Author

Subject: repetitive dreams for last 7 years

tekkie

21:37 16/09/2002 

A man, more a black shadow, pins me down on my back. I can’t move or speak. I can only shake, not in fear, but in trying to get it off me.

Recently the feeling is the same but I can’t see anything. I feel its presence and its power over the top of me holding me down.

The dream surroundings are the same as when I awake and I feel helpless, as if this "thing" comes inside my body.

Note:

This dream has been recurring for the last 7 years.

Dream edited for easier reading - JT, 2005

Carol K

16:15 18/09/2002 

Hello tekkie

It sounds to me like sleep paralysis, an often terrifying event. When we dream our bodies become paralysed as a safety device to stop us from acting out what we are dreaming. It becomes terrifying if we become somewhat conscious of the fact and discover that we can't move - believe me I know, I've experienced it many times over a few years period. I also had terrifying dreams of soemone coming in and attacking me, sometimes trying to smother me.

What you can do to counter these attacks is to do whatever is necessary for you to feel safe in your bed. Then you can relax and the attacks should stop (note that I was in a very stressful relationship when my attacks occurred - when I left the relationship, the attacks stopped).

That means you may need to look at what is tressing you in your waking life, or causing you to feel fearful or insecure in your bderoom whilst asleep.

In the short term at least, and what may even be a long term solution, is to firmly establish in your mind that you ARE secure and nothing can harm you whilst asleep. I could suggest some sort of ritual to clear the space inside your bedroom (either something you invent yourself, and can be as simple as walking around the room, checking under the bed, the windows, doors, etc, and stating aloud that the space is cleared of all negativity and will remain that way - or more complex), or you can use something like a "banishing ritual", many of which can be found online (try a search engine).

I hope that helps

Oobe

23:56 20/09/2002 

Tekkie,

I would suggest burning incence in your bedroom with the windows open to clear the space, plus candle burning.

Also run a ring of salt around your bed, or dtrong salty water from a squeeze bottle.

You may also buy some quartz crystals and gewt a book on how to program them for protection.

Hope this helps.

Oobe

23:57 20/09/2002 

I also think you may need to visit a clairvoyant of good repute and get a reading on the issue.

Jane Teresa Anderson

11:03 21/09/2002 

Hi Tekkie,

As Carole K has described, what you are experiencing may be sleep paralysis which can especially occur if you tend to wake up (in your mind) before your body awakens (and loses the normal dreamstate paralysis).

Both Carole K and Oobe have suggested some great calming ideas to help here.

Now let's look at the symbolic side to this kind of dream, as it is common and can be solved by understanding it:

Frightening though the shadow man is, it is a part of yourself. When there are things, thoughts, feelings or memories that we find extremely difficult we often push them away -so far away that we can't even relate to them. In dreams we may experience these pushed-away feelings as shadowy, frightening or extremely scary presences.

Now - we push these away because WE judge them to be negative (evil, frightening etc). Our judgement can be way out. For example, some people are frightened of their own power and dissociate (push away) this from the realm of their being. Others push away their exuberance or their talents, for example, each of which can appear in a dream as a frightening force - simply because, for the dreamer, their power, exuberance or talent does feel like a frightening force.

Strict religious codes can account for such dreams - some religions teach the concept of evil, of wrongdoing ... a dreamer who judges himself guilty of 'sinning' may push away the sin only to confront it in a dream as a shadowy, evil force ... even (and commonly) as the devil. It isn't the devil ... it is self judgement coming back.

The thing is, tekkie, to look at other parts of these dreams that will give clues as to the nature of what it is that you have pushed away, that you fear so much within yourself or for your life.

Then it's a process of understanding this ... and doing simple exercises to end this. Often, just understanding what it is that you have been pushing away is sufficient to stop the recurring dream and to allow you to reduce your fear and embrace the old memory/feeling/ whatever so that you walk forward into a more confident life.

Hope this helps,

Jane Teresa