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jimbob
Member



Joined: 2005/9/25
Posts: 131


 Re:

I used to have attacks in my early twenties, I used a lot of drugs at the time and I'm sure that opened me up to them. The first one I had I saw two shadow figures climb through my second story bedroom window. The worst one I had was in broad daylight, I was pinned down as if someone was sitting on my chest and holding my wrists, and I felt someone get right in my face and say "I've got you right were I want you". Sleep apnea? NOT!

After I came to the Lord (after He came to me) I got caught up in a very legalistic church, and was still attacked from time to time. After I quit trying to obey God through my own good works and started to live by Grace the attacks stopped, I haven't had one in over 10 years.

I think our striving for righteousness in and of ourselves, opens us up for attack as surely as drugs or the occult. Letting God through Jesus Christ be my righteousness was in my expierence an immediate victory over demonic forces.

 2005/11/15 5:23Profile









 Re: Sleep Apnoea

Quote:
I think our striving for righteousness in and of ourselves, opens us up for attack as surely as drugs or the occult. Letting God through Jesus Christ be my righteousness was in my expierence an immediate victory over demonic forces.

This is a very interesting observation, which makes a lot of sense. Certainly (altho I have never had the kind of attacks discussed in this thread), my equivalent of them which have wakened me, has lessened to very rare, the more I have wholeheartedly placed my life in God's hands - and yes, believed into the meaning of 1 John 1:7.

 2005/11/15 6:20
letsgetbusy
Member



Joined: 2004/9/28
Posts: 957
Cleveland, Georgia

 Re:

Before I was converted I experienced these frequently. I was interested in the occult, but was pretty heavy into martial arts. Though I would read Scripture and pray, I was also living quite the sinful life (alcohol, pornography, etc). I remember many times feeling that presence of someone or something in the room. On one occasion I remember being pounded on, though I can't remember if it was part of the dream or if I was actually struck.

I have been woken up during the past three years as a Christian, though I have felt that it is God trying to speak to me. If there has been an occasion where I woke up and couldn't move since my salvation, I can't remember it. I did have a nightmare related to the video games I was playing for hours on end. And I remember one morning feeling as though I was under demonic attack while waking up, and that it was coming from someone, but I also felt that God's Spirit was abounding around me at the same time, protected me, but allowing me to see what was attempting to come against me.

I also got rid of a lot of occult related things a while back. New age, or anything related. It is strange that some things seem to have a grip on me, and I need to get rid of them, while other things of the occult I am free to take interest in for the glory of God (studying spiritual warfare)....I actually stopped typing and just threw some video games in the trash. Anything with graphic violence. I feel much better now. Wasn't easy, though. I was huge into playing the first person shooters over the internet up until about 8 or 9 months ago.

My dog woke me up tonight, so maybe that was God's way of saying I needed to get rid of those games once and for all.

I can't remember who wrote it, but someone spoke about their jaw tensing up and being unable to move it. While this has not happened to me, my sister described that experience to me years ago, actually called me on the phone at work, and did not want me to get off the phone while I was working. She said her whole upper torso was immobile, though, and sort of hunched over, while driving if I remember correctly. I really didn't know what to say. Sounded like a demonic attack, though I wouldn't have said that at the time, necessarily.

Two things demons don't like coming out of the mouth of a Christian: 1) the name of Jesus, and 2) the blood of Jesus. Lay aside those sins that so easily beset you and crush those demons in the name of the Lord. They want you to ignore them so don't do that. Stand up and be counted for His name's sake.


_________________
Hal Bachman

 2005/11/17 3:34Profile









 Re: Sleep Paralysis

Quote:
They want you to ignore them so don't do that. Stand up and be counted for His name's sake.

Definitely, the harder we press after a deeper knowledge of the Lord, we will 'hit'what feels like serious spiritual opposition. It's important to recognise it as such and ask the Lord for light as to its cause, or to break it's power over us.

I too (long ago now) got rid of things which were associated with spiritual bondage, and although I couldn't say I felt better afterwards, I knew I'd done the right thing, and it was a foundational act of obedience on which the Lord could and did build. In fact, this is probably the hardest 'getting rid of things' event I can remember, as it made me sweat physically to overcome the emotional grip it had on my heart and spirit.

