Can our mind be our enemy?

[angelo]

Im having such a hardtime with my own mind. Before the month of May ended I felt God’s love in me. The time when I truly felt so in love with God to the point that I wish He take me on that moment to be with Him forever. I took up devotions and spend a lot of time for prayer to Jesus and the Blessed Virgin. Then something happened, after a week I felt that God abandoned me. The feeling of Love and Happiness seem to have faded from me and it plunged me to distress. Then I am having rebellious intrusive thoughts in my head, sometimes sexual images . . . ; sometimes I have thoughts that curses God. It made me so distressed because it felt like it was I who says them but I do not agree with these thoughts. I thank God because after I prayed for a month the . . . \faded away but a new problem came to surface. Now, Im having an invasive thought in my mind whenever I pray the rosary about glorifying evil, and when I see the devil’s name I find it hard to forget. It sticks to my brain like a parasite. I would like to ask for help and encouragement. Please pray for me. Im confused on what is happening to me. As Im typing this I feel like a rock, it feels like my emotions are blocked from me. I dont feel empty, but I feel nothing. I keep on praying to the Lord for forgiveness but I dont feel anything. I want to be forgiven but I dont feel sorry. Im so confused. Im still praying my devotions and rosaries clinging to the hopes of being with God, my dream of embracing Jesus and the Blessed Mother, the dream of talking and laughing with God.

 

[Dorothy]

I say the same as above…speak to a priest who can advise you. God bless you!

And keep praying. You are loved very much by Our Lord and Blessed Mother.

 

[drac16]

It’s normal to experience what you’re experiencing. I myself have been through periods of time in which God felt distant and my prayers felt empty. What the Lord has put on my heart is to ask for protection. Next time you are about to do a devotional act, like prayer or Bible reading, ask the Lord to protect you from any evil influence that may come upon you. When you pray with the confidence that God can save you from Satan’s attacks, it goes a long way.

 

[on_the_hill]

There are a lot of techniques that can help a person vanquish intrusive thoughts. They really do help.

You’ll be fine. Just don’t put yourself through too much turmoil when you don’t have to. Find someone in real life, a priest, counselor, self-help book, etc. and you’ll see that there’s effective help out there.

 

[Greenfields]

Sometimes having a good cry when finding it to pray helps,like a child unable to express itself to a parent of its unhappiness .A parent understands and holds them close.
God understands and loves you through your struggle ,give it all to God and know all your effort isn’t in vane.
As suggested ,talk with a priest.Maybe you could ask for a blessing of some sort.
Remembering you in prayers

 

[Viki63]

I have mild OCD, and have had intrusive thoughts too. It’s very distressing, but try not to worry about it. What I do is repeat scripture.
My favorite verses are “We are not given a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and love and a sound and disciplined mind’” (2 Tim 1:7) Also, “I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.” (2 Tim 1:12)

 

[GodIsPerfection]

Then something happened, after a week I felt that God abandoned me. The feeling of Love and Happiness seem to have faded from me and it plunged me to distress. Then I am having rebellious intrusive thoughts in my head, sometimes sexual images of Jesus and Mary, sometimes I have thoughts that curses God. It made me so distressed because it felt like it was I who says them but I do not agree with these thoughts. I thank God because after I prayed for a month the sexual images and curses faded away but a new problem came to surface. Now, Im having an invasive thought in my mind whenever I pray the rosary about glorifying evil, and when I see the devil’s name I find it hard to forget. It sticks to my brain like a parasite.

These symptoms probably do not originate in your own mind.

Demons are fallen angels, incorporeal beings of pure energy. Just as malware from your wireless router attacks your computer, unseen, demonic entities can attack the brain, affecting emotions, interjecting intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, causing depression, hopelessness, making accusations, and creating inappropriate feelings or inciting lustful desires.

You will be ahead when you recognize these issues as an external attack by a spiritual ADVERSARY.

The most helpful way of fighting back is to see your Priest for Confession. Confession (a sacrament) is actually more effective than exorcism (a sacramental) in repelling demons.

Make use of sacramentals…Holy Water, blessed Crucifixes, scapulars, images of the Blessed Mother or St. Michael, etc.

I recommend the book Manual For Spiritual Warfare by Paul Thigpen. It contains many effective prayers written by Saints of the Church in their spiritual warfare encounters with demonic entities.

Deuteronomy 31:8

8 And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

The thought that God has abandoned you is a Satanic lie. Reject it, and the liar who fills your mind with it.