Yesterday morning, upon waking up, I noticed 3-4 red scratches on my shoulder. They were not deep, but it hurt to touch them. I also had a few smaller ones on my chest.
I have no pets of any sort at home, and no sharp objects in my room I could have come into contact with during my sleep.
Now, I read about similar cases online - some people claim they are the work of some demon. I was very skeptical at first (sounds a lot like superstition), but what else could have caused the scratches?
I’m not a sleepwalker and I’ve never had anything of the sort happen to me before. Moreover, the scratches on my shoulder are in a place that’s hard to reach. It doesn’t sound accidental.
I don’t want to sound ridiculous, but this is starting to make me think.
Has anyone experienced something similar? Are there any scientific explanations?
Without knowing anything more, I’d say an allergic reaction is more likely than demonic influence.
Everything I’ve ever heard about demons leads me to think that most simply don’t have the power to physically influence the mortal plane. Even when they do have such power, it’s just not strategically sound for a being with a vested interest in gathering souls to hell to perform an action likely to strengthen a believer’s faith or lead a non-believer into the arms of the Church. Maybe the odd demon will go insane or get desperate enough to think that if it scares enough humans toward salvation it can buy its way into God’s good graces, but they generally prefer to work through temptation.
If you want to say a few prayers about it, that’s certainly not going to hurt. However, if the scratches worsen you should see a doctor. If the scratches persist without worsening, you may want to change fabric softeners or get an exterminator to examine your bedroom for pests.
I’d suspect many other things before demons, including:
You scratched yourself in your sleep.
You got the scratches the day before and didn’t notice them.
It’s an allergic reaction of some kind.
It was an insect of some sort.
My money’s on option one or two. A shoulder may be an awkward place to reach but if it itched badly enough you’d manage to scratch it, even in your sleep.
I wouldn’t panic I would wait and see if it happens again it could be nothing, it could be something. It could be a lot of things. If it continues then I would call your local priest.
The only possible explanation is that i scratched myself in my sleep. However, they look like scratches a cat or any animal with claws would inflict, not human nails.
Whatever heppened, they could not have been caused by insects or by human nails. I scratch myself often when i get itchy and I’ve had 2 cases of chickenpox in the past. I can assure you that i know what a self-inflicted scratch looks like.
I’m going to forget about it hoping that it won’t happen again.
1 thig is certain: they are scratches, and thay seem inflicted by claws or a sharp object.
Hello JRTJ. If you were attacked by any demons in your sleep you’d know it! You shouldn’t joke or kid about such things. It could attract them. They have supernatural powers while yours are of the natural kind. Fool with fire you could get burnt.
If your concerns still bother you go for a sleep study. They’ll get to the bottom of your sleep disturbances. That’s what they do. You could be a sleep walker.
I did a little research, and this sounds like a case of a rare, non-serious condition called dermatographic urticaria. If you slept on some creases in your sheets or night shirt on an area of your body affected by the condition, it would have caused hives to show up in the exact size and shape of the creases. I wouldn’t let it bother you, but if it does bother you, an over-the-counter antihistamine should clear it up, although in some cases a doctor might need to prescribe something stronger.
Before you try to clear it up, though, you should try something cool. Get a friend to trace their name near the affected site with a toothpick (not breaking the skin). Before too long, you might see their name appear in “scratches” that look similar to the scratches you saw before. It doesn’t always happen with this condition, but it’d be crazy neat if it did.
Rare genetic disorder, or incredibly impractical superpower? Either way, you’d be able to rule out the supernatural.
Actually, I have woken up with scratches in the past. When I investigated further, I finally discovered that the metal springs that were in the old mattress (yes in the mattress not box spring section) had pointed edges and would poke through the mattress top when weight was put on the mattress. Threw out the attack mattress and got a new one - problem solved.
If it only happened once, I would think nothing of it. There have been several times when I have cut myself when I was fully awake but wasn’t aware of it until later. It is probably just an accident.
Just wanted to let you know… This has been happening to me since I was about 16… I am not catholic, so therefore can’t call my priest, but you are definitely not alone… Mine are on the deep side though, and before they happen my skin will start burning, like it is on fire…I have had it happen while I am awake, and asleep… Of course people tell me I am crazy, but definitely am not… To many people have seen it, for me to be crazy… Not sure if there is an answer but I definitely believe it is weird…
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