Drive Away Demons by Limiting Stress

Dear Cynthia: I have had the same type of dream since I was a small child. This dream is very scary and at some points in my life was so real I thought I was losing my mind. The dream features demons who try forcefully to take me away. To where, I don’t know. Mostly I have this dream when I am stressed or changes are taking place in my life. I have gone years without it, but it always comes back. As a child I lined my bed with my stuffed animals like little guardians every night to ward off something.

--DAWN

Long Beach

Dear Dawn: Young children often have nightmares of being chased by a big bad guy or fear that they will be captured. These dreams can be spawned by a fear of separation from the family and because children view the world as very large and scary. Once fully awake, kids typically feel safe in their own beds.

To adults, demons can symbolize temptations, haunting reminders of addictions or other shadow aspects of self, such as anger, jealousy, criticism and judgment. These negative emotions may be directed toward oneself or others. Such feelings seem to separate us from our true self, as when we apologize or attempt to explain over-the-top behavior by saying, “I got carried away.”

You notice that the dream seems to recur when you are going through major changes or stress. How do you deal with the stress in your life? Even positive changes can cause stress, and each of us can learn constructive methods for limiting its effects.

It can help to take control by making a list or schedule, delegating some of the responsibilities, taking a break for a walk or nap, drinking more water, keeping a journal and getting adequate exercise, nutrition and rest.

Try to avoid letting stress sneak up on you by becoming aware of early warning signs such as insomnia or change in appetite. If you get so frightened that you feel you are “losing your mind” again, you might be very relieved to talk with a therapist, counselor or clergy person.

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Cynthia Richmond is the author of “Dream Power, How to Use Your Night Dreams to Change Your Life” (Simon & Schuster, 2000). Fax your dreams to Cynthia Richmond at (818) 783-3267 or e-mail them to in.your.dreams@worldnet.att.net. Please include your hometown and a daytime phone number. “In Your Dreams” appears every Tuesday and should be read for entertainment purposes only.