Nightmares and Night Terrors
An in-depth look at Nightmares and Night Terrors, what they are & how to deal with them.
In my previous article, I defined dreams as the persistent attempts of your heart/subconscious to get you to acknowledge and process your emotions regarding current life issues. In other words, the purpose of dreaming is to bring your spirit peace by resolving emotions; much in the same way as having a conversation with another person about a matter which is close your heart.
It is important that you find the interpretation to your dream so you can begin to consciously work through whatever issues you might be ignoring. All dreams have a meaning, but not all dreams have a significant meaning. Sometimes simply acknowledging that something is still an issue for you, or being in tune with how you feel about something is enough. Other times, journaling or talking with someone you trust about how you are feeling is needed for your spirit to feel heard and respected. Other times, professional counseling is needed to work through some life issues.
Don’t make major life decisions in haste because of a dream alone. The meaning of your dream should be sought and weighed carefully with God’s truths.
What is a Nightmare?
As defined by Wikipedia: “A nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety and great sadness. The dream may contain situations of discomfort, psychological or physical terror. Sufferers often awaken in a state of distress and may be unable to return to sleep for a small period.”
Why do people have nightmares?
Nightmares are the screams of an unhealed heart.
You may be experiencing nightmares if you have had issues within your life that have caused you a great amount of grief, fear, or anxiety. These are huge drivers in a person’s soul, and spirit. Finding out what has triggered those drivers in your life is one of the first steps to healing your heart.
We can not skip the process of grief because it is important to heal. Grief over the loss of a loved one, or loss of a job, or past regrets, etc. These are all real and valid, needing resolution.
Fears (rational or irrational) are real and must be acknowledged and sometimes confronted. Healing from fear can be a daily thing and the struggle can leave a person emotionally paralyzed. We must move past the feelings of fear and into faith in God. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but it can be done.
Putting our faith in God’s trustworthiness will help extinguish the effects of fear. Notice, I didn’t say it would remove the presence of fear; only it’s effects.
All emotions are natural and designed by God and we need to allow ourselves to feel the full range of human emotions without stifling them. Ignoring emotions, especially the painful ones, can leave a person’s soul in torment and often result in nightmares. There must be an exchange of fear for trust. Without this exchange, we put ourselves at mercy of the waves of life instead of being secure in the love of God.
What to do about Nightmares
After finding the meaning of your dream and seeing where the issue lies in your life, you need to begin the healing process. This will look different for many people depending on the person and the healing that must take place. Here are a few steps and Scriptures which may help you.
- Ask God to help heal your heart. Understand that God does not force Himself on a person. He wants you to want Him and that relationship with God is a daily thing which needs communication. Open your heart to talk with the Lord, even about those things in your heart that you would rather ignore.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
- Repent where needed. Remember that simple forgiveness for sin is not salvation from sin. If you have been struggling with an obstinate sin, please do not believe that you are just doomed with it for the rest of your life. Repent of that sin and replace it with righteousness.
“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” – Matthew 3:8
“…casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” – 1 Peter 5:7-9
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first.” – Matthew 12:43-45
Jesus shows us that simply cleaning up the old sin is not enough. It must be replaced with something new and godly, otherwise it remains an empty space waiting for something to come and fill it.
- Discontinue toxic, manipulative or unhealthy relationships. If there is a person, or people, in your life whose negative or sinful behaviors or character have a strong and unhealthy influence, you need to limit or cut off those relationships. For example, if you struggle with drug addiction and have a close friend who persistently tempts you to continue in that addiction, cut off that relationship. Or maybe someone is manipulating you for their own advantage. Do whatever is necessary to cease that manipulative influence. (Please note, that if you are struggling with a damaged marriage, I am not advocating divorce. I am referring to relationships that are unhealthy in their influence on your character and soul. Marriage is intended to be a reflection of the love and holiness of God. Make every effort for this to be replicated in your marriage.)
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” – Psalm 56:3-4
- Repent and replace negative behaviors. If you are constantly speaking and thinking negative things, it is destroying you. For some people, it would be enough to stop watching tv shows that are stirring up negative feelings. The images that you see have an affect on your mental and emotional well-being. Your words tend to lead your actions and they are rooted in the depth of your soul. Seek positive purpose for your life and release that into others was well.
“For God gave us not a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7
- If you have had a traumatic experience that keeps playing over and over in your mind, it is imperative that you confess that picture, repent of anything that you need to, and forgive yourself and others. Ask God to help you heal by giving you a new picture or helping you see Him in the picture. Turn the light on in the darkness!
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” – 1 Corinthians 15:55
- Pray over your home. Outloud, state that you and your house will serve the Lord and that Jesus is Lord of your house. Ask Jesus to come drive out any demonic presence immediately. Dedicate your home to Jesus and dwell in purity!
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. – James 4:6-8
What are Night Terrors?
As defined by Wikipedia: “Night terror, also known as sleep terror, is a sleep disorder, causing feelings of terror or dread, and typically occurs during the first hours of stage 3-4 non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.” In more understandable terms, Night Terrors take place during the Delta stage of sleep, meaning, the deepest phase of sleep where no dreams occur. It is important to note that night terrors are not dreams.
