How to remove the sin of lust from my soul?

[Robert_Sock]

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”
–Psalm 51:10
It’s not attractive or immodestly dressed women that cause me to sin, but the sin of lust that dwells within my soul.

“The man who only avoids the outward occasions of evil, but fails to uproot it in himself, will gain little advantage. Indeed, temptations will return upon him the sooner, and he will find himself in a worse state than before.”
–The Imitation of Christ

Actually, I do not sin when using my full mind, but during sleep when the righteous part of my mind seems to have become inactivated. Not only do I sin against God during such times, but I gravely harm my soul by adding an ugly stain to it. Satan knows full well that I would not sin when my full mind is active, and so he waits until I’m in sleep when my free will has somehow become compromised. I’m made to feel deeply depressed at this part of reality! Did I actually sin against God?

So, how does a person uproot the sin of lust that lays dormant, deep within the soul? My guess is that it’s through penance and prayer where I plead with God to place a clean heart within me!

 

[reggieM]

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”
–Psalm 51:10
It’s not attractive or immodestly dressed women that cause me to sin, but the sin of lust that dwells within my soul.

“The man who only avoids the outward occasions of evil, but fails to uproot it in himself, will gain little advantage. Indeed, temptations will return upon him the sooner, and he will find himself in a worse state than before.”
–The Imitation of Christ

Actually, I do not sin when using my full mind, but during sleep when the righteous part of my mind seems to have become inactivated. Not only do I sin against God during such times, but I gravely harm my soul by adding an ugly stain to it. Satan knows full well that I would not sin when my full mind is active, and so he waits until I’m in sleep when my free will has somehow become compromised. I’m made to feel deeply depressed at this part of reality! Did I actually sin against God?

So, how does a person uproot the sin of lust that lays dormant, deep within the soul? My guess is that it’s through penance and prayer where I plead with God to place a clean heart within me!

Yes, true. Create a clean heart in me O God. Change my sins so they are whiter than snow.

You don’t sin unless you’re conscious and when you’re dreaming you are not.
However, you’re right to want to get rid of that.
First - you have to observe what might have triggered that dream. What left you open for that? Was is a sin of another kind – passionate hostility to people, too much distraction on the internet, closing yourself off from others, selfishness, hostility towards self or others, uncharity, unchaste looks at women, time wasted on TV or bad TV, gluttony, sugary sweets before bed, lack of prayer, avoiding work and duties, desiring comforts of the flesh, abandoning your manly virtue and responsibility … many many more.

Second - you can observe that when in the dream, you would act in this sinful way. It’s inside of you. Your unconscious is formed by conscious - so would you allow yourself to act in this way if you were conscious? If the scene played out in real life, what would you do?

Finally, a dream can indicate a good desire submerged and perhaps made perverted. What is the good desire? Are you not happy with your wife? If not married should you be looking for a spouse?

Aversion therapy can help – viewing lust as being as evil as it is. Plus, viewing yourself in a more positive light. You are victorious with Jesus. You will triumph over sin. You are a man of virtue and excellence. You do not compromise or submit yourself to lust with women. You are innocent and loved by Jesus who is pure of heart.

Repeating these positive things about yourself, and they’re true because you are a faithful Catholic united to Jesus, will drive out evil and your own self-loathing. Lust is usually just a way to compensate - it actually drives us down and damages us, while we think it is enhancing our manhood. Chastity and purity of heart make us true men of God.

It seems like you’re on the right track.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Yes, true. Create a clean heart in me O God. Change my sins so they are whiter than snow.

You don’t sin unless you’re conscious and when you’re dreaming you are not.
However, you’re right to want to get rid of that.
First - you have to observe what might have triggered that dream. What left you open for that? Was is a sin of another kind – passionate hostility to people, too much distraction on the internet, closing yourself off from others, selfishness, hostility towards self or others, uncharity, unchaste looks at women, time wasted on TV or bad TV, gluttony, sugary sweets before bed, lack of prayer, avoiding work and duties, desiring comforts of the flesh, abandoning your manly virtue and responsibility … many many more.

Second - you can observe that when in the dream, you would act in this sinful way. It’s inside of you. Your unconscious is formed by conscious - so would you allow yourself to act in this way if you were conscious? If the scene played out in real life, what would you do?

Finally, a dream can indicate a good desire submerged and perhaps made perverted. What is the good desire? Are you not happy with your wife? If not married should you be looking for a spouse?

