Friends beheaded in my dreams

[guanophore]

When one is awake is one thing then when one is asleep! Sure the devils masks himself as an angel of light etc during ‘apparitions’ and visions. There is need for great discernement when all this happens…and it happens more often then you thinK…as I beleive you believe.

I have been puzzling about your statements. Since the dreams and the visions all come from the same place, how can you assert here that evil can manifest as an angel if light here, and that discernment is needed, yet…

I agree that the evil one is a great schemer. What I don ot understand is how you come to the conclusion that there is no need for him to hide himself in dreams!

It is a fact that all people dream whether they remember them or not. So, why would he bother hiding himself when all humans expreience nightmares that have nothing to do with him although everything is blamed on him. Portraying himself as he really is or a bad nightmare may not make too much difference in one person. Little is he aware that the more we grow in Jesus the more we are aware of his presence. Not all nightmares are demonic by nature.

I cannot understand the reasoning here at all! You are saying that the devil has no need to hide his identity in the dream because people think things in their dream are evil that are not? This does not make sense to me at all, because if people were to be mislead by their dream, it seems it is much more likely to happen if they think the figure in the dream is not an evil one. Hence, the many references in the scriptures and catechism to avoid taking guidance by such dreams. Also, if the nightmares are not demonic, then where do you think they are coming from? Why do people mistake them as being “bad”?

[Sometimes it is just the subconscious calling out for attention for any particular ‘evil’ part of our own selves. And believe me that exists also…one who poo-poos this idea is in danger of the subconscious becoming dominant. We all have a shadow part of us…and through direction and sometimes psychological help, this can be taken care of. When one bring everything into the Light, lessens the power it has…whatever it is.[/COLOR]

Now I am trying to square all this with the previous comments. You are saying that there is an objective “evil” that you call the devil, who does not hide himself in dreams. You are also saying that there is an “evil” part of ourselves that, if we don’t address, we are at risk of being overwhelmed by it? And you are sayin gthat there is a shadow part of us (is this separate from the evil) that can be taken care of with psychological help? If it is evil, how will a psychologist be better than a priest? Then you are saying that everything has to come into the light. If the devil is in the dream and he is clearly visible for who he is, then why is any further enlightenment needed?

And soemtimes nightmares are caused by a physical reason…exhaustion, indigestion, etc. One must know one’s self extremely well and have grown in discerning our dreams and what they mean is an ongoing…a process that I am still in… QUOTE]

This seems to assert that the body and soul are connected, so that the dreamer can express through the dream something that exists in physical reality. I suppose understanding dreams is a process that all of us may pursue for our lifetimes, but however long you have been at it, I am confused by your statements.

 

[guanophore]

John Sanford also states that anything evil would show itself as such…I, too, have said the very same thing. I do not find anything evil in her dream at all…no dragon nor beheading…

So I too would advise the very same book I offered…actually all four would be good to read!

Ok, so if the dragon and the beheading are not evil, then why is the fruit produced by the dream fear, and why is the dreamer moved to withdraw from the image of Our Lady, and from the sacraments?

 

[Shoshana]

I have been puzzling about your statements. Since the dreams and the visions all come from the same place, how can you assert here that evil can manifest as an angel if light here, and that discernment is needed, yet…

Another important point to remember is that Evil comes forth in the dream with no disguise, unmasked, and appears as it really is. It is easier to recognize Evil in a dream than in reality. One knows when Evil is at work in a dream. Dreams…a way to listen to God by Morton Kelsey

people think things in their dream are evil that are not?

The shadow is a reality. If we deny our own seemingly evil or inferior side, we only drive it into the unconscious, where it carries on its own peculiar life and becomes doubly dangerous. To remain unaware of our true nature solves nothing. Thjis only makes the problem worse because it permits the shadow to perate autonomously from the unconscious without relationship to the whole personality. Dreams- God’s forgotten language, P24

Also, if the nightmares are not demonic, then where do you think they are coming from? Why do people mistake them as being “bad”?

It is also helpful to remember that the nconscious turns toward us a reflection of the face we turn toward it. For instance, hostile figures in our dreams often represent rejected elements of our personlaity. If our attitude toward them changes, their face toward us changes. In my earlier book, I began with a series of dreams that illustrated this. A man had a series of dreams in which the same hostile figure repeatedly pursued him. At last, through a change in attitude in which he determiend to face himself, he had a dream in which he stopped running from his pursuer, adn turned to face him: ‘Again,’ he dreamt, 'I was in a warlike situation. My enemy again approached me with a knofe. He wanted to kill me. Istarted to run, but then I stopped and, facing him, said instead, ‘All right, kill me if you want to.’ The enemy also stopped and apused. Then he smiled and, turning, walked away.
Dreams and healing, John Sanford, P46

Even the nightmare can be ascribed to divine activity, as the bible says throguh the words of Job: ‘If I say, "My bed will comfort me, my couch will soothe my pain, you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions.’ And Ekuas also says, ‘God speaks first in one way, and then in another, but no one notices. He speaks by dreams, and visions that come in the n ioght, when slumber comes on mankind, and men are all asleep in bed. Then it is he whispers in the ear of man, or may frighten him with fearful sights, to turn him away from evikl-doing, and make an end to his ride; to save his soul from the pit and this life from the pathway to Sheoul.’
Dreams and helaing, John Sanford, P102

 

[guanophore]

Ok, lets take this idea back to the opening post of this thread:

For the past few months, I have dreamed of various friends/acquaintances being beheaded in front of me.

