Making nightmares go away

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 04 Dec 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

JC	04 Dec 2002
Talk about a Nine of swords situation. I've been having recurring nightmares for about the last six months. We're talking about Jack the Ripper type stuff - rape, general torture, dismemberment, etc. At first I just thought they would go away on their own, and when I was less stressed they calmed down a bit. The also seemed less terrifying when my brother moved out of the house. Four a while a woman with a dark complexion would watch me sleep to keep the nightmares away, and as long as she stayed they wouldn't come around. She never stayed all through the night, though, she'd be gone when I woke up and I would faintly remember having a nightmare. Last night a small - about four feet long - yellow dragon came into the dream and started eating some dark cloudy stuff that was surounding me (the real, sleeping me, not the dream me.) But whatever he ate just seemed to grow back, and it seemed to be poisoning him. I have too much to do to keep getting only four hours of sleep at night, and now it's getting so bad the memories of these dreams seem to creep up on me from out of nowhere during the day when I'm awake. I'm ready to try almost anything. Is there anything you guys would recomend meditating on before I try to go to sleep?

aeonx	04 Dec 2002
Oh, I know *exactly* what you are talking about! I've been tortured by nightmares my entire life, and I can certainly relate to your problem. First, what happened six months ago that could have triggered them? Have you been bothered by this before? And, can there be a relation between your nightmares and your interest for 'occult' matters? The latter one has bothered me numerous times. Every time I would read an occult book, touch tarot cards or the like, the nightmares would be much more severe than 'normal'. However, a very wise member of Aeclectic (thank you Thirteen) came up with an idea that helped me for some time: Ground yourself every evening before you go to sleep. Do white light protection-work. Visualize yourself soaked in white light, encapsulated in a sphere of this magnificent light. Picture that you breath the light in, and that you breath out all the bad stuff. Chase away your demons with the light. Do this for at least a few minutes every night. Last year I went to get a tarot reading from a very special guy. He did some sort of healing to make the nightmares go away. Up till then I was bothered by nightmares at least four times a week. From this day (some time August 2001) till for a few weeks ago, I was not bothered by nightmares any more. Till... A few weeks ago something happened so that the nightmares were triggered again, and I was so scared during night that I couldn't sleep. Now, I know what to do. First, I refused to let myself be abused by my subconsciousness! Imagine, being afraid of the dark!! *l* Well, first and foremost I slept with the light on for three days, removing my anxiety for the dark. I have a tendency to picture things lurking in the shadows... Then I got my stereo from my office and to my bedroom, and I still play some soft, comforting music every night when going to bed. When I was little I believed that music chased the evil witches away, and it certainly chases away vivid and scary fantasies. :) Most importantly, though, I've written down my feelings and my dreams. I've written as accurately as possible how terrible I've been feeling, and how hard it's been to cope with this problem. I've named my fears and my anxieties. In doing this, you're your own therapist. Writing helps you to get things off your chest! It's hard going around with this kind of problem alone. If it's hurting your life the way it seemingly does, I would take action now. Start tonight. Write down what scares you. Describe your monsters. Refuse to let them get to you. Oh, sorry for rambling, but I really hope you could benefit from my experiences. If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask me, either here or via e-mail/pm if you feel it's too personal. As I've said, I know exactly what you are talking about. Blessings, and happy dreams, ~aeonx~

zorya	04 Dec 2002
complicated question. what changed in your life at the time these dreams started? what are you afraid of? are you under a great deal of stress at this time? i would recommend keeping a pen and paper next to your bed. (pens that light up are very handy for this) as soon as you wake up, write down your dreams. if they are trying to tell you something, pushing them away won't help. keep a journal to help you analyze them. they will go away when you understand and accept what they are saying. when i need help with my dreams, i ask my spirit guides for assistance. i ask them to help me remember clearly and understand my dreams. the odds are, the dreams are coming from within you. on the unlikely chance that they are coming from outside of yourself, you may want to smudge your room. you said that they lessened when you were less stressed. pretty sure that means it's not an 'outside' problem. aeonx; i must have been writing mine as you posted yours. lol.