Aversion therapy can help – viewing lust as being as evil as it is. Plus, viewing yourself in a more positive light. You are victorious with Jesus. You will triumph over sin. You are a man of virtue and excellence. You do not compromise or submit yourself to lust with women. You are innocent and loved by Jesus who is pure of heart.

Repeating these positive things about yourself, and they’re true because you are a faithful Catholic united to Jesus, will drive out evil and your own self-loathing. Lust is usually just a way to compensate - it actually drives us down and damages us, while we think it is enhancing our manhood. Chastity and purity of heart make us true men of God.

It seems like you’re on the right track.

I did awake, but not fully, and I did commit an immoral act! To say that I feel remorseful is an understatement. I’m in an actual depression.

 

[reggieM]

I did awake, but not fully, and I did commit an immoral act! To say that I feel remorseful is an understatement. I’m in an actual depression.

The remorse is good but also bad. Yes, you are sorry - but don’t let it go too far.
Lift up your heart - God truly loves you. He knows your weakness.He is right there with you - not condemning but helping you become the good man you really want to be! If you didn’t want virtue and righteousness before the Lord you wouldn’t be sorry.
However, hate the sin but not the sinner. Don’t hate yourself on this. Be gentle with yourself and try to understand why you slipped.
Is this a frequent occurrence? Does it happen regularly or is this rare? If frequent or regular, you have to go deeper. I would say it’s like an addiction. Lustful immorality with self is very powerful and can be as addictive (some say more) than some drugs. It creates a chemical reaction in the brain which sends pleasure through the body and spiritually it can blind a person so they can’t even stop themselves.
So - we have to take it seriously. We reach out and try to get help.

Today is Saturday also - Our Lord is there for confession if you can make it. I’m not saying it’s a mortal sin!

It depends on how conscious you were.

Grave matter. In this case, Yes.
Sufficient reflection. ?
Full consent of the will. ?’

 

[Robert_Sock]

The remorse is good but also bad. Yes, you are sorry - but don’t let it go too far.
Lift up your heart - God truly loves you. He knows your weakness.He is right there with you - not condemning but helping you become the good man you really want to be! If you didn’t want virtue and righteousness before the Lord you wouldn’t be sorry.
However, hate the sin but not the sinner. Don’t hate yourself on this. Be gentle with yourself and try to understand why you slipped.
Is this a frequent occurrence? Does it happen regularly or is this rare? If frequent or regular, you have to go deeper. I would say it’s like an addiction. Lustful immorality with self is very powerful and can be as addictive (some say more) than some drugs. It creates a chemical reaction in the brain which sends pleasure through the body and spiritually it can blind a person so they can’t even stop themselves.
So - we have to take it seriously. We reach out and try to get help.

Today is Saturday also - Our Lord is there for confession if you can make it. I’m not saying it’s a mortal sin!

It depends on how conscious you were.

Grave matter. In this case, Yes.
Sufficient reflection. ?
Full consent of the will. ?’

Thanks for the encouragement! I personally see this as a good example where free will is not absolute but is often variable. But it certainly shows that I’m vulnerable and that my soul is stained by the sin of lust. On a more optimistic note, not to boost by any means, I’m pretty humble and I’m rather low on the other Seven Deadly Sins. Still, I would like God to give me a clean heart and purify my soul.

I just started listening to the Divine Office – Liturgy of the Hours and I find it to be very valuable: player.fm/series/divine-office-liturgy-of-the-hours-of-the-roman-catholic-church-breviary

 

[Franciscan_Way]

I was told by a priest in confession that there are two things that guard against sins of the flesh. He asked me if I knew what they were. I told him I didn’t and asked him to please tell me. He said, “1) Doing corporal works of mercy. 2) Fasti6ng…” He told me that he didn’t just mean giving up chocolate, but no food at all until 3pm because it is the Hour of Mercy. He said not to get carried away, but to choose one day and if it’s a Friday to give up meat also.
This may be more for sin in a conscious state. (You say yours was in a unconscious or semiconscious.state.) I hope it will help.
I agree with Reggie M as far as guarding your heart against bad tv shows, occasions of sin, and what not. Know that Satan has a way of reveling in our dispair, When we fall, he uses this as a way to FURTHER keep us from God. He deceives us by making us think that there is no way God could love us or forgive us. This leads to depression. We are separated by our sin and Satan has us where he wants us; be wins because by deceiving us into believing that we are uunlovable and unforgivable, through our dispair we make a decision to avoid prayer, avoid the sacrament of Reconciliation, and avoid being in communion with God. We believe Satan’s lies. Instead, Trust in Jesus! “He is the Just Judge, but also the Merciful Saviour”. Know that you are a beloved son of God. I will pray for you!
Peace and all good!

