Your thoughts on this experience...,?

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Truth_Faith13

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I would be grateful for your thoughts (personal or church etc) on this experience I had when I was 14. To this day, I don’t know what, who it was or why it happened.

It was the middle of the night and I was in bed when I woke up. I was definitely awake, it wasn’t a dream. Our house is in the middle of the countryside, no street lights, no houses overlooking our back garden (which my room looks onto) and I have black out curtains…so it is pitch black in my room at night. When I awoke I noticed that the room was lighter than normal…I could see certain things that I wouldn’t normally be able to see even after my eyes adjusted. Then I realised at the end of my bed…was a tall figure of white light which was kind if in the shape of a person, but not really and was bright in the “figure” and then just lit the room but only had the concentrated bright light in the figure…almost if a lightning ball had come into the room…but it didn’t move…it just “stood” at the end of my bed. Being 14, I was terrified so hid under my covers…after about 20secs, I came out of the covers and the room was pitch black as it was supposed to be. Went back to sleep and woke up the next morning.

Now the next bit could be my imagination as the years have gone on, but I remember the feeling of it being a lady…but I can’t be sure on that. The rest is as clear as day.

Any ideas?

Some people have mentioned a helicopter but it was very quiet and I can hear the helicopters that fly over the house and I wouldn’t have thought it would be concentrated light in one stop, but more disco light going around the room? While it was bright, it didn’t affect my eyes like the end of a torch or helicopter search light would.

I’ve considered a waking dream…where you are “awake” but your body is still paralysed and dreaming…but I was moving (sitting up in bed, going under covers etc)?

Some have suggested satan as angels don’t appear as women?

🤷
 
Truth Faith13 has seen something :
I woke up. I was definitely awake, it wasn’t a dream.
… it is pitch black in my room at night.
When I awoke I noticed that the room was lighter than normal…
Then I realized at the end of my bed…was a tall figure of white light which was kind if in the shape of a person … but it didn’t move…it just “stood” at the end of my bed… I remember the feeling of it being a lady".
Any ideas?

If it was not a Dream, then you saw something mysterious.
Why are you asking us for (name removed by moderator)ut?
I mean, do you hope that someone will tell you that you had a Godly Vision? for instance, of the Virgin Mary (or, of your Great-Grandmother)?
So, why don’t you explain what YOU think it means? That information may help us know better what it might mean

"Some [people] have suggested Satan as angels don’t appear as women?"
No one has ever suggested that to me.
In fact, I have heard the opposite, that many times Satan (wanting to work on men), will have his demons appear as females.
 
In the absence of any other knowledge, I’d go with this as a case of sleep
Paralysis.

When God or an angel talks to one, there is no room for doubt, AIUI.

ICXC NIKA
 
My vote is for “waking dream.” I’ve had similar, but rarely. OR, do you take any medication? Some can give you strange dreams or illusions, including some pain meds.
 
4love2God said:
Truth Faith13 has seen something :
I woke up. I was definitely awake, it wasn’t a dream.
… it is pitch black in my room at night.
When I awoke I noticed that the room was lighter than normal…
Then I realized at the end of my bed…was a tall figure of white light which was kind if in the shape of a person … but it didn’t move…it just “stood” at the end of my bed… I remember the feeling of it being a lady".
Any ideas?

If it was not a Dream, then you saw something mysterious.
Why are you asking us for (name removed by moderator)ut?
I mean, do you hope that someone will tell you that you had a Godly Vision? for instance, of the Virgin Mary (or, of your Great-Grandmother)?
So, why don’t you explain what YOU think it means? That information may help us know better what it might mean

"Some [people] have suggested Satan as angels don’t appear as women?"
No one has ever suggested that to me.
In fact, I have heard the opposite, that many times Satan (wanting to work on men), will have his demons appear as females.
Click to expand...
I don’t know…which is why I’m asking, if I knew I wouldn’t ask…:I like people to have original thought and not base their answers on my own analysis shrug: I’m leaning towards an hallucination though.