This is bizarre and very disconcerting, to say the least. I have a dream with a beheading in it about once a week. Definitely a nightmare, but not a night terror. I have not watched any movies that would trigger this, nor read any news clips. I don’t have any other indications of unhappiness or mental distress.

The dreams are all different from each other and not a repeat, but they do have a similar structure. Sometimes the setting is in a church, outside, at work or in my house.

Essentially, I am talking to a person I know in real life. That person starts crying and telling me he/she wants to see Mother Mary. I start to comfort the person and talk about Catholicism. Then the person falls to his/her knees in front of me and holds out his/her hand. In the hand is a gold, circular object with a crucifix over a dragon. The dragon is moving around. The person always says the same thing, that I need to be prepared.

I look up to ask the person what it all means, and see a figure that looks like Mary walk behind the person and slice off his/her head. The head rolls onto my feet! It’s disgusting and very graphic.

Then I wake up.

The first couple times this happened, I shrugged it off as stress or eating late at night. Then I thought maybe it’s my over active imagination because I have been talking to some coworkers about Catholicism.

Now I’m getting just a teensy bit freaked out.

I’ve never been one to analyze my dreams and I am against believing in messages in dreams. Maybe there’s some sense to this one though???

Help!!

The shadow is a reality. If we deny our own seemingly evil or inferior side, we only drive it into the unconscious, where it carries on its own peculiar life and becomes doubly dangerous. To remain unaware of our true nature solves nothing. Thjis only makes the problem worse because it permits the shadow to perate autonomously from the unconscious without relationship to the whole personality. Dreams- God’s forgotten language,

Let’s assume, for the sake of discussion, that the figure in this dream is part of the shadow that has been pushed into the unconscious. It is operating autonomously to the detriment (and grief!) of the dreamer.

It is also helpful to remember that the nconscious turns toward us a reflection of the face we turn toward it. For instance, hostile figures in our dreams often represent rejected elements of our personlaity. If our attitude toward them changes, their face toward us changes. In my earlier book, I began with a series of dreams that illustrated this. A man had a series of dreams in which the same hostile figure repeatedly pursued him. At last, through a change in attitude in which he determiend to face himself, he had a dream in which he stopped running from his pursuer, adn turned to face him: ‘Again,’ he dreamt, 'I was in a warlike situation. My enemy again approached me with a knofe. He wanted to kill me. Istarted to run, but then I stopped and, facing him, said instead, ‘All right, kill me if you want to.’ The enemy also stopped and apused. Then he smiled and, turning, walked away. Dreams and healing, John Sanford, P46

[The bible says throguh the words of Job: ‘If I say, "My bed will comfort me, my couch will soothe my pain, you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions.’ And Ekuas also says, ‘God speaks first in one way, and then in another, but no one notices. He speaks by dreams, and visions that come in the n ioght, when slumber comes on mankind, and men are all asleep in bed. Then it is he whispers in the ear of man, or may frighten him with fearful sights, to turn him away from evikl-doing, and make an end to his ride; to save his soul from the pit and this life from the pathway to Sheoul.’[/COLOR]
Dreams and helaing, John Sanford, P102

Your comments would seem to indicate that the dreamer needs to face, encounter, and somehow embrace this figure as part of herself, so that the figure can be transformed. Do I understand that correctly?

 

[Shoshana]

Ok, lets take this idea back to the opening post of this thread:

Let’s assume, for the sake of discussion, that the figure in this dream is part of the shadow that has been pushed into the unconscious. It is operating autonomously to the detriment (and grief!) of the dreamer.

It is also helpful to remember that the nconscious turns toward us a reflection of the face we turn toward it. For instance, hostile figures in our dreams often represent rejected elements of our personlaity. If our attitude toward them changes, their face toward us changes. In my earlier book, I began with a series of dreams that illustrated this. A man had a series of dreams in which the same hostile figure repeatedly pursued him. At last, through a change in attitude in which he determiend to face himself, he had a dream in which he stopped running from his pursuer, adn turned to face him: ‘Again,’ he dreamt, 'I was in a warlike situation. My enemy again approached me with a knofe. He wanted to kill me. Istarted to run, but then I stopped and, facing him, said instead, ‘All right, kill me if you want to.’ The enemy also stopped and apused. Then he smiled and, turning, walked away. Dreams and healing, John Sanford, P46

Your comments would seem to indicate that the dreamer needs to face, encounter, and somehow embrace this figure as part of herself, so that the figure can be transformed. Do I understand that correctly?[/quot

This is exactly what is being said…but before being transformed one has to integrate that part of oneself into our consciousness and then become transformed! It is said that there is 90% gold within our shadow (or the dark side of us, etc). It is a well-known fact that there has been incidents when a person goes absolutely berserk and goes on a killing rampage and people are so surprised as said person was seen as a very nice person. I have heard that many times myself…the shadow takes over if it is always suppressed as it has an energy of its own…

 

[guanophore]

Ok, given that the dreamer has already said she is appalled by the dream, and it has even driven her away from images of the BVM and going to Mass, how exactly is she supposed to embrace this “grim reaper” so to speak? Your message seems to indicate that, if she fails to do so, she may start taking off heads in waking life!