JC	04 Dec 2002
I've been having these in some form since I was twelve and before I knew what "occult" meant, so I doubt it has anything to do with cards. In fact, I almost put this in the Card forum because I originally thought about meditating on a physical image - it gets really hard to concentrate on a mental one. I know this got triggered by an acount I read of a woman who had been raped. (My parents weren't always the most attentive. Never let a kid with a hyperactive imagination get their hands on something like that!) And I know they're related to living with my brother, because I don't feel physically safe with him or his friends in the house. I doubt he'd actually do anything to me, but he used to threaten to kill me when he was younger, and I don't know his friends that well. And I know they're related to my general level of stress. :( I can't wait for this semester to end!

Phoenix	04 Dec 2002
I have a feeling that this dark skinned woman is spirit guide of yours. You may want to try to contact her. The dragon...four feet long, and yellow...sounds like a guardian dragon. Do you feel the presence of the dragon during the day. If it is a guardian dragon, it will do it's best to help you and keep you safe. Project love. That is all it needs. Try to find the book "dancing with Dragons" by DJ Conway. It will teach you all you need to know about dragons. Do you practise magick of any sort?? If so, you could try a binding on your nightmares. Hope this helps.

JC	04 Dec 2002
Keeping in mind I'm Catholic, I thought the woman was Mary. I hadn't thought about the dragon since then, but you're right, he's still hanging around. I'm a bit worn out for projecting love. Will gratitude work? The last time I tried anything magickal freaked me out. I had an out of body experience. That was five years ago. I am attracted to the thought of doll magick, though.

Phoenix	04 Dec 2002
Perhaps it was Mary. I am not Catholic(never was...Protestant) so I don't know much about the way Catholics do it. I know that Catholics pray to certain saints to speak to God on their behalf. Each saint presides over something dont they?? Like St. Francis presides over animals?? And mary, isn't she supposed to be like Patroness of women?? The dark skin makes sense now. She might be the one looking over you. About the dragon. I think it knows how you feel, so you don't actually have to project love. Look for "Dancing with Dragons" though. It isn't really a magick book per say. It teaches the reader about dragons, and how to work with them as co-magicians. It is very beneficial to have a dragon guide. They are powerful, and VERY protective. The dragon. He will help. I am certain of it.

Shadow Wolf	04 Dec 2002
If you sleep with Lavendar in a dream pillow under your pillow, it's supposed to ward off nightmares. You might also try a good old-fashioned dream-catcher, the bad dreams are caught in the web and are burned away at first light and so only the good dreams are allowed to get through the "spirit hole" in the center. This worked wonders for my kids whenever they had bad dreams. Who knows, it just might work !!! Good luck and sweet dreams !!!!!!

Diana	05 Dec 2002
Just a thought, triggered by the memory of terrible nightmares a friend had at one time, the kind you are mentioning. Do these nightmares occur if you sleep in another room? My friend realised that she only had them in one particular room. If she slept in the living room for instance, she didn't have them. There seemed to have been some kind of "evil spirit" inhabiting her bedroom. After some research, it was found that the building she lived in had been built on the site of an ancient graveyard, and there was obviously something that had installed itself in her room. She had to move shortly after, so never got round to solving the problem.

Sea Sprite	05 Dec 2002
JC, I can relate cuz I've been tormented by nightmares from a very early age. Dream catchers didn't work for me. What did work for me were 3 small pieces of amethyst under my pillow or ask God for the protective love and light to surround me while I sleep and or calling upon Archangel Michael to watch and protect me. You might enjoy reading a book 'Healing with the Angels: How the Angels Can Assist You in Every Area of Your Life' by Doreen Virtue. I have found the guided meditations to be very helpful in releasing stress and fear. Let us know what works for you. ;)

aeonx	05 Dec 2002
JC: zorya's suggestion about smudging the room might be a good idea. Maybe you could do white light-protection on both your room and yourself. I would also echo Phoenix's suggestion about Dragon-work. Have you tried to write though? It could be some sort of dream/general-journal. ~aeonx

