Sleep Paralysis and lucid dreaming

[Templar81]

I've suffered sleep paralysis all my life and for me it has always been a negative and extremely distressing experience. I don't know if it comes from spirits or is sif the medical explanation is correct, perhaps both are.

For those who are not familliar with the disorder; Sleep paralysys is something that occours when the body is falling asleep but the midn is still awake. There is a chemical that the body uses to paralysse it while you are asleep so that you don't act out your dreams. When sleep paralysis occours, the sleeper is half way between being asleep and awake, so that the body is asleep but the mind fully alert and the eys can ope and see the surroundings.

The sleeper panics and the brain starts producing hillucinations so that the person see's some really horrible and frightenning things like shadowey figures, possibly demons. If I am alert enough then I can call out to Jesus or the Trinity to help me and it usually goes away if I take authority. Making the sign of the Cross is also effective, thoug this is done mentally rather than physically.

I've been doing some research and it seem sthat you can train your mind to turn the negative experience into a positive one. You can train your mind to lucid dream, so that you have control over the situation and turn the scary image into a nice one and you can even learn how to travel outside your body by astral projection. Some say that you can travel between dimensions and through space and tht your mind, soul or consiosness is actually outsideyour body.

My question is; given that I want to turn a negative experience into a positive one, would it be OK for a Christian to do this. I'm not talking about prctising anything occult or magical, just simply using my own mind. I'm asking this becuase I don't want to try something that might not be appropriate for Christians to do, I won't even read a Horoscope. I used to be into astrology when I was a teenager and I'e since asked God to forgive me.

Anyway, pleae let me know your thoughts on this. I'd espeically like to know if anyone else here suffers Sleep paralysis too.

 

[Arnie Manitoba]

About 10 years ago I had it happen to me (several times over a 10 month period)

Something would awake me in the middle of the night and it was like a tremendous presence of evil trying to suffocate me or keep me from being able to move even the tiniest bit.

My mind was lucid and clear , but my body was completely paralyzed and I could not even breathe .... I did not feel that it was a physical or medical symptom .... it felt like a spiritual oppression trying to do me in .... like some kind of a powerful (evil) entity.

The first couple of times it happened I said .... "Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior" ..... and the "evil presence" went away and I returned to normal. I found it took a lot of effort to say the words .... because my breathing had stopped and I could hardly speak.

Some months later it happened again ..... and all I could do was say .... "Jesus" ..... it took every ounce of my strength to say it.

The very last time it happened was the worst. I was so "paralyzed" I could not speak at all. Nor could I breath. My mind was still clear ..... I realized what was happening ..... I felt it was an ultimate test of some sort ...... I knew I would lose (die?) if I could not call on the name of my Lord.

I could not do it , the "evil presence" was too oppressive.

It took absolutely all the remaining strength I had to say the letter .... "J" .... and then .. "E" ... then .... "S" ..... then ... "U" ...... then ..... "S"

Suddenly everything was OK and it has never happened again.

It is like I was being put to the ultimate test or something. I feel that I passed the test ..... I never had any doubt .... my faith was clear and strong ..... but boy it was sure hard to say even one word.

During those times I never once thought of doing anything except calling to Jesus .... it is like "I knew" ... it was a spiritual situation.

I had no issues in my life that needed testing , I am a solid christian who lives a clean and modest life ..... I have strong faith ..... and it is like the devil came to test me or something. I have no explanation.

Another way to describe it is that the whole room was filled with a very powerful evil presence .... it was all around me but could not get in me .... it is like it could not harm me because I am a christian .... but it had to test me to make sure ..... hard to explain .... sorry.

It really was "scary" at the time (I do not frighten easily.) Never had a problem since.

Many years later I heard the clinical - medical description of "sleep paralysis" and it sounds quite similar.

Maybe it was simply a physical condition , I do not know for sure , at the time I felt it was spiritual.

I have never discussed this with anyone until today.

Best wishes
Arnie

 

[aspen]

I've had disturbed sleep all my life, as well. I ended up going to a sleep clinic about 8 years ago and got tested in their sleep clinic. They videotaped me while I was asleep and hooked me up to all kinds of machines - I got a lot of information and received the correct diagnosis and therapy. The results have been excellent - I know what I need to do to get a restful 8 hour sleep every night; perhaps it could work for you.

 

[Templar81]

Thanks.

A lot of people out there if you go on youtube do say it is a spiritual battle and it really could be as the medical explanation doesn't discredit this. I think you can use both explanations.