 2005/11/17 6:22
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 Re: Sleep attacks

Quote:
About two years later while taking a nap, I felt something tugging at my ankles.



This thread had been dormant for awhile and actually happened on it again looking for something else. But this happened once again last night, the same as the above out take and that uncanny physical ... pressure ... of being held down, it was more than one and even the realization that I knew what what was happening, that I was in a dream state or was sleeping would be better because the 'dream' aspect was not even ... recognizable. It's vague but my response was something of the sort "Get off of me! ... Jesus!" And the strain of effort to push my way up and out of sleep, that force that holds you back and wishes to keep you in the state of sleep ... Just bizarre. Once I was 'out' I almost expected to see someone on top of me and another still yanking at the ankles. I was well cognizant of what had happened and lied there awhile praying, pondering my wife's face. Wondering and praying that this might be only my battle and not hers ... Was still quite sleepy and had to fight off the drift back but before doing so had the confidence that the Lord would allow whatever was necessary, not that this be necessarily taken away or thwarted but that His presence and strength be there come what may.

[i]For we wrestle not ...

(against flesh and blood)

... but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.[/i] Eph 6:12


_________________
Mike Balog

 2007/4/7 11:48Profile
PaulWest
Member



Joined: 2006/6/28
Posts: 3405
Dallas, Texas

 Re: The explanation (sorry, nothing fantastically demonic):

I've suffered from sleep paralysis on and off all my life. I first remember experiencing it when I was like 8 or 9 years old. You're about to fall to sleep when suddenly your mind awakens and you are totally cognizant of where you are, how you are laying, everything - only, you can't move. You can hardly breathe. You can barely move a limb. Pressure builds upon your chest, like a weight, and you try to to move your lips to make a sound. No air is able to come from your lungs. Everything is paralyzed, and the sensation you experience is one of intense growing terror.

Sound familiar?

It almost invariably occurs while you're on your back, drifing off to sleep. Sometimes, right before the paralysis sets in, you may experience something dark "leap" on your chest. The Scandinavians call this "being ridden by the witch" in their folklore. Othertimes, you may experience an unseen, dark force slowly pulling the blanket off your body. Extreme terror is always present...which may soon escalate into pure panic if you can't "shake out of it" soon.

This is actually a fairly common sleeping disorder, affecting men more than women for some strange reason. Ungodly, unsaved people experience it just as much as saved people; the same symptoms, the same moving of the blanket, the "leap" on the chest, the helpless terror. Apparently, when the body drifts into certain degrees of pre-sleep, muscle relaxation levels are altered. Just like your computer, the body has a "sleep mode" where the part of the brain controlling muscle response goes on standby. Your consciousness, however, is governed by another section of the brain, and if, for some reason, your consciousness is aroused before the muscle response can go off standby, you get the feeling of helpless detachment, or what doctors call sleep "paralysis".

Sorry to take away the all mysticism and sepultchural undertones. Although, I have always been curious about that strange "leap". Has anyone here experienced it? If not, you probably will, now that you've read about it! The mind is a tricky little rascal.

Brother Paul 8-)


_________________
Paul Frederick West

 2007/4/7 12:47Profile
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 Re: Well ... almost

Quote:
Sound familiar?


Almost ...

Hi brother,
Quote:
You're about to fall to sleep

...

Wondering about that, all the times this has occurred have been in regular sleep from what I can recall. A lot of the other parts are indeed quite similar... There is a couple of other replies in here that also mention what I would describe as almost a complete lethargy ... Walking for instance. It is in the 'dream' state but it is as if one is laboring in supper slow motion or the equivalent of trying to walk upstream in a moving river.
Quote:
Apparently, when the body drifts into certain degrees of pre-sleep, muscle relaxation levels are altered.


Again, you mention "pre-sleep" ... Maybe I am just misunderstanding but does this ever occur when you are in a deep sleep? Just curious. Most certainly am not one to attribute even something seemingly demonic as well, demonic ... but it is a very peculiar thing.
Quote:
Although, I have always been curious about that strange "leap". Has anyone here experienced it?

