Are these night terrors or is this spiritual warfare?

[stephaniepea]

I should start this by saying that this year and the things that i’ve experienced has strengthened my faith to a point it’s never been before. God saved my life and has answered all of my prayers and has rewarded me with a tremendous love for life and has cured me of my fear of death. about 3 months ago i began to develop sleep paralysis. i would “wake up” but not be able to move and i would feel pressure pushing me down into the bed, sometimes feeling like i’m suffocating. then i began getting nightmares, alot of them i didnt remember but the ones i did were filled with death and darkness. starting about 4 weeks ago the night terrors began. i would be afraid to sleep so much that i would fall asleep nearly at sunrise and then have to take multiple naps during the day. the night terrors are a daily occurence now. and theyve begun to become so specific that im terrified and anxious all the time. last night i put on a bracelet rosary and i had a dream that something jumped on my back and was biting my hand. i opened my eyes and saw (im calling them demons though i cant be sure) a demon with a long black serpent tongue wrapped around my hand. i repeated as bravely as i could “God protects me. Jesus protects me.” and the dream ended right away. other dreams include a naked woman telling me i cant tell anyone about my dreams or they will get worse and then when i told my dad flames erupted around me and as i was chanting while holding my cross (i wear a gold cross) “jesus is with me. god is with me.” the cross broke and the demon began vomiting up rosaries. i also had a dream that i was a completely different person that had to keep reliving their death until they found peace with God, but as she was about to join him a devil appeared and her and a few others began an exorcism. i remember very clearly them chanting “you are the devil incarnate” ive also had dreams about being grabbed by the feet and being pulled up through the ceiling. like i said my faith is stronger than ever and i wonder if its opened me up to darker things, I wasn’t leading a very good life up until this point I’ve changed so much as a person in the last year. however I also went through medical trauma and am taking alot of medications, mostly anti anxieties. (however ive been on the meds alot longer than ive been having the dreams) my psychiatrist has done nothing to help me and i called to switch doctors this morning but my mom is a very devout catholic woman who believes this is something more, just wondering if theres anyone out there who has experienced or heard of anything like this or has any prayers or advice or anything like that. these dreams make me feel insane and sad and scared. this is my first time posting so i hope my format is okay. honestly just even if you took the time to read this i appreciate you.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Both sleep paralysis and night terrors are part of the natural world. They can indicate poor sleep habits or stress. Talk to your doctor about these things.

The imagery comes from your mind. If you watch shows or read things/youtube about demons and evil you are more likely to have your sleeping mind bring these images to your dream-states.

 

[stephaniepea]

i’m 25. see a therapist regularly been on anti anxieties since i was 13. i do pray regularly but ive been saying special prayers since this began praying the chaplet of mercy. church i havent been attending regularly confession every year but im going to confession this saturday because ive gone through alot this year.

 

[CroatCatholic]

While I may be leaning a bit on natural causes, do not give up in prayer. Trust in God, and love Him and others.
I think I had 1-2 nightmares, but comitting myself to God’s protection ended my fear and feeling of disturbance.
Also, I started praying the Rosary a week ago, and my nights are no more filled with anxiety or fear.
Remember, whether natural causes or spiritual warfare, draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.
Trust in the Lord, obey Him, pray to Him.
Do not give up. Pray for God’s mercy and blessings upon us all, especially for those who are in most need of His mercy and blessings.
Do not give up on God, and pray. It will all be okay, and remember, Jesus is with you, Mary is with you, your Guardian Angel is with you. If you even experience the most horrible nightmares, commit yourself totally and trust totally in God, for He loves us and is compassionate.
The Lord be with you! Peace!

 

[Theban]

I agree with the others here that what you’re experiencing is most likely natural, as most nightmares aren’t demonically induced.

Still, it wouldn’t be prudent to completely rule them out, especially when the most effective means of protecting yourself from demons are easy to do and beneficial even if everything is fine. The best of all these is Confession, which I understand you’ve already scheduled. I recommend asking the priest you’ll see about these dreams and hear what he thinks of it.

Other things that would help if the dreams are demonic are using Sacramentals before going to sleep. The fact that you’ve already done this by sleeping with a Rosary bracelet seems to imply that the dreams are just dreams, although it’s not 100% certain even so. If you’re still worried you can try to make use of other Sacramentals as well, it won’t do any harm as it’s a good devotional practice regardless.

 

[TheLittleLady]

We are to go to Confession regularly, each time we are aware of a serious sin. Do not deprive yourself of the Sacraments for an entire year!