Of course I would love the thought of it being a deceased relative, but I thought that this generally doesn’t happen? And it’s usually satan playing games?

Some people have suggested a religious experience but it makes no sense…what was its purpose if it was the case?

I said they said Angels (as in the non fallen ones who are still with God) don’t appear as women…so they thought it could be satan who has you said will appear as a woman. I’m a woman myself though so that wouldn’t work on me in the sense you are talking 😉
 
captainrick said:
My vote is for “waking dream.” I’ve had similar, but rarely. OR, do you take any medication? Some can give you strange dreams or illusions, including some pain meds.
Click to expand...
I do now, but I’m pretty sure it happened before I started taking my meds. I’ve had one other “hallucination” in the 14 years since so it could very well be that.
 
GEddie said:
In the absence of any other knowledge, I’d go with this as a case of sleep
Paralysis.

When God or an angel talks to one, there is no room for doubt, AIUI.

ICXC NIKA
Click to expand...
That’s what I thought, but my knowledge of the afterlife, angels etc and how that “realm” works is pretty much none existent 🙂

Obviously an hallucination can be very real and I am leaning towards this…but how do people determine between an hallucination and a spiritual/religious experience? Are there differences?
 
OK, Truth Faith13, I will go over some options:
  1. you might have been dreaming of being awake.
    I have had several times over the years when I dreamed about living 2 or 3 days of my Life, AND I was convinced that I HAD lived those days … even after I woke up.
    So, I already had changed the Oil in my Car, and attended a planned meeting for that week.
    Gee, it was deja vu all over again.
    Then, I spend the next couple of days, NOT knowing what day it really is.
  2. It may have been a visitation of a Mother figure.
    I have heard of people seeing a woman at the foot of the bed (who is somehow like a Mother).
    One of the hallmarks of such a vision is that it feels soothing (or, feeling loved).
So, I ask you a Question: Even though you were initially scared, and hid yourself …
What are your long-term emotions about it? e.g., a loving presence … an Evil presence … a neutral existence?

If you can answer this, I will share some more thoughts about that experience.
 
4love2God said:
OK, Truth Faith13, I will go over some options:
  1. you might have been dreaming of being awake.
    I have had several times over the years when I dreamed about living 2 or 3 days of my Life, AND I was convinced that I HAD lived those days … even after I woke up.
    Then, I spend the next couple of days, NOT knowing what day it really is.
  2. It may have been a visitation of a Mother figure.
    I have heard of people seeing a woman at the foot of the bed (who is somehow like a Mother).
So, I ask you a Question: Even though you were initially scared, and hid yourself …
What are your long-term emotions about it? e.g., a loving presence … an Evil presence … a neutral existence?

If you can answer this, I will share some more thoughts about that experience.
Click to expand...
I definitely wasn’t asleep…I’m open to a waking dream…somehow going wrong with paralysis or perhaps hallucination. But I was definitely awake. Same way I know I’m awake now and I guess you know your awake now?

Looking back, it didn’t “feel” like an evil presence. I would say it was friendly, if it was real and not my mind playing tricks on me. I would be quite happy for it to come back sort thing…
 
Truth Faith13 replies : “It was friendly, [in fact] I would be quite happy for it to come back”.

I rather thought that this is the way you felt.
Poor Souls from Purgatory, will sometimes visit a person (especially if it is a close Relative).
Often, with a knock beforehand.
The hallmark of this type of meeting is that the Poor Soul will stand at the foot of the Bed.
The purpose of the meeting would be either: Pray for me, so I can get out of Purgatory … or as a symbolic gesture from God that you are being watched over (and protected, in a way).

Other times, it could be an angel, arriving, but not materializing (or talking).
After all, Jesus is the LIGHT.
So, if you see the Light, you know it is from Jesus.

Other things are less desirable options.
But, if you felt Good, it was Good.
 
4love2God said:
Truth Faith13 replies : “It was friendly, [in fact] I would be quite happy for it to come back”.

