Weird Dreams

RSS
Email

0 Kudo

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Author

Comment

lozza

Weird Dreams

Lead

[-]

Posts: 2721

(06/05/08 00:39:32)

Musical Mantric

Tags : None

The last couple of nights I've had a few strange dreams. In one, the assistant doctor at the surgery I attend was on television and she began pray for this little girl. In the dream, she prayed that the girl would pass out (or something like that) and the child fell backwards. It was freaky. As far as I know, the doctor isn't a Christian (although that doesn't mean she isn't.)

Then a night or two later, I dreamt I was speaking in tongues, and it was awful.

I've posted about nightmares elsewhere, but I rarely get full blown ones anymore. However, I still get quite a lot of troubling, fleeting dreams.

I Am Legend

[-]

Posts: 20

(06/05/08 05:20:39)

Hi Lozza,

I don't like to remember the dreams. Don't like to think about it. Especially the unquenchable fear.

I am sorry you are having them. It may help to know that there is nothing to the Pentecostal Poop that says these dreams are from God and it is some kind of warning or message. Dreams are simply the subconscious mind trying to make sense or a better resolution to things that have happened. If you once associated praying and falling out with healing, your subconscious mind may be asking if this is what the Doctor should be doing. Maybe it doesn't understand why you no longer speak in tongues. But it really only means change is happening inside you, and the subconscious mind is the last to get it.

I know. That doesn't do anything to remove the fear or panic. But if it helps... I am truly sorry you feel these things. And I do understand. The nightmares were awful.

I don't know your approach to things, but recently with all the hububb about PTSD in the military, there have been some discoveries. Nightmares are a common PTSD symptom. And while PTSD is traditionally associated with combat experience, it is now being realized that people who have been victimized by religious groups (obeyed the rule and avoided the C word) also can experience it. An old blood pressure drug that wasn't very good at that has been given a new life in the treatment of PTSD. It's called Prazosin, and for me it has totally shut down my nightmares. I just don't dream when I go to sleep. When I had a partner, she said I stopped crying at night and stopped panicking and jerking. I just sleep now.

You may want to give it a try. Life is better for me with real sleep... and I love waking without that fear that walked in my shoes all day, just waiting to pull me into a panic attack.

Either way, I'm pulling for you.

Last Edited By: I Am Legend 06/05/08 05:23:52. Edited 1 times.

tylerd

[-]

Posts: 26

(06/05/08 06:35:21)

Lozza, I feel for you and have similar experiences. I often have nightmares and agree about the PTSD being more common than people think. I have flashes from the past daily, have panic attacks, nightmares and night sweats. Some of the dreams are at least peripherally religious in nature.

The first dream I remember ever having, from about age 5-6, was a recurring dream, exactly the same each time: I'm walking hand-in-hand with my pente preacher and his wife. We're smiling and peaceful as they walk me down a long hallway. At the end of the hallway, there's a door. The preacher's wife opens the door, places her hand on my shoulder, pushes me inside the room and locks the door. The room is pitch black. Then, I feel something grab me from behind, some kind of beast that begins to crush me in its grip. Then I'd wake up.

Not a normal dream for a kid to be having. I told my folks about the dream and my dad actually got mad, as if I had any control over my dreams. You think even at that age my subconscious was trying to tell me something was not right with our church?

Hang in there Lozza. I've used cognitive-behavioral techniques for my anxiety but of course that won't do anything for your dreams. If that anxiety is a problem in your daily life, I'd be happy to share some resources with you.

Looking4truth

[-]

Posts: 1180

(06/05/08 06:48:06)

exPc Fan

I had nightmares constantly until I deconverted. Now that I'm an atheist I do not have troubling religious dreams anymore. seriously.

My Blog (where I really let loose)

"You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep-seated need to believe." - Carl Sagan

tylerd

[-]

Posts: 31

(06/05/08 10:49:08)

Looking4truth, you're such a positive person. And people always think atheists are negative people as if they're only AGAINST stuff, not for anything.

