Spiritual Growth - FQA
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT Spiritual Growth
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Question: “After delving into the dark side, I began having very strange dreams. Here are two examples: Dream One: Man came into my dream and actually stopped it to tell me I was the antichrist and I had to do all these things in order to full whatever it is I am supposed to fulfill. Dream Two: A man turned into this hellish monster and said I sold my soul – I woke up terrified several nights before and after this event. My priest has read some exorcism prayers over me. However, I am still haunted by these and other similar experiences. These intrusions are have a bad effect on my marriage and family life. What do you advise?”
Answer: I do not believe that E-mail is a proper forum to address the level of complexity you have shared with me. As a result, I will refrain from offering specific counsel and simply provide some general observations and recommendations.
While it is true that our Holy Tradition acknowledges the presence of evil and its destructive effects upon our psyche, before drawing any conclusions if I were counseling you I would be equally interested in trying to discern if we are talking about illness or the paranormal. From my perspective, our tradition would seek to eliminate the presence of physical or mental illness before labeling certain activity as “paranormal.” Based on this approach, I would recommend you make an appointment with your primary care doctor, sharing some of what you have shared with me. Your physician might suggest a physical in an effort to determine if the activity in question has some biological or physiological link.
Finally, I realize you are suffering from what you have written. I hope and pray you obtain some relief. I believe if you follow the suggestions I have made, there is a good chance you might begin to find a path toward some blessed peace.