I rather thought that this is the way you felt.
Poor Souls from Purgatory, will sometimes visit a person (especially if it is a close Relative).
Often, with a knock beforehand.
The hallmark of this type of meeting is that the Poor Soul will stand at the foot of the Bed.
The purpose of the meeting would be either: Pray for me, so I can get out of Purgatory … or as a symbolic gesture from God that you are being watched over (and protected, in a way).

Other times, it could be an angel, arriving, but not materializing (or talking).
After all, Jesus is the LIGHT.
So, if you see the Light, you know it is from Jesus.

Other things are less desirable options.
But, if you felt Good, it was Good.
Click to expand...
Really? I thought satan being the deceiver could quite easily make something feel good?
 
When I was that age I had a number of similar mystical experiences. My experiences were always ones which left me with no doubt as to the divine origin of the experience and the experience was either a very needed consolation or was in some way prophetic for my life or for someone to whom I was compelled to describe my experience.

God is not going to reveal himself and leave you wondering why it meant.

Conversely the biological mechanisms which cause people to be most likely to experience mystical encounters with God in their terms and twenties are the same biological mechanisms which cause other people in the same age bracket to suffer from delusions andpsychoticepisodes due to illnesses related to scitsophrenia and it’s related disorders.

Telling them apart with real confidence requires the assistance of a spiritual director who has the spiritual gift of discernment.

As the experience you describe does not seem to fit the requirement of being a genuine mystical encounter with the divine then it was either 1) some dream or hallucination or 2) a demonic attack. However you don’t report other features to indicate the likelihood of no 2 and I’m not qualified to consider that option but I believe option 1 is most likely.

It is of course possible that somehow you safe your guardian angel but allowed yourself to be scared of the experience instead of listening to him but we can never know with certainty.

I experienced the awareness of a presence over my bed on many occasions. It was always at times of great emotional turmoil. I “knew” that the presence was divine in origin and was there to comfort me.

I don’t know if it was the Holy Spirit, Jesus himself, His mother Mary, some other Saint or my own Guardian Angel and I make no attempt to question that now 20 years later. I do know with certainty that it was the will and action of God that I be aware of his protection and consolation at those times.
 
Luker said:
I would also vote for “waking dream” which feels very real.
Click to expand...
The other hallucination I had was of my husband sitting next to me when he was actually sleeping the other side of me. That was bizarre!

It’s just the lack of paralysis which makes me doubt a waking dream…but hallucination is def possible.
 
I have seen angels appear as female before snd they were of God. I think it might have been your Gaurdian
 
Thanks for all of your replies.

In a general sense (ie not about the above) how do you tell between an hallucination, an angel from God and a demon disguised as something good?

I know one person mentioned a spiritual director, is this the only way?
 
Truth_Faith13 said:
Thanks for all of your replies.

In a general sense (ie not about the above) how do you tell between an hallucination, an angel from God and a demon disguised as something good?

I know one person mentioned a spiritual director, is this the only way?
Click to expand...
It’s the safest way.

From inside our heads, we can never be sure what we “see” or “hear” is not just a snapshot from our imagination or a rationalization; we need a knowledgeable voice outside ourselves to guide us.

ICXC NIKA
 
Truth_Faith13 said:
The other hallucination I had was of my husband sitting next to me when he was actually sleeping the other side of me. That was bizarre!

It’s just the lack of paralysis which makes me doubt a waking dream…but hallucination is def possible.
Click to expand...
I have sleep paralysis quite frequently- probably 5-10 times per month. Part of the waking dream can also be that you are moving. I have been paralyzed only to then get up, crawl out my window and start flying 🙂 but I have also been paralyzed and able to repeat with accuracy what was on the news playing in the background while I was “asleep”.

Sleep paralysis is a strange mash up between reality and fantasy- sometimes leaning one way and sometimes the other. I would not let the movement rule out sleep paralysis as a possibility.
 
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