Peret

[-]

Posts: 10

(06/05/08 12:19:42)

Hang in there, Iozza. It's just your brain doing garbage collection, sorting out and rationalizing old memories and discarding the cuttings. Trying to remember or understand dreams is like going to the garbage heap and digging out some old broken bottles to use as drinking glasses. It won't be long before your mind has to throw them out all over again.

Looking4truth

[-]

Posts: 1182

(06/05/08 12:55:25)

exPc Fan

Tyler, I can be a total pain in the a55 sometimes too when I get on a tangent. LOL

Lozza...yeah, try antidepressants. Trazadone is a sleeping helper & an antidepressant in one. My roommate is on it and it helps her alot. So, it's antidepressants or atheism. ROFLOL, JUST KIDDING! That joke was probably in bad taste...if so, I'm sorry!

My Blog (where I really let loose)

"You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep-seated need to believe." - Carl Sagan

Looking4truth

[-]

Posts: 1183

(06/05/08 13:01:59)

exPc Fan

But...Tyler...yeah, negativity is a very common misconception of atheists and agnostics. Now, there are some pains in the arses that are atheists just as their are christians or any other religion, but that is people...not the belief system...USUALLY. There are exceptions...of course. LOL

Like...Hitler...he was arse and a christian. And like Stalin, he was an arse and an atheist. See, both arses and completely different belief systems.

My Blog (where I really let loose)

"You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep-seated need to believe." - Carl Sagan

bootsiebabe

PTSD...

[-]

Posts: 10391

(06/05/08 13:55:13)

Bending Light

PTSD... doesn't occur for non reasons....

A song that really hits home for me...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvNcsgJ2RBA

"We are all enigma in the circle of life, being ever entwined with creative evolutional progress. All precious to behold for each our differences." -- M. Cheri B.

Last Edited By: bootsiebabe 06/05/08 15:22:42. Edited 2 times.

Taco Fred

[-]

Posts: 785

(06/05/08 18:21:14)

exPc Fan

bootsiebabe wrote:
PTSD... doesn't occur for non reasons....

A song that really hits home for me...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvNcsgJ2RBA

That is a great version of a classic.

singerc1

[-]

Posts: 16

(06/05/08 19:28:36)

lozza wrote:

The last couple of nights I've had a few strange dreams. In one, the assistant doctor at the surgery I attend was on television and she began pray for this little girl. In the dream, she prayed that the girl would pass out (or something like that) and the child fell backwards. It was freaky. As far as I know, the doctor isn't a Christian (although that doesn't mean she isn't.)

Then a night or two later, I dreamt I was speaking in tongues, and it was awful.

I've posted about nightmares elsewhere, but I rarely get full blown ones anymore. However, I still get quite a lot of troubling, fleeting dreams.
I keep having dreams where i'm speaking in tongues too! But i've never "spoken in tongues" in real life so I have no idea why i keep having them. I agree...it is frightening. Very very real...

Looking4truth

[-]

Posts: 1187

(06/05/08 20:36:31)

exPc Fan

You guys who keep dreaming about speaking in tongues....do you have deep down doubts that it is "required" for "salvation"? Have you not resolved that completely?

My Blog (where I really let loose)

"You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep-seated need to believe." - Carl Sagan

lozza

[-]

Posts: 2722

(06/06/08 00:12:12)

Musical Mantric

I rarely dream about speaking in tongues. More, issues related to deliverance. In the dream in question, the assistant doctor said something about a spirit, but I can't remember exactly how she phrased it. I think the dreams are throwbacks to the days I spent involved in deliverance.

Thanks for the kind responses. Yes, I agree that PTSD is one of the consequences of growing up in Pentecostalism or spending time in the movement as an adult.

lozza

[-]

Posts: 2723

(06/06/08 00:25:54)

Musical Mantric

You guys who keep dreaming about speaking in tongues....do you have deep down doubts that it is "required" for "salvation"? Have you not resolved that completely?

I don't think I ever associated speaking in tongues with salvation, since the charismatic groups I attended didn't list it as necessary for salvation. (Nor did the AoG or Elim Pentecostal churches.) I think that dreaming about speaking in tongues is a symptom of something else - a deep rooted fear of a spiritual force taking over me. One of many reasons why I wouldn't chose to speak in tongues again.