Most people who#s testimonies I have seen on youtube, only hd it a couple of tiemsin their life and I've had it all my life and every night for months on end.

The strange thing is that I have had worse attacks living at college or at my family's home than I do now living alone. Since I moved out, the attacks havn't been anywhere near as bad or as often.

Arnie Manitoba
I found one testimony on youtube about SP that said thatthe evil spirits or demons specifically target those who are strong with the Lord. Also, they don't seem to attack people who are athiests or great sinners because they cannot udnermine them in that way.

 

[MTPockets]

I've suffered sleep paralysis all my life and for me it has always been a negative and extremely distressing experience. I don't know if it comes from spirits or if the medical explanation is correct, perhaps both are.
...
I've been doing some research and it seem that you can train your mind to turn the negative experience into a positive one. You can train your mind to lucid dream, so that you have control over the situation and turn the scary image into a nice one and you can even learn how to travel outside your body by astral projection. Some say that you can travel between dimensions and through space and tht your mind, soul or consiosness is actually outside your body.
...
My question is; given that I want to turn a negative experience into a positive one, would it be OK for a Christian to do this. I'm not talking about prcticing anything occult or magical, just simply using my own mind. I'm asking this because I don't want to try something that might not be appropriate for Christians to do, I won't even read a Horoscope. I used to be into astrology when I was a teenager and I'e since asked God to forgive me.
...
Anyway, please let me know your thoughts on this. I'd especially like to know if anyone else here suffers Sleep paralysis too.

Hi! Templar
I've read your Post with much interest and would like to add a contribution alongside to what others have also been so kind to submit.
Since you are attending a church, you might be able to read the gospel of John Chapter 10. In particular, there are these two verses:
John 10:1 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber"
John 10:5 "And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers".

The first thing that should be noted is that there exists the possibility to be active in the spiritual world unlawfully; “climbeth up some other way”.
The negative powers are not named thieves and robbers for nothing; they steal inner treasures and cause grievous interior wounding.

The second thing that becomes evident is that there are many voices (inspirations) originating from the unseen dimension which are stated as being the “voice of a stranger” … voices which belong to spiritual powers which no man should knowingly become acquainted with.

There is an increasing curiosity in our day concerning mystics, mediums and psychics and the paranormal in general. TV shows are dedicated to the boasts of some who are eager to display evidence of possessing spiritual powers. Those who engage spiritual powers from out of the invisible world must conduct themselves in accordance with the methods and teachings of Jesus. Otherwise, they are behaving in a lawless manner and listening/obeying ‘strange’ inspirations.
This is why it becomes exceedingly urgent that God fearing people should “have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil”, as the Bible says in Hebrews 5:14 .

The results of unlawful activity in the spiritual world (Kingdom of Heaven) are always negative; inviting serious inner injury. Furthermore, the damage to the inner being which is caused by the lawless powers always progresses to also wound the outer (physical) being. It can almost be said that it’s no coincidence that some are named as ‘psychic’ because their lawlessness activities can do serious damage to inner/hidden ‘psyche’ of a person.

The Bible says that in the end times there will be a flood … but this time not as water but as powers of darkness which will suffocate and swallow up the inner lives of countless people. Jesus said that the forces of heaven would be moved. The stars (lawless powers) would fall from heaven. This means to say that forces of darkness would attack man directly from out of the invisible world. Man can also draw these same powers unto himself by means of spiritism.

In addition, both Isaiah Chapter 24 and Revelation Chapter 6 verses 16-17 describe the progress of the destructive powers over the earth. "The earth mourns and withers, the world languishes and withers; the heavens languish together with the earth. The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant (the laws of nature). Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched”.

It says that those who do not want the chaos panic and look for a way out of the deadlock. The mighty, the leaders and their faithful followers see they are fighting for a lost cause. In despair they seek refuge behind powers higher and mightier than their own spirits: they hide in the caves and crevices of the mountains. These mountains are images of the lawless powers which a person’s personal anguish has encouraged them to call upon.
We can already perceive that people are seeking refuge at the highest levels of social/cultural interaction, in world government, national and international trade unions, and in religious life in synods, councils and ecumenical authorities. But these all are being revealed as having no power nor answer.

While it’s true that most everyone knows that something murky is developing, they are increasingly feeling helpless to restrain the approaching calamity. Their confidence is shaken to its very core. Jesus had already foretold this centuries previous: "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heaven will be shaken", (Luke 21:25-26).