Wikipedia also notes the symptoms of Night Terrors: “The universal feature of night terrors is inconsolability, very similar to that of a panic attack. During night terror bouts, people are usually described as “bolting upright” with their eyes wide open and a look of fear and panic on their faces. They will often scream. Furthermore, they will usually sweat, exhibit rapid breathing, and have a rapid heart rate. In some cases, individuals are likely to have even more elaborate motor activity, such as a thrashing of limbs—which may include punching, swinging, or fleeing motions. There is a sense that the individuals are trying to protect themselves and/or escape from a possible threat of bodily injury.”
It is important to note a distinction between nightmares & night terrors. Nightmares are dreams, while night terrors are not. All real dreaming occurs within the REM stage of sleep, but night terrors occur during the Delta (deep) stage of sleep.
Night Terrors are not dreams.
Delta stage sleep is the deepest part of the sleep cycle. During this deep sleep phase, while our conscious minds are inactive, our subconscious mind becomes elevated and our spiritual senses become heightened. The line between the physical and spiritual realm becomes blurred and a person is more susceptible to spiritual attack by evil spirits.
During our waking hours, when we are in control of our thoughts and minds, spiritual attacks mostly happen externally through events and circumstances. But when we’re in deep sleep, our guard is down and spiritual attacks can happen directly.
As Christians, we are not unaware that we live in a world which is both physical and spiritual. The battle of good v.s. evil is real and not unknown to us. However, most of us have become desensitized to this fact. It’s easy to let ourselves accept that “seeing is believing,” but actually, that’s backwards and the opposite is true. Believing is seeing.
Most people do not see the spiritual realm with their physical eyes (Some people do have this uncommon gift,) and therefore it gets dismissed as a myth. But our hearts know otherwise and during sleep it is possible to see the things that our conscious minds dismiss. The door is open because of our heightened mental and spiritual state during deep sleep and for a person who either does not know Jesus or has somehow allowed access to evil spirits, that open door is an invitation for spiritual attack.
Night Terrors are Spiritual and Physical Torment
Many people may find this to be an uncomfortable and difficult topic to discuss and even view it with doubt, skepticism or downright disbelief, but nevertheless it is vital to address. Night Terrors are a direct assault by evil spirits to torment people. The truth of this can be seen from the effects of night terrors. Sufferers experience compounding effects in both physical and mental/spiritual ways. The mental stress, anxiety and fears during a night terror disrupt the sleep pattern causing the person to either wake prematurely or to have very poor quality sleep. (This can also apply to nightmares as well.) The waking person then faces the dual struggles of a mind and body suffering from stress and lack of healthy sleep. Look at these statements about the effects of sleep deprivation from author and health expert Shawn Stevenson in his book: Sleep Smarter.
“Research shows that after just 24 hours of sleep deprivation, there is an overall reduction of 6 percent in glucose reaching the brain. Simple translation: You get dumber.”¹
“A study published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that poor sleep quality was equal to binge drinking and marijuana use in determining academic performance. The study reported that college students who were poor sleepers were much more likely to earn worse grades and even drop out of classes than their healthy sleeping peers.”²
“A study published in The Lancet that looked at a group of physicians proved that sleep-deprived individuals took 14 percent longer to complete a task and made 20 percent more errors than individuals who were well rested.”³
A person who is mentally and physically fatigued will struggle with simple tasks, be more irritable, experience lack of focus, suffer from a variety of health issues including weight gain, depression, lack of energy and even lack in creativity. It is staggering to consider the far reaching effects of Night Terrors as they are torment to a person’s whole being. They truly are an attack on all fronts.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 6:12 (Read in context)
“…in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” – 2 Corinthians 2:11 (Read in context)
A personal experience with Night Terrors
In college, I had become friends with a girl whom I soon realized suffered from multiple personality disorder. She is one of the very reasons I continued to pursue education in the field of Christian dream interpretation. She was a believer, yet still suffered from demonic oppression! I wanted to know why this was happening to so many and how to see the freedom that the bible talks about become a reality in peoples lives. One day, I had spoken with the girl and she was clearly having a change in personality. All I knew at the time was to pray. I prayed out loud and spoke the name of Jesus a lot as well as talking about the blood of Jesus healing us. That night after I had gone to sleep, I had what I can only describe as an out of body experience with night terrors. I’ll refrain from the details because I do not want to elicit fear and continue that assignment of “terror.” However, I will say that from that experience, I know first hand that Night Terrors are an assignment from Satan to attack the body, spirit, and soul of an individual.
My experience in counseling people with night terrors consistently reveals the signs of a demonic attack. It is not surprising that night terrors are most common in children, whose young spirits are even more open to seeing and experiencing aspects of the spirit world.
What to do about Night Terrors
We are all created body, soul, and spirit and since night terrors are an attack against a persons whole being, then the solution must be equally holistic. The steps shown above for dealing with nightmares are equally valid here, but in such a situation, professional counseling is often needed to identify the sources of attack, correct them and find complete healing.
For anyone experiencing night terrors or any of the above symptoms, it is important to re-enforce what Jesus has done on the cross through His burial and resurrection. Through His victory over death and the grave, Jesus has given us the ability to be free from demonic oppression.
Jesus heals a demon possessed boy – “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.” – Matthew 17:17 (Read in context.)
Jesus restores a demon possessed man – “When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” – Mark 5:6:8 (Read in context)
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” – Romans 10:9-10
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