Dreams: Saints / Angels, Demons, biology?

[Aethel]

I have a question for you Catholics:

One recurring theme in the lives of the Saints / mystics is that often the Saints or angels will appear in dreams to convey information. However, the same seems to be true of demons.

Many skeptics (I myself included) kind of think these thoughts are mentally produced by ourselves.

Question: how do you determine or verify that these dreams come from Saints or angels, demons, or just your own biology?

Pax

[james03]

Dreams are repeatedly warned about by the Church.  The general advice is to ignore dreams.  You are also to test the spirits.

When an angel talks, it is unmistakeable.  If you question whether it happened, it didn't happen, though the normal means is to influence your imagination to motivate you.  That's something different.

Demons also are quite obvious.  I was once trying to convert a heathen via internet (she was about 1,000 miles away).  I didn't realize she was a witch.  A big eye appeared on my wall.  I said the name Jesus, and it vanished.  You are probably thinking what I was thinking, that I needed to cut back on the coffee and Copenhagen.  Then I heard the "ding" from my computer (we used to use that when email was relatively new), and I got an email from her a few minutes after the event.  Caps in the original: "I SEE you are afraid of me."  I cut off my attempts to save her from burning in hell.

The Big Black Thing is not uncommon.  It is a zone of pure nothingness and an infinite abyss of hate.  To get rid of it, you either point and laugh at it, or you turn your back and yawn.  Hard to do the first time. 

There's also demonic obsession, which I went through.  The tactic again is to laugh at it (conveyed to me by a priest).  When the demon was leaving it reminded me of a catty woman and screamed "we're still going to drag you to hell" (they HATE being laughed at).  I fell on the ground laughing at it.  It never came back, except sneak attacks where they startle you at night, popping in front of you with a beastly face, but quickly flee because they don't want to hear the glorious name Jesus.

So you see, dreams are BS for the most part because manifest interactions are not subtle.  VERY rarely do you have a valid dream where God gives you miraculous advice.

And since you are a heathen, if you ever get in with witches, and get attacked, just remember to say the glorious name of Jesus and you'll quickly defeat them.

[james03]

By the way, if YOU are having a recurring dream or something, and it is calling you to God it MIGHT be valid.  If it is something you have to decode or interpret, it's probably a regular dream.  You'd have to run it by a Trad priest.

[Aethel]

A big eye appeared on my wall.  I said the name Jesus, and it vanished.  You are probably thinking what I was thinking, that I needed to cut back on the coffee and Copenhagen.  Then I heard the "ding" from my computer (we used to use that when email was relatively new), and I got an email from her a few minutes after the event.  Caps in the original: "I SEE you are afraid of me."  I cut off my attempts to save her from burning in hell.

...Was it like a real eye that popped up in front of you? Was it realistic or cartoony? Your imagination? Did your eyes draw out images from patterns? That's creepy dude.

The Big Black Thing is not uncommon.  It is a zone of pure nothingness and an infinite abyss of hate.  To get rid of it, you either point and laugh at it, or you turn your back and yawn.  Hard to do the first time.

Big black thing?

I know from my Catholic / Orthodox days that you shouldn't talk about these things because demons ears perk up when they are being talked about, so feel free not to talk about it. I'm less inclined to believe these things though just due to their non-falsifiability and the fact that people when they describe these experiences tend to all over the place and inconsistent. One person may describe Satan as being a red skinned guy in devil horns, another may describe him as a terrifying monstrous abomination, another describes him as a gorgeous angel, etc.
My point is I personally subjectively am okay talking about this stuff, if you aren't feel free not to discuss these things. Just want to be respectful in a Catholic forum.

[james03]

...Was it like a real eye that popped up in front of you? Was it realistic or cartoony? Your imagination? Did your eyes draw out images from patterns? That's creepy dude.