 

[Robert_Sock]

I was told by a priest in confession that there are two things that guard against sins of the flesh. He asked me if I knew what they were. I told him I didn’t and asked him to please tell me. He said, “1) Doing corporal works of mercy. 2) Fasti6ng…” He told me that he didn’t just mean giving up chocolate, but no food at all until 3pm because it is the Hour of Mercy. He said not to get carried away, but to choose one day and if it’s a Friday to give up meat also.
This may be more for sin in a conscious state. (You say yours was in a unconscious or semiconscious.state.) I hope it will help.
I agree with Reggie M as far as guarding your heart against bad tv shows, occasions of sin, and what not. Know that Satan has a way of reveling in our dispair, When we fall, he uses this as a way to FURTHER keep us from God. He deceives us by making us think that there is no way God could love us or forgive us. This leads to depression. We are separated by our sin and Satan has us where he wants us; be wins because by deceiving us into believing that we are uunlovable and unforgivable, through our dispair we make a decision to avoid prayer, avoid the sacrament of Reconciliation, and avoid being in communion with God. We believe Satan’s lies. Instead, Trust in Jesus! “He is the Just Judge, but also the Merciful Saviour”. Know that you are a beloved son of God. I will pray for you!
Peace and all good!

Thanks! I tried to offer up my depression and remorse to God as penance. I will also make a donation to a good charity. I’ll be at confession in a few hours. With the help of God, hopefully, I can extinguish this deadly vice.

 

[Josephine86]

I have made a similar confession and the priest told me it was not a sin but still good to confess. I knew what I was doing in the dream and made a definate decision to go against God. I woke up really panicky thinking why did I do that? Then I realised it was a dream but I still had a horrible sick feeling. Hail Mary’s work very well for me to stop these kind of thoughts when I’m awake!

 

[venite_adoremus]

First of all, I’m female, but happily married for 37 years, so I think I know the drill.

Man’s body is built in such a way that fluid accumulations can trigger processes in the brain–a biological fire alarm for which you are in no way culpable. If nature is not taking its course, and I’m sure you know what I mean by this (did you know that a malfunctioning epididymis can block the natural way?), use the corporal mercy and fasting penances to temper your will (they feed the soul), and consider consulting your physician (preferably a Catholic urologist) for a medical intervention. Chemical solutions are drastic, but in some cases may be both morally licit and physiologically balancing. The depression has a focus in your brain’s limbic center. It’s a cause-effect teeter-totter. Antidepressants can help.

True dreams are just that, dreams. They cannot hurt you. You can’t will to have a dream. And what happens in them is neither real nor sinful.

Remove collateral temptations. Use parental controls on yourself at the computer. If tempted, get out of bed immediately and start walking. Back and forth in your living quarters. Avoid stimulus, drink and smoke and associated drugs. Find a way to make your limbic center happy and peaceful that doesn’t involve the sources of addiction–such as long walks in the woods, stringent exercise, photography, those things we used to call hobbies. Pray your rosary. Good luck, sir.

 

[Clevus]

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”
–Psalm 51:10
It’s not attractive or immodestly dressed women that cause me to sin, but the sin of lust that dwells within my soul.

“The man who only avoids the outward occasions of evil, but fails to uproot it in himself, will gain little advantage. Indeed, temptations will return upon him the sooner, and he will find himself in a worse state than before.”
–The Imitation of Christ

Actually, I do not sin when using my full mind, but during sleep when the righteous part of my mind seems to have become inactivated. Not only do I sin against God during such times, but I gravely harm my soul by adding an ugly stain to it. Satan knows full well that I would not sin when my full mind is active, and so he waits until I’m in sleep when my free will has somehow become compromised. I’m made to feel deeply depressed at this part of reality! Did I actually sin against God?

So, how does a person uproot the sin of lust that lays dormant, deep within the soul? My guess is that it’s through penance and prayer where I plead with God to place a clean heart within me!

 

[Clevus]

It would seem one is not faulted for what he dreams. However, one should not be anxious to dream, nor of what he dreams, even of heavenly things. Sirach gives us an example where self control is lost in sleep, and what we dream may come on unwanted. Focus on living while awake, and we will not be judged for what we dream, unless we desire it.