibility of acting for our own enjoyment means dealing with the repercussions of such actions. No action goes without consequence. These can either be rewards or punishments depending on the action taken. For instance, if one's idea of enjoyment comes at the expense of others, they will be punished in some manner for being the cause of suffering {this would be known as bad karma}. However, if one's idea of enjoyment benefits others, they will be rewarded for bringing others happiness {good karma}. Of course, not every action is so clearly defined as being helpful or harmful to your fellow man and it's difficult for us to know all the subtleties of the actions we take with our limited understanding of creation and how it works. The point is simply that everything you say, do, and even what you think and feel can generate either good or bad karma. How soon you reap the benefits or dire consequences depends on your current standing in the "karma bank" so to speak as well as the severity of the action.

Knowing that so many things in your life affect your karma, it's reasonable to conclude that by the end of your life, not all of it is going to be used. What you have left at the end of your life carries over into your next life. It determines your species, appearance, physiology, what kind of family you're born into, geographical location, and so on. So, you're born predisposed to certain conditions due to God's complex system of karma. He does not punish or reward one's actions directly, but rather indirectly through karma. The things you do are not going to conjure God's wrath upon you. You are just given the responsibility of your own actions.... some of which might be from a previous lifetime that you do not even remember.

Serving God generates neither good or bad karma, but rather erases karma. As long as one has good or bad karma, they are trapped in the cycle it creates. The price of serving yourself is being responsible for the reactions, but serving God relieves you of responsibility. However, one has to serve out of love and not out of fear or desire for personal gain.

How all this relates to the situation is this: the concern is that God will banish those who do not follow Him in a specific way, which isn't really the case. How you decide to live your life does not affect God's view of you as He loves and cares about all of His creations. However, living for yourself does keep you in the cycle of karma and thus removed from the spiritual world. Does this mean going to hell? No. It means continuing to be reborn in the material world, taking on different bodies and experiencing different joys and hardships. It is only when one has had their fill of living for themselves that they can once again know what it is to love God selflessly. When one has a genuine desire to return to and love God, He will make it easier for them by removing their karma.

Forcing yourself to behave a certain way does not constitute serving God if you still hold the desire to behave differently. One also cannot force themselves to love God. There are times when trying to force yourself to love God only breeds resentment for Him because you feel that He is denying you happiness. It is better to feel comfortable enough with your life so that you may love God than it is to put arbitrary restrictions on yourself and resent Him for it. Living a life of austerity is for those who welcome it, not a standard that everyone has to go by whether they like it or not.  

[bandaidd]

I'm really interested in dreams at the moment. Actually have been for some time, but I have been studying with an expert in transformational dreamwork for the last year or so. You know what she would say? That you are trying to help yourself work on some personal issue through symbols or picture stories.

There are several ways you can approach this in waking life and the dream issue will resolve. If you are interested, send me a PM. [anyone for that matter]

*hugs*
~bandy