It was flat on the wall looking at me.  I didn't take time to study it.  It scared the crap out of me, and I reflexively said "Jesus" and it vanished.  As far as imagination, that's what I first thought.  I literally thought "I got to cut back on the coffee and dip, and get some more sleep".  But then I got that email and "SEE" was capitalized.

I confirmed later that she was a powerful witch.  Ironically she had a big impact on Ratzinger at the University of Tubingen in 1968.  She cast a spell in front of him and he turned around and fled.  I believe her because she was a powerful witch.

One person may describe Satan as being a red skinned guy in devil horns, another may describe him as a terrifying monstrous abomination, another describes him as a gorgeous angel, etc.

The physical stuff is minor.  The big black thing is not a thing and it's almost like it is not there.  But it is there.  It's just pure hatred and evil.

My point is I personally subjectively am okay talking about this stuff, if you aren't feel free not to discuss these things. Just want to be respectful in a Catholic forum.

Yeah, probably not a good idea.  Curiosity in the demonic is bad.  They are losers, replaced by the second string.  Boring little monkeys and losers.  "Who is like unto God.".  Shows they are losers.

I leave it with this.  When you have demonic obsession, there is a link that goes both ways.  I know what the little weasel was thinking.  I describe a demon as an infinite abyss of hate.  If you could set up a confessional in hell which would even free them from hell, they would take joy in not using it, because the refusal would allow them to manifest ultimate hatred of God.  They hate so much they'll undergo the torments of hell rather than use the confessional.

How do I know that?  It's a question I asked myself.

And I'll add one more thing.  What are the two characteristics that define our age?  Lying and hatred.

[james03]

I have to share the work of the priest because it is a cool story.  The attack on me came about as cuss words said in my head as I tried to pray.  I thought it was me because I knew nothing about demons, so I went to confession.

On the other side of the screen by the grace of God was an Irish priest.  (Diaduit will like this part of the story).  So you have to imagine an Irish accent, because he was from there.  He starts laughing in a very Irish way, which kind of surprised me.  So he says, "and I bet you aren't able to pray because of it."  And I said loudly "yes!".  Then he got dead serious and I could tell that he was leaning in towards the screen.  And he says, "ole scratch is after you boy.".  So now I'm thinking I'm possessed and freaking out.  Then he explained what was going on and what to do.  It worked.

[Michael Wilson]

Invoke the Holy Names of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, frequently.

[james03]

Shuts it down immediately.  Sign of the Cross is also effective.  You have many weapons.

[Julio]

Many skeptics (I myself included) kind of think these thoughts are mentally produced by ourselves.

Question: how do you determine or verify that these dreams come from Saints or angels, demons, or just your own biology?

Pax

When you say mental, you don't believe that body and spirit is one. There is evil and there is God and the One Holy Catholic Church has its Magisterium or the deposit of faith as the guiding light in the determining the truth and the lies.

I know the potency and chemistry of the brain and thoughts can be motivated by any taken substance and the fact of our own biology as you stated it. But, that is just the body. I now like to harness my soul.

God does not want us to even verify our dreams. He just want us to trust Him.

[Aethel]

The physical stuff is minor.  The big black thing is not a thing and it's almost like it is not there.  But it is there.  It's just pure hatred and evil.

Last thing than I'll stop before curiosity kills the cat - what do you think it was? Do you think it was Satan himself? A demon? Was it a form a demon took? Something that's closer to a demon's true form than what we are able to comprehend? Could this have been in your head?