 

[Templar81]

I udnerstand your post and i think that it is true. I Don't want to do anything that i shouldn't but i never asked for these eperiences and i am tired of fighting, i only suggested lucid dreaming as a way of turningthe table sont he evil foreces. I wondered if this could be a gift from God, but the last thing I want is to be a thief or trespasser.

I will keep fighting, but I am weary of it. I have had these visions since I wss very small and back then i didn't udnerstand the christian faith. the worst attacks cme in my late teens when i actually started readign the Bible for myself and trying to udnerstand the faith that had previosuly only been dictated to me. I waa about 17 when i started trying to really udnerstand the Bible and that is when the attacks became really bad and i thought it was a punishment rom god ofr not understanding the message of the scriptue , i.e for interpretting it wrongly.

Many many tiems I have begged God to stop sending me these horrific visions, but they just keep comng. just can't udnerstand why I have to see them, what purpose they serve. Why do so many Christans never have to go through this and yet i do? Is it sin or is itbecause I am damned? or isit jsut because I am being marked out for speical torment by the Devil himself, if so then why does God allow me to suffer it?

 

[MTPockets]

I udnerstand your post and i think that it is true. I Don't want to do anything that i shouldn't but i never asked for these eperiences and i am tired of fighting, i only suggested lucid dreaming as a way of turningthe table sont he evil foreces. I wondered if this could be a gift from God, but the last thing I want is to be a thief or trespasser.

I will keep fighting, but I am weary of it. I have had these visions since I wss very small and back then i didn't udnerstand the christian faith. the worst attacks cme in my late teens when i actually started readign the Bible for myself and trying to udnerstand the faith that had previosuly only been dictated to me. I waa about 17 when i started trying to really udnerstand the Bible and that is when the attacks became really bad and i thought it was a punishment rom god ofr not understanding the message of the scriptue , i.e for interpretting it wrongly.

Many many tiems I have begged God to stop sending me these horrific visions, but they just keep comng. just can't udnerstand why I have to see them, what purpose they serve. Why do so many Christans never have to go through this and yet i do? Is it sin or is itbecause I am damned? or isit jsut because I am being marked out for speical torment by the Devil himself, if so then why does God allow me to suffer it?

Hi! 'Templar81'
My sincere apologies! I wasn't at all claiming that YOU were engaging the powers unlawfully. Not at all. I'm very sorry for giving you that confusion.
No, I was simply trying to alert you (an others who might read this Thread) about the risks attached to involving oneself with lawless spirits.
It's imperative that we all, as Christians, understand that all men were created for a life which simultaneously engages two dimensions: the visible and the invisible. The physical body relates to the visible early dimension while the spiritual body (soul/spirit) relate to the invisible dimension. Just as the physical body risks coming into contact with injurious bacteria, so too can the spiritual body also risks coming into contact with injurious powers.
We are living in a time when lawless powers of darkness are increasingly suffocating the world. Worse, our culture is openly inviting the unsuspecting to unwittingly engage the spiritual world at the wrong side of the chasm. Occultism and Mysticism form one of the heads of the Beast in the book of Revelation.

 

[Arnie Manitoba]

I udnerstand your post and i think that it is true. I Don't want to do anything that i shouldn't but i never asked for these eperiences and i am tired of fighting, i only suggested lucid dreaming as a way of turningthe table sont he evil foreces. I wondered if this could be a gift from God, but the last thing I want is to be a thief or trespasser.

I will keep fighting, but I am weary of it. I have had these visions since I wss very small and back then i didn't udnerstand the christian faith. the worst attacks cme in my late teens when i actually started readign the Bible for myself and trying to udnerstand the faith that had previosuly only been dictated to me. I waa about 17 when i started trying to really udnerstand the Bible and that is when the attacks became really bad and i thought it was a punishment rom god ofr not understanding the message of the scriptue , i.e for interpretting it wrongly.

Many many tiems I have begged God to stop sending me these horrific visions, but they just keep comng. just can't udnerstand why I have to see them, what purpose they serve. Why do so many Christans never have to go through this and yet i do? Is it sin or is itbecause I am damned? or isit jsut because I am being marked out for speical torment by the Devil himself, if so then why does God allow me to suffer it?

I hear you loud and clear templar .... and I feel your burden .... I know what you mean by saying "we do not ask or seek any of these things".

Yet they happen ....

I am firmly on both sides of the fence .... I feel it could be a physical - medical situation for some people ..... and maybe spiritual for others.