Sulis	05 Dec 2002
My son someimes has nightmares although not to the extent that you`ve been suffering. When he`s having nightmare troubles I cleanse a piece of amethyst with Reiki and then visualise it absorbing any negative energies which may be around, he then sleeps with it under his pillow. Works every time. Love and light Crystalmynx xx

JC	05 Dec 2002
Diana - yeah, I only get them in the one room. I've never slept very well in my bedroom. How would I . . . . . . smudge a room? . . . make a dream pillow? . . . cleanse an amethyst with Reiki? I think I may have mentioned that my last (admittedly only) experiance with Wicca freaked me out, so I don't know much about these things. I did get to sleep last night. The dragon is still here. He has a name that I can't figure out, so I've nicknamed him Osh Kosh because he seems a little smaller than I expected a dragon to be.

Phoenix	05 Dec 2002
Oh, dragons come in all sizes. ;) Just ask Mystick Dragon. The small ones are generally guardian dragons, and usually attach themselves to s specific person. To cleanse a crystal with reiki, you need to be attuned by a reiki master to be able to access the reiki energy. But what I would do, is, if you can, get some crystals, such as amethyst, clear quartz(aka rock crystal), some obsidian(or some other black stone, like jet, onyx or black tourmaline, in my opinion black tourmaline is the best, as it deflects negative energies), and keep these stones near your bed. You don't really need reiki. All you need to do is envision some white light(you can call for some white light from Mary, or God, or whoever), pouring into te stones. Do this until you feel that they are fully charged. This should help with the nightmares. To smudge. You need to find some incense with some purifying properties. Some good ones for this are sage(one of the best I think), cedar, or sandalwood works too. First charge the insence in the same way as the crystals, with the white light. Then light the insence, and walk around the room visualizing all negative energies leaving the room. Hope this helps!

JC	05 Dec 2002
Thanks for explaining. I'll check these methods out.

meatbox666	05 Dec 2002
Are you smoking PCP or hitting LSD? I ask because drugs affect ones sleep habits. If you are then try to detox your system. If you are not then go see a physiological psychologist who puts emphasis on biochemistry. It maybe a lack of certain nuerotransmitters. Hopefully you have insurance to cover the expenses. I hope everything works out. I will give you a more spiritual approach to your situation. Every time the moon changes turn your mattress over and sprinkle it with love oil. ( It changed to new yesterday). Keep a vase or bowl of water under your bed and change it every 7 days. Repeat the Vihi Naomprayer which is Psalms 91. Keep in mind the Holy name that accommpanies this Psalm which is El. That means Strong God. Then say the following prayer humbly: Let it be thy holy pleasure, oh my God! to take the evil spirit by which I am tormented, for the sake of thy great, mighty and holy name El Schaddei. Wilt thou presently send me mental health and let me be perfectly restored. Hear this prayer as thou once did that of thou servant Moses when he prayed this Psalm. Let my prayer penetrate to thee as once the holy incense arose to thee on high. Amen. Selah! This is a prayer through which all distress and suffering may be turned aside.

Dark Inquisitor	06 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by meatbox666 Are you smoking PCP or hitting LSD? Jeepers, meatbox-- ! There is a rumor going around that some people have wondered that same thing about you!! Not me , of course...! I would never do that. Now if I remember correctly, ...reaching thru the misty past 25 years gone, down through bad shag fur pillows, mood rings, psychedelic t- shirts, peace signs , and other irritating accumulated cultural debris that I had nothing to do with, LSD was acid & acid came in hits & acid was dropped. Actually, modern anti-depressants can activate a weird lizard brain base level that will give you horrifying nightmares. So be very careful who you turn your neurotransmitters over to. So JC, I think you must figure out if this is an inner conflict, or an outer interference. Get some psychic protection books & don't experiment with rememdies that might make things worse since you are not sure what you have going on yet. As for me, most of my dreams are past life adventures or incredibly boring mundane things, like washing dishes. Blah. Tarotphelia