I've never had any experiences like this, except for disturbing thoughts entering my prayer when I was religious, like you've described - cursing, sometimes disgustingly graphic / blasphemous thoughts. I've had a few experiences where I felt like Jesus spoke to me through a priest - hard to explain, but it felt like the Priest's tone and voice were slightly modified and this happened twice with two different priests, the tone changed similarly, and both times I got the impression Jesus was speaking - very deep, soft, bold, slow, comforting - a tint of groaning? And one time where I was working at our Church's soup kitchen and this beautiful middle eastern - looked Lebanese - with these gorgeous beautiful blue eyes, hooded woman came in for help, and I seriously got the impression it was Mary; either walking among us or giving me a sign of her presence - it was this weird thing where she was looking down gently smiling as I was looking at her,  consciously ignoring eye contact, like she was aware of who I was and why I was looking at her, and found it mildly amusing. She took the food, sat by herself, ate it, and then left as soon as she was done. But looking back I really can say "hey these things were just in my head," a sort of placebo thing, maybe my mind was looking for signs when there was none.

Why wouldn't God or his Saints be more straightforward instead of me searching for signs like this? If there is a God, it's probably a mystery I'll never figure out.

[james03]

Last thing than I'll stop before curiosity kills the cat - what do you think it was? Do you think it was Satan himself? A demon? Was it a form a demon took? Something that's closer to a demon's true form than what we are able to comprehend? Could this have been in your head?

Demons aren't physical.  They can appear however they want because they have access to your imagination.  The physical part is minor.

As far as names, I don't talk to them so I'm not asking their names.  You never talk to them, only admonish them through your Guardian Angel as a kind of prayer.  Thus as I was laughing at the demon, I did it in conversation with my Guardian Angel.

As far as imagination, I told you about the email.  You'd have to go way out on a limb to believe capitalized "SEE" a few minutes after the event was a coincidence.  And then I did research and found out she was a witch.  All coincidence, right?  And I'll add that something happened to Ratzinger in Tubinger in 1968 that made him become less radical.  That part is in articles, though not the part about the witch.

And you don't have to worry.  Since you have separated from the Faith the demons will give you a wide berth.  Your only danger would be to inadvertently get around a witch.  Then you might get attacked.  Very unlikely.

[diaduit]

I have to share the work of the priest because it is a cool story.  The attack on me came about as cuss words said in my head as I tried to pray.  I thought it was me because I knew nothing about demons, so I went to confession.

On the other side of the screen by the grace of God was an Irish priest.  (Diaduit will like this part of the story).  So you have to imagine an Irish accent, because he was from there.  He starts laughing in a very Irish way, which kind of surprised me.  So he says, "and I bet you aren't able to pray because of it."  And I said loudly "yes!".  Then he got dead serious and I could tell that he was leaning in towards the screen.  And he says, "ole scratch is after you boy.".  So now I'm thinking I'm possessed and freaking out.  Then he explained what was going on and what to do.  It worked.

Love the story alright but ya frightened the livin daylights out me last night when I was reading your other story all alone downstairs while the house was quiet 

Luckily I bless my back door every morning with holy water and if hubby is gone to work I say 'as proper authority in this house I ask God to keep evil from my house today' or if he is here, I bless the back door and say ' as second in command, I ask God to keep evil out of my house'.  I haven't had any eerie dealings for a long time since I started doing that.

[TrendyWeb1]

As far as imagination, I told you about the email.  You'd have to go way out on a limb to believe capitalized "SEE" a few minutes after the event was a coincidence.  And then I did research and found out she was a witch.  All coincidence, right?  And I'll add that something happened to Ratzinger in Tubinger in 1968 that made him become less radical.  That part is in articles, though not the part about the witch.

Can you add anything about the Ratzinger thing? Is this woman famous or something?

[james03]

Please don't go looking for this woman.  Curiosity in the demonic is not good.  They are losers filled with lies all wrapped up in an infinite abyss of hatred.  That's it, there is nothing else to know about them.

If you know an exorcist priest, tell him about the story if you want, and let him do the research.  Though I don't know what the purpose would be.  If I run into an exorcist priest, I'd probably tell him myself.

[Greg]

Never had such an experience.

That could mean I am headed for Hell and the devils don't need to bother.

I do believe in it however.  I have heard enough otherwise sober sensible people tell me their experiences.  Sometimes they sound imagined.  Sometimes they sound anything but.  As real as real can be.