I saw it as spiritual in my case , but I could be wrong. ... Later I will try to give some reasons I feel that way.

Now I type this slowly and carefully for you templar ...

..... same as you .... I did not ask for nor seek such things ..... nor did I feel I needed any testing.

.... but I also experienced something else I did not seek nor expect.

(I cannot give the details) (long document ) (not made public)

..... I was taken to the heavenly realm for 30-40 seconds .... surrounded by thousands of angels in joyful assembly ...... crystal clear ..... full color ..... clear communications ..... precise scriptures given pertaining to an event here on earth ..... a small nugget of un-fulfilled Israeli prophecy (now in effect) ..... provable , factual , stands up to all scrutiny.

It was a complete surprise to me .... I have never sought such things .... and to this day I do not know why I was used to receive this information ..... there is nothing special about me and I am not any better than any regular christian.

At this moment I do not feel the "sleep paralysis" things I experienced has anything to do with me getting that glimpse of heaven .... and if it does I feel the Lord has his reasons .... which I do not know.

I am unable to give you any advice templar .... just trying to relate what I have gone through .... I feel we have carried some similar burdens. Maybe your situation is simply medical (mine too for that matter) .... but the trip to heaven was the real thing.

Best wishes templar ... I will say a special prayer for you my friend. I am still amazed at the power of the name of Jesus .... even when all I could do was say his name by alphabet .... one letter at a time. It worked.

 

[Templar81]

Thank you for your testimony Arne Manitoba.

It seems that your visions are different to mine for the most part. Sadly the only time I had a vision of heaven was when I was put to work, serving at a greatbanquet and then made to wash the dishes. Seriosuly I'm not kidding. When me and a few others ahd finished our work, we were lead down a winding stone staircase that opened up into a cavern at the bottom and the angels that brought us down there were dragging people to the end of the ledge and throwing them into the pit below, which was filled with blood and lava that licked up the cavern walls while people were screaming in torment. The angels were telling the peopel to go down there on a ladder made of boens and if they refused they were dragged to the edge and kicked ointo the pit. They tried to drag me to the edge and somehow I got free and ran up the steps and they chased me, litterally inches from me and when i got back into heaven's great banquetting hall the dream ended and I woke up.

This as you can image was an unpleasant experience.

I have seen the Lamb of God though.
I had been up all night drinking coffee and was really jumpy. When I went to bed at 7AM I could feel myself being pulled downwards as hands were clawing at me and the ground opened up to swallow me. There were sounds of screaming and hideous laughter and I was in no doubt of what was happenning. I called on Jesus to help me and the nightmare dissapeared to be replaced with purest white. Then it was like a camera zooming out and i saw an eye which was of purest blue and I could see a nose and an ear and then it zoomed out further and I could see a lamb in front of me. The lamb did not open itsmouth but I herd the words. "rHAVE PEACE AND DO NOT BE AFRAID." The voice was soft but full of power like a hurrican or an earth quake or an iron bar wrapped in silk. When he spoke to me he commanded meand I obeyed because the authority of the Lamb was so great.

 

[rand]

pslms 127:2 God gives His beloved sleep. One thing that really stuck out from your post Templar81 is that you asked God to forgive you for dabbling in astrolgoy. That's good. However, you need to understand, by agreeing with the enemy in that way (astrology) you have to break the bondage the enemy created (and you agreed to at the time). pray something like this: Father, I thank you that you have forgiven me from getting involved in astrology. I'm sorry and I repent from that. And Father, I take the authority you've given me to use Jesus' name to break any and all bonds caused my envolvement in astrology. In Christ's name I break any and all covenants with the enemy. In Christ's name I am free and cleaned from all unrighteousness. Thank you Jesus. Amen.

But that may not be all. Did you have this disorder before you got envolved in astrology? If so, then there may be something else going on here. This gets a whole lot deeper, but you should also understand that the reason you are having such a hard time with this is because of your faith. I don't mean that you don't have enough or anything like that. I'm not accusing you or condemning you in any way. But that fear you spoke of when you see the things you've seen, tells me that you are not 150 percent sure that God can and will save you from the darkness. Others I've talked to about this same things, have all been affraid at first--it's normal. But you have to get to the point that you know beyond any shadow of a doubt that the one inside of you is greater than he that is in the would. It's not going to happen all at once, it will take time, but sooner or later it will click. You should get to the point that seeing demons is not scary. They are all around us all. You, can see them. I think God is trying to use you in a big way, and the enemy knows it so he is trying to discurage you. Don't be discouraged, trust God that He's got your back. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of a sound mind. You get this, and you'll be a powerhouse for God, and they know it.

