Clear Mind Of Dreams?

[wackotaco]

Hey everyone, I have a sort of problem here. Every now and again i’ll have these really sexual dreams. And although when I wake up, I want to live a chaste day, these perverted dreams keep reappearing in my mind. All day. It’s not like seeing a perverted picture that you can try and block out of your mind so to speak. Because it is already deep in your mind! Does anyone have any help they can offer?
God Bless

 

[Bookcat]

Such are a species of unwanted thoughts…

(from previous posts of mine)

Regarding unwanted thoughts

While Jesus makes it clear that one can sin in ones thoughts…just cause some lustful thought or other like thought happens does not mean that one has sinned…

What should we do with* unwanted* sexual thoughts or other “bad thoughts”…thoughts against God etc? Those pesky temptations that can come …even though we are not seeking them or doing anything to bring them etc…

Are they mortal sins?

For a mortal sin one needs a grave matter …full knowledge AND deliberate consent!!!

A. If you do not want the thought…it the thought displeases you: it can be a sign actually that you did not give any consent or do not give full consent.

B. Even if you felt a temptation for the thought – and were drawn to it involuntarily —but rejected it and maybe even turned right to God : again a sign not full consent (if there was any).

C. But what if one has a tempting thought --say of a sexual nature and even hesitated for a moment…but then rejected it for one did not want to sin?: it can be partial consent perhaps (and thus a venial sin)-- or it may be no sin at all but rather a strong temptation that drew you but then you saw what was happening and turned away.

D. A temptation can even be very strong or the thoughts very often – but this does NOT mean one has consented!

Remember --for it to be mortal there must be that deliberate consent!

What to do? on the spiritual side–relax first of all and remember the above.

Next – know that the more one fears the thoughts the more likely they are to come… or said another way --the more a person stress about seeking to avoid the thoughts the more likely he will have a problem with them.

for example: for the next 10 seconds try NOT to think of an apple.

tick tock …

tick tock…

Ok what did you think of?

Most likely an apple.

So it is best to ignore them and just not consent and then turn your attention to some other good thing…for instance whatever you are doing.
Simply do not consent and move on…

Another point – thoughts can just happen --they are the stuff with which we think…it is up to us to consent and take them further or not. And just because they are REAL VIVID and almost “think themselves” does not mean per se that one has given ANY consent.

They can be annoying…but need cause no actual harm …

(Now difficulties with thoughts can happen to anyone…and has for centuries…nothing new!..but I will note too that “some” have a condition known as OCD (I knew someone with this once…it was a painful experience)…and thus should seek further professional help to work at overcoming it and to live a more peaceful life…)

(also some suffer from scrupulosity and ought to have a* regular confessor*)

---

There is a story from the desert of the early Centuries of the Church where a younger hermit when to an older one with the problems of thoughts happening to him all the time…the older hermit told him to go outside open his cloak and catch the wind.

The younger hermit said such is not possible…

the older hermit replied --neither is it possible to stop all the thoughts that can come to you…your choice… is to consent or not…

 

[Ophelia23]

Hey everyone, I have a sort of problem here. Every now and again i’ll have these really sexual dreams. And although when I wake up, I want to live a chaste day, these perverted dreams keep reappearing in my mind. All day. It’s not like seeing a perverted picture that you can try and block out of your mind so to speak. Because it is already deep in your mind! Does anyone have any help they can offer?
God Bless

Whenever unwelcome thoughts come into my mind, whether they be temptations of impurity, or unjustified anger or petty annoyance, I force myself to picture the image of Divine Mercy in its place. Sometimes I will make myself picture the Sacred Heart. I have included both images below. Pulling either of these images of Christ into my mind replaces whatever thought it was that plagued me, and imagining Jesus instead of impurity makes it so much easier to make my mind change gears.
http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r582/hawnjesa/divinemercy_zpsd161bda7.jpg http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r582/hawnjesa/sacredheart_zps2bbc062b.jpg

 

[The_Bucket]

As someone who struggles with addiction in this area, I’ll tell you what works best for me. Surrendering. Not surrendering to the temptation but surrendering the temptation to God. Accept that it’s in your mind. Don’t beat yourself up over it or panic. It’s not sinful. Just be gentle with yourself and ask the Lord to give you peace. That doesn’t mean it will immediately leave your mind or never come back. It might. But that’s OK. The temptation itself is not a sin. Just do the best you can to gently push it out of your mind, ask God to take it over and then move on.

 

[Marie1234]

Try not to let the fact that you have sexual dreams bother you. They happen to everyone; it’s a part of nature. You aren’t responsible for what happens in your sleep and you aren’t responsible for what happens in your unconscious imagination while awake. We can’t control all of our thoughts. Sometimes some really bizarre ones whose very presence in your mind shocks you pop up, but it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. You can only be responsible for your thoughts if your will is involved. Involuntary thoughts are just figments of your imagination.

Hang in there!

 

[jsaldar]

This my friend, is my hardest struggle till this day! Glad to see I’m not alone as well. I will be reading to find other’s thoughts on the subject as well. Good Post.