meatbox666	06 Dec 2002
I have hit PCP and Acid and my dreams were screwed. I had nightsweats and heart palpitations and thought I was going to die at one point. That is why I asked. With drug testing to get a job and keep it, I have stopped. It seems every behavior displayed is a result of biochemical imbalances or can result from drugs legally and illegally. I have experienced this. I have found an effective remedy-prayer. Prayer changes things especially if one knows the right words backed by the proper emotions. The most excellent prayers and curses are found in the Holy Bible. The words are amazing and the emotions the person was experiecing at the time can be felt. Whoever wrote the Bible I sure would hate to be his enemy. My favorite is Psalms 55. A perfect example I think to express the emotions of the authors is Psalm 55.( Please understand that there are plenty of positve emotions expressed in the Bible but this one is my favorite) " Let death seize them, let them go down alive into hell." It really is a good Psalm. I picked the more grueling portion of it because it is my favorite passage. It is not a totally negative Psalm.

JC	06 Dec 2002
Nope, never done drugs, although a few people have recommended marijuana to help me relax. I wouldn't use it because lung cancer runs in family. So no, I don't smoke, I don't like very many alcoholic drinks, and I tend not to socialize with folks who do. I got another good night of sleep this morning (long story - my aunt had me drive her into the next state and back at one thirty a.m.) I smudged my room and put a black tourmaline under my pillow. And the dreams aren't bothering me with as much intensity during the day. And Osh is still here. Do I need to cleanse the tourmaline every night, or how often?

Phoenix	06 Dec 2002
JC, I would cleanse it once every new moon. I am glad that you could get some tourmaline. The black tourmaline is supposed to actually deflect negativity, instead of absorbing it, as say onyx, or obsidian. Hope all works out for you.

MeeWah	06 Dec 2002
Greetings, JC: I rarely visit Spirituality but have been due to the Yule ritual being planned on this forum & your query caught my eye. Thoughts are things. That is, depending on the individual, one can inadvertently create & manifest one's fears; or trigger them when under stress. Dwelling on those "things" gives them energy & strength. I am fairly certain ye must be particularly sensitive &/or inadvertently "adept" with the imagination/visualization. I agree with Meatbox that the Bible has some very good & powerful prayers. The Lord's Prayer & Psalm 91 are both appropriate for protection. Consider also the Hail Mary along with the other two in a prayerful/meditative sequence. Mary &/or the Archangel Michael can be called upon for help. Before approaching any prayer or meditative work, surround the self & the environs with Light first! Here is another, attributed to Alice Bailey. As ye recite it, visualize Light, Love & so on as described enveloping the whole being: The Light of God surrounds me; The Love of God enfolds me; The Power of God protects me And the Presence of God watches over me. Wherever I am, God Is. Sandalwood, sage & frankincense are all very good protective, purifying incenses. Rodolite is good to alleviate trauma & to promote healing. It can be worn or carried in a pocket. A "housecleaning" can literally & figuratively help to raise the vibrations & eliminate the negative energy in the sleeping area. "Bless" whatever ye use to clean the area, including the water by sprinkling with holy water or "charging" same with Light. A drop of holy water added to regular water or distilled water will make "more". Use this water to clean the area as you normally would & imagine Light filling the entire space. Do a through physical cleaning in a prayerful manner. Afterwards, burn the incense in the center of the room & imagine it filled with Light.

The Enchanter	07 Dec 2002
I have 2 suggestions. I would listen to my favorite music and let it play ALL night. And if you still hppen to fall into these nightmares thenhave fun with it. Try to control the dream. You seem to have had them many times. Don't just wake up. Get up in the dream and talk to the characters in the dreams. The dreamworld ha no limits or rules. You can bend it however you want to. I have taken over some of my dreams before. It's actually quite exciting. I hope i was a help to you. Peace out!

The Enchanter	07 Dec 2002
And if you are interested (only if you do magic). I have a spell for good dreams. PM me if you are interested.

The Making nightmares go away thread was originally posted on 04 Dec 2002 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.