You don't have to be affraid of them. One friend of mine actually laughs at them when they try to be all scary, he laughs and says, ' you've got nothing. I've got Jesus.'
Many people see demons and angels all the time (Christians or not--doesn't matter). Find Chrsitian books on the subject and read as much as you can about what others have done to get past the fear.

just a thought

 

[Raeneske]

I've suffered sleep paralysis all my life and for me it has always been a negative and extremely distressing experience. I don't know if it comes from spirits or is sif the medical explanation is correct, perhaps both are.

For those who are not familliar with the disorder; Sleep paralysys is something that occours when the body is falling asleep but the midn is still awake. There is a chemical that the body uses to paralysse it while you are asleep so that you don't act out your dreams. When sleep paralysis occours, the sleeper is half way between being asleep and awake, so that the body is asleep but the mind fully alert and the eys can ope and see the surroundings.

The sleeper panics and the brain starts producing hillucinations so that the person see's some really horrible and frightenning things like shadowey figures, possibly demons. If I am alert enough then I can call out to Jesus or the Trinity to help me and it usually goes away if I take authority. Making the sign of the Cross is also effective, thoug this is done mentally rather than physically.

I've been doing some research and it seem sthat you can train your mind to turn the negative experience into a positive one. You can train your mind to lucid dream, so that you have control over the situation and turn the scary image into a nice one and you can even learn how to travel outside your body by astral projection. Some say that you can travel between dimensions and through space and tht your mind, soul or consiosness is actually outsideyour body.

My question is; given that I want to turn a negative experience into a positive one, would it be OK for a Christian to do this. I'm not talking about prctising anything occult or magical, just simply using my own mind. I'm asking this becuase I don't want to try something that might not be appropriate for Christians to do, I won't even read a Horoscope. I used to be into astrology when I was a teenager and I'e since asked God to forgive me.

Anyway, pleae let me know your thoughts on this. I'd espeically like to know if anyone else here suffers Sleep paralysis too.

Personally, i'd like to say to try and watch how much sleep you get at night. Before I found Christ, this used to happen to me too. I studied up on it, and found out about Sleep Paralysis. Now, this happened to me once when I was a very little boy. I don't remember why it happened, but I did kind of recognize later on in my life, that it happened when I was in and out of dreamland. Sometims suddenly I would find myself in a dream, and I wouldn't be able to move my body. Other times, I woke up, and I couldn't move myself at all. That's the one that happened to me on more than one occassion.

As for training your body to lucid dream, I don't really think that's safe. That sounds like a lot to do with spiritualism, and the occult life. Btw, smart to stay away from horrorscopes, and astrology!

I've never tried this, but from reading what people say and the responses are, I think it would be correct to call on the power of Jesus. Asking Him for help is probably the smartest thing to do, seeing as how we have no idea sometimes what's going on.

 

[Templar81]

Thank you both. I have prayed the prayer you gave me.

i won't try to lucid dream if there is any chance that it is an occult practice.

Also, I have had SP for as long as I can remember, since I was very young, though it didn't get really bad until I put away the astrologya nd started readignt he Bible fr myself at around 18 years.

Up until only very recently, the visions of hell and the devil convinced me I was damned. But I realise that they were triacks to try and undermine me, to make me turn from God so that I really would be damned. In one dream I saw the Angel of death, who appeared to me as a figure in a white robe with a flaming skull for a head and he told me that he was a servant of God and was charged to give me a message. I asked what the mesage was and he said, "IT ISTHE WILL OF THE ALMIGHTY THAT YOU BE CAST INTO ETERNAL FIRE." I actually laughed at first and said, DON'T YOU REALISE THAT i AM A CHRISTIAN, i WAS SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF cHRIST, SO i CAN'T BE DAMNED." To which the Angel of Death retorted, "THOU ARE A FOOL TO CONTEST THE WILL OF THE ALMIGHTY AND IF IT BE HIS WILL THAT YOU BURN THEN BURN YOU WILL AND YOUR BELIEFS WILL NOT SAVE YOU FOR IT IS YOUR DESTINY." Now, at the time this scared the living daylgihts out of me and i really thought I was damned. I prayed to God asking him why, why Lord? Before that time I didn't believe in Predestination, I believed that a person could choose to follow christ or their own way. It seened that een though i had chosen Christ God had chosen Hellfire for me.

