Autumn girl Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Ever since I was a toddler I have been taught about the spiritual realm, from a Christian point of view. My dad was *very* open about Satan and demons, among other things, with me and it scared me to no end. He wasn't trying to scare me, but he didn't have a clue how deeply fearful he was making me. Now that I have essentially left the Christian faith, I still find myself fearful of those things, like they still exist. Even this morning - I wanted to get up early, when it was still dark and prepare for the day. But I couldn't. I had so many things my dad has said or written to me recently (horrible things that no one should say to another human being...therefore he's not in my life anymore) flashing through my mind, as well as things my old friend from elementary school claims to have experienced recently (all kinds of paranormal demonic activity, including claw marks on her husband's back, etc.) keep me from getting up. My husband works 24 hour shifts as a firefighter/paramedic, so I am often alone all through the night, with my kids asleep in their rooms, and I sometimes get spooky feelings and imagine spiritual things going on around me. I don't want to think about these things anymore, but the fear and brainwashing started when I was so young it is like it is a part of me that won't go away. So, my question is, does anyone here know of some good information (books, websites, your own stories) that could help me shed these thoughts and images about Satan, demons, hell, and all of that stuff which flashes through my mind so often? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mymistake Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 So, my question is, does anyone here know of some good information (books, websites, your own stories) that could help me shed these thoughts and images about Satan, demons, hell, and all of that stuff which flashes through my mind so often? I use to get claw marks. I never did figure out what caused them. Even today I will get one from time to time. However I got them most frequently back when I was at the height of my fundamentalism. I heard similar stories regarding spiritual warfare. Today they bother me when I am very tired. Like if I don't get to sleep or have insomnia then at 3 am when the house is quiet those Christian stories come back to spook me. I use to worry if Satan could read my thoughts - it was on the verge of serious paranoia. And all of it was for nothing. What type of arguments do you find most persuasive? There is no wrong answer because everyone is different. If you like logic then you can study up on the human mind and what causes hallucinations or optical illusions. For example have you ever looked at a digital clock while eating something crunchy? Your perception is a construct of your mind and no human mind does a perfect job. If you find intuition to be more persuasive then think about how stories about Satan are silly and remember that they are rumors repeated by people who do not know what they are talking about. Satan is like the anti-Santa. Satan knows everybody. Satan is inside everybody's thoughts at the same time. Satan is suppose to be everywhere at once? Satan has a grand plan to send everyone to hell? The whole thing is absurd. Christians need Satan or else God would be responsible for all evil in this world and all the suffering Christians need in hell. That is right - Christians need for there to be a hell. If there was no hell then there would be no reason to accept Jesus. It's a boogie man story to control us. If God were all knowing and all powerful as the Christians say then God is responsible for the suffering of every person who is suppose to end up in hell. Satan is something Christians use to blame everything on. It's like how the Republicans blame everything on Democrats and the Democrats blame everything on the Republicans. Hope that helps. Getting claw marks never did any real harm in my experience but mine were never deep. Maybe have a doctor look at them. MM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyless Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I'm sorry for what you are going through with the fear of Satan. I just wanted to say that I can relate. I was also told very young about Satan and hell and that I was going there. I know others who's lives have been profoundly affected by that kind of teaching as a child. There is a great psychologist that I found named Marlene Winell who coined the term "Religious Trauma Syndrome". Look her up and email her and she will be able to give you a resource. She answered my email immediately. She talks on U Tube about how children's brains don't have the ability to use logic and they accept these kinds of teachings with terror and all the adults praise God that the child is "broken" and has accepted Christ. We had an elder at Easter bring in a railroad nail and wooden block to an elementary aged group of kids and began to violently demonstrate by hammering it in the block what it was like for Jesus to be hung on the cross with those nails going through his body. One girl started crying and I took her aside and he was so happy. She was crying because her dad had just recently died in a tragic accident. She will be on the board in a few years. Do look up Dr. Winell. Find her U Tube talks. The validation that I got was tremendous. Let me know if you contact her and what her advice is to you. Good luck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overcame Faith Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Autumn Girl, try confronting your fears head on. It sounds like it was the stories that your father told you that resulted in your fears of Satan, demons, and the like. Try to focus in on the scariest story he told you. Think about it, and even write it down as well as you can remember it. Just do one such story for now. Once you do that, then read it carefully and really think about what he told you. Think about the basis for his stories and determine whether there is any evidence that what he told you could be true. But the most important thing is that you must fight real hard to let your rational mind take control of the exercise. If even thinking about the story scares you, then stop thinking about the story and think about why even thinking about it scares you. Work your way up to the point where you are able to take the whole story, rationally analyze it, and figure out: (1) what scared you as a little girl; and (2) whether, as an adult with children of your own, and having thought about it in detail, it still has the same hold on you. I strongly suspect that if you stay with it and with just one story at a time, you will come to see that it was your childish mind that was scared but your adult mind, once you strip the fear away, you will see it for what it is - an untruth with no basis in fact and only an emotional hold on you. I can tell you with 100% certainty that there is no satan, there are no demons, and there is no hell. Of this I have not even a residue of doubt. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 If you were somehow new to earth, and were just learning the lore, how believable would a near all powerful spook who's sole purpose is to piss off another more powerful spook be? Big ole complicated universe out there, and these two have nothing better to do than argue about what you eat and fuck? Please. Religious teachings are like cockroaches, running at the first hint of light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpheliaGinger Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 This is probably going to sound really cliche but perhaps if you studied in depth about demons (from all religions) and Satan (and his incarnations over the past centuries) you should find yourself no longer afraid of something simply because it has become familiar to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sissi71 Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Ever since I was a toddler I have been taught about the spiritual realm, from a Christian point of view. My dad was *very* open about Satan and demons, among other things, with me and it scared me to no end. He wasn't trying to scare me, but he didn't have a clue how deeply fearful he was making me. Now that I have essentially left the Christian faith, I still find myself fearful of those things, like they still exist. Even this morning - I wanted to get up early, when it was still dark and prepare for the day. But I couldn't. I had so many things my dad has said or written to me recently (horrible things that no one should say to another human being...therefore he's not in my life anymore) flashing through my mind, as well as things my old friend from elementary school claims to have experienced recently (all kinds of paranormal demonic activity, including claw marks on her husband's back, etc.) keep me from getting up. My husband works 24 hour shifts as a firefighter/paramedic, so I am often alone all through the night, with my kids asleep in their rooms, and I sometimes get spooky feelings and imagine spiritual things going on around me. I don't want to think about these things anymore, but the fear and brainwashing started when I was so young it is like it is a part of me that won't go away. So, my question is, does anyone here know of some good information (books, websites, your own stories) that could help me shed these thoughts and images about Satan, demons, hell, and all of that stuff which flashes through my mind so often? I think what you live is a kind of verbal abuse. It takes a lot of time to go out. I have been a christian for twenty years and people put pressure with Satan, his attacks and temptations, I used to fellow church that casted out demons.....Or should be possible to you to look the advice of a therapist, someone that know this kind of mecanism and would help you ? I think there is only the time that will help you and as soon as you will be familiar with your own thoughts. These fear of devil can be an obsession and you can be in trouble for a long time, I know that with my experience. The best advice I can give you (I dont know if it will be a great help as you seem being paralyzed) but every time that these thoughts come in your thoughts, just try stopping them and realize it does not match with reality. Take care of you ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wester Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Personally, looking back over my Christian childhood, I think that the so-called good folks in my mom's church were really worshiping Satan, devils, demons and every brutal, negative human tendency you can name. My church was a temple to evil, horror, misogyny, child abuse, war and rape of the natural world imaginable. Maybe you need to change your paradigm perspective and triple check your definition of Satan so you can really get down to brass tacks and get it all exercised. When you realize that "The Omen" and "The Excorcist" are actually howling comedies, you'll know you made it. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted November 17, 2011 Moderator Share Posted November 17, 2011 It always amazes me autumn, that people who have not been 'indoctrinated' with devils and demons....how they even laugh at the whole concept of this notion. We truly are, what 'they' taught us to believe..... Sometimes I think it's important to remember this. If you were taught to believe that one day a unicorn was going to appear to you and you alone in your back yard........you would be looking for him everyday right now.........that's the power of the mind. Best wishes for recovery with this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryper Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 This is probably going to sound really cliche but perhaps if you studied in depth about demons (from all religions) and Satan (and his incarnations over the past centuries) you should find yourself no longer afraid of something simply because it has become familiar to you. Actually, it's not cliche at all. There is an actually psychological term for it. I can't find it right now. but http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/10/30/confront-fears-to-reduce-child-anxiety/3233.html Learning about fears is one way to face them. It can also be a rational approach and help you deal with them better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 " I sometimes get spooky feelings and imagine spiritual things going on around me. I don't want to think about these things anymore, but the fear and brainwashing started when I was so young it is like it is a part of me that won't go away." Notice that these are spooky feelings and imaginings going on inside your head, not actual physical manifestation of evil (such as bill collectors....just joking)... since these are going on in your head you can combat them inside your head. Your Dad trained you to fear Satan. To fear him you had to first believe that he exists and is real. After that you needed to believe that he is out to get you and has some power to do that. So turn the fear back to Satan. If you borrow an idea from Zen and consider the idea that you are not a tiny person in a big universe but that you are ALL things inside consciousness as well as consciousness itself, then YOU are the one that gives birth to all things including Satan. Satan (and God and Jesus, for that matter) owes his existence to you. And you can revoke that existence at any time. You are PRIOR to the Alpha and the Omega, you give birth to the beginning and the end. Watch satan (demons, or whatever other irrational fear you are dealing with) cower at your feet, begging for mercy. Then as you look down at him see fire rushing out of your hands incinerating him. Remind him and all other irrational fears that you are here to consume/destroy him because you are 10,000 times more powerful than any demon, god, or bill collector. Any time you are feeling irrational fear, imagine being a million times more evil and powerful than it could ever be and then destroy it. In reality, you ARE more powerful. You are real, the fear is just an obsessive thought. Use your imagination. Be creative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autumn girl Posted November 21, 2011 Author Share Posted November 21, 2011 When I wrote my original question I didn't think that I would get so many immensely helpful, varied answers to my problem. You are all proof of what recovery looks like, and it has given me much hope. I'm going to print this out and read it often. I am deeply grateful. Thank you for helping me out of these obsessive thoughts based on previous brainwashing (and for helping me realize that's just what they are). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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