To tell you the truth I don't really recall it. Think there is an account in here somewhere when during a time of prayer I dozed off on my face and felt this incredible pull [i]downward[/i], like through the floor and as you mentioned, couldn't get the lips to move or the voice to force out ... [i]Jesus[/i]! Without a mighty struggle ... once I finally did ... "it" let go and I pulled myself back out into pure consciousness again ...

Strange stuff!


_________________
Mike Balog

 2007/4/7 19:39Profile
PaulWest
Member



Joined: 2006/6/28
Posts: 3405
Dallas, Texas

 Re:

Hi Mike,

Well, for me, this paralysis mostly occurs when I'm drifting off. It's occured during regular sleep (like in the middle of the night), but those times have been far and few. Also, it seems to come in waves. I can go for, say, a year or two without experiencing it, and then have a whole week intersperced by bouts of paralysis. Very strange. I think it may be somehow linked to stress or fatigue.

I remember talking to my brother-in-law, who has also experienced this, and he claims it is a demonic attack. He tells me that when he says "Jesus" it all stops and he can wake up. But I also know that some unsaved people use sleep paralysis as a platform to astral project. When it happens to me, I just cooly identify it for the physiological abnormality that it is and it quickly goes away. This can burst bubbles as some people like to think these occurences are due to them being super-spiritual and Satan tormenting them as a result. But it happens to atheists, gnostics, buddhists, taoists, muslims, mormons, you name it.

As far as the "slow motion" thing goes, that usually happens in dreams, where I'm either trying to fight or flee. I've dreamt I've been in boxing matches where the punches are...reaaaalll...slllllllowww. Know what I mean? This, though, is different from what I've been describing with sleep paralysis. In sleep paralysis, my thoughts are lucid: I [i]know[/i] what's going on. I know I'm in bed, and I know that my mind is awake and alert. I just can't shake off the paralysis.


_________________
Paul Frederick West

 2007/4/7 19:57Profile
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 Re: Sleep wrestling ...

Quote:
He tells me that when he says "Jesus" it all stops and he can wake up.



Which is quite similar of my own experience. However, as you mentioned this has happened before in a variety of times, when I was much younger, "before" the Lord's true conversion though I always had something of a [i]desire[/i] after God even young, ah, don't want to muddle this too much.
Quote:
But I also know that some unsaved people use sleep paralysis as a platform to astral project. Scary stuff.



Yikes! Agree. That's the thing, whatever is going on it certainly has a spiritual element about it even with the physiological. I know often as Christians we can jump to all kinds of conclusions and overt examinations and would likely be the first to raise a caution .. but still...

Actually your mention of tying some of this to stress or fatigue is interesting. Even the more overt spiritual attacks without fail come in these times ... am pretty well convinced these forces are cowards ultimately, not to be trifled with yet nor will they trifle when the Lord is present and showing Himself strong.


_________________
Mike Balog

 2007/4/7 20:21Profile









 Re: Sleep Paralysis

Quote:
A commonly reported hallucination is the feeling of a presence or entity in the room in which the individual sleeps

This happened to me about 4 years ago. I would wake in the middle of the night scared to death, literally. I would squint in the dark looking in the corner and seeing this 'thing' that was laughing at me, I didn't hear anything, just saw it laughing. I couldn't get back to sleep.

The next Wedensday night bible study the Pastor was talking about Sadaam's torture chambers and how his son gave him a human meat grinding machine. My heart sunk to the floor, (I thought is this my destiny, is this the method to which I am to die) I was already filled with fear from these night occurences. It was so bad that I even asked the Pastors son if I could spend the night at his house. I ended up going home that night and faced my fears. I lay there wide awake, crying out to God, "Why can't I sleep". And a verse was quickened to me, "I have not given you a spirit of fear but of love and power and a sound mind". I grabbed the bible to search for that verse and gathered enough faith to rebuke that thing in the name of Jesus, and I fell off to sleep.

I was talking to my Pastor one day and in the discussion I mentioned what I was experiencing, and he immediately went from talking to being really bold in his speech and told me what to do when that happens again. I heeded his advice and I have never had that thing come back since.

Around this time, I even recorded myself sleeping. Freaky and creepy at the same time, but one encouraging thing that I heard myself say in my sleep was, "I love you Jesus".

 2007/4/7 20:36





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