Looking4truth

[-]

Posts: 1193

(06/06/08 08:09:48)

exPc Fan

oooooh...

Well, that makes sense (about the fear of a spiritual force taking over you).

My Blog (where I really let loose)

"You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep-seated need to believe." - Carl Sagan

johny2001

[-]

Posts: 530

(06/06/08 11:23:10)

exPc Fan

I get some real doozies when it comes to dreams and nightmares-and that's no jive. So what I do is sit down, write them out when I can remember them, and it helps me in so many ways, not the least of which being the stories I write out. Not to boast, but I could write a movie around some of them!

geoffreylaw313

[-]

Posts: 146

(06/06/08 11:39:07)

exPc Fan

I have dreams where I'm back in high school or middle school. They're kinda weird but I think that they're simply echo's from my unconscious. Although they're odd and I always ask the principal if I really have to be there since I graduated 12 years ago. They always make me stay. Depending on how long you've been out of the church, these will most likely subside to being rare. If you want awesome dreams, I'd recommend watching Dawn of the Dead(newer version) every night while going to sleep. Then you'll have zombie dreams. They're AWESOME!

marla191792

[-]

Posts: 1775

(06/06/08 11:58:26)

Grace Abounds

I used to have dreams like this also. The worst was one where there's this prophet who is doing all kinds of obviously fake 'healings' and I say out loud that I think the healings are fake. In my dream, the prophet always has these superlong fingernails--like talons, and when he hears me say that, he just stabs me right through the chest with his fingernails, pinning me up against the wall and says, "Don't you recognize the power of God?"

That's always when I wake up (thank God).

There was another one too where demons are circling around me and closing in, and I keep trying to shout the name of Jesus to drive them away, but I can't get out more than a whisper, and it has no effect on the demons at all.

Fortunately, I haven't had either of those for a long time. I still have nightmares, but usually about other things.

www.pentecostalfreedom.org

tylerd

[-]

Posts: 34

(06/06/08 12:32:59)

"There was another one too where demons are circling around me and closing in, and I keep trying to shout the name of Jesus to drive them away, but I can't get out more than a whisper, and it has no effect on the demons at all."

I've had those dreams many times. They're so real it is actually one of the things that makes me doubt my decision to turn away from church. Silly I know, but they seem quite real. I've been told I talk in my sleep and I'm guessing that's what usually wakes me during these nightmares. As I've mentioned before, I've had problems with drugs and alcohol and when I was coming off that stuff these dreams were a sure thing.

singerc1

[-]

Posts: 17

(06/06/08 19:02:17)

lozza wrote:

You guys who keep dreaming about speaking in tongues....do you have deep down doubts that it is "required" for "salvation"? Have you not resolved that completely?

I don't think I ever associated speaking in tongues with salvation, since the charismatic groups I attended didn't list it as necessary for salvation. (Nor did the AoG or Elim Pentecostal churches.) I think that dreaming about speaking in tongues is a symptom of something else - a deep rooted fear of a spiritual force taking over me. One of many reasons why I wouldn't chose to speak in tongues again.

I agree with what you said. My tongues speaking dreams are more like a nightmares. I've never let the "spirit take over me"(thankfully) but now that I'm out of the church totally, well at least mentally, I'm having these nightmares. But I don't understand why because I've never spoken in tongues before. It's confusing...

singerc1

[-]

Posts: 18

(06/06/08 19:04:18)

tylerd wrote:
"There was another one too where demons are circling around me and closing in, and I keep trying to shout the name of Jesus to drive them away, but I can't get out more than a whisper, and it has no effect on the demons at all."

I've had those dreams many times. They're so real it is actually one of the things that makes me doubt my decision to turn away from church. Silly I know, but they seem quite real. I've been told I talk in my sleep and I'm guessing that's what usually wakes me during these nightmares. As I've mentioned before, I've had problems with drugs and alcohol and when I was coming off that stuff these dreams were a sure thing.

me too! the dreams are making me feel like I'm making a wrong decision by leaving church although I know I'm doing the right thing.

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Yuku free message boards

Weird Dreams

Weird Dreams

Quick Reply