I understand now that that if the phantom in the vision had truly been a servant of God, then he would not have taken pleasure in giving me this news, therefore I was eable to see through the deception of the enemy.

I spoke to other Church members and they seem to think that the dreams are manifestations of me not having enough trust in God.

 

[aspen]

The occult is like watching black and white TV when you have access to a live theater production - it is a crappy image of the original, which proudly offers you the 'power' of turning it off and on. No comparison! Nor is this form of superstition anything to fear.

Philippians 4:6

 

[Templar81]

Yes, i put away all ocult things and repented long ago. Yet maybe i will suffer this affliction because it is my calling to fight the Devil this way. We are all afterall soldiers of Chrsit.

I have anew system to help that seems to work. When I get into bed i say out loud these words:

"Any unclean spirit wishing to enter this place and trouble my sleep will not be tolerated. I shall cast them out in the name of Christ for the Lord Jesus has vested me with the authority to do so."

I have used it for the alst four ngihts and it seems ot work.

I realised something, as a follwer of jesus Christ, I ahve the authority to cast out unclean spirits in his name. I had missinterpretted scripture. I though that only priests and Pastors had that kind of authority

 

[rand]

You are a priest. We are a nation of kings and priests, we have the Holy Spirit inside of us and we have the right to enter into Holy of Holys with boldness. Don't ever forget who you are in Christ.

 

[Templar81]

I always knew about the Priesthood of believers but never understood it. I think if one good thinghas come from these attacks, it is that I have come to udnerstand that as a believer I have authority over unclean spirits even the devil becuse I am one of Christ's people I proclaimed this authority again last night and did not get the Sleep Paralysis attack. I think these spirits know that imean business now and cannot be beaten down so easily. This is a real kick in the teeth for Satan don't you think.

 

[veteran]

I've been doing some research and it seem sthat you can train your mind to turn the negative experience into a positive one. You can train your mind to lucid dream, so that you have control over the situation and turn the scary image into a nice one and you can even learn how to travel outside your body by astral projection. Some say that you can travel between dimensions and through space and tht your mind, soul or consiosness is actually outsideyour body.

My question is; given that I want to turn a negative experience into a positive one, would it be OK for a Christian to do this. I'm not talking about prctising anything occult or magical, just simply using my own mind. I'm asking this becuase I don't want to try something that might not be appropriate for Christians to do, I won't even read a Horoscope. I used to be into astrology when I was a teenager and I'e since asked God to forgive me.

Anyway, pleae let me know your thoughts on this. I'd espeically like to know if anyone else here suffers Sleep paralysis too.

Absolutely NOT!!! It is NOT OK for the Christian to practice what you call "astral projection".


Matt 11:12
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force (harpazo).
(KJV)

Christ gives a bit more information about that idea there which is different than the Luke 16:16 verse. Note the phrase "by force" is the Greek word harpazo, the same Greek word used for "caught up" in 1 Thess.4:17, and here...

2 Cor 12:2-4
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
(KJV)


Astral Projection is a concept that the occultists practice. It's part of the New Age movement's working. Why? It's because they seek to enter into the heavenly world of spirit by force, meaning by their 'own' will. That's what the practice of witchcraft is about, and why God told us not to practice such things.

By doing such practice you openly INVITE the spirit world of demons into your life.

In a book called The Rosicrucian Manual that I've seen, it said that astral projection is taught to the initiate in the 10th and higher degrees so as to be able to project out of their body at will, and meet with the "invisible masters" of the "great white brotherhood" on the astral plane, and receive further instruction and teaching from them. Obviously, they failed to mention those most likely are Satan's host.

The possibility of being caught outside one's body is a fact, and has been shown by many involving near-death experiences. I personally know two people that were clinically prounounced dead on the operating table and they told me of how they suddenly found theirselves outside their body looking down upon the doctors and their flesh body on the table, and other experiences. One of them said he saw robed figures and was told it was not his time (to die yet). See the story of Colton, a pastor's son, in the book Heaven Is For Real.

The difference with those near-death experiences, including Apostle Paul's in 2 Cor.12 (I believe Paul spoke of the time when he was stoned and left for dead), is those experiences came not from their 'own' will trying to press into the heavenly dimension spirit world.

Astral projection is a 'back door' to try and penetrate God's realm against His Will. And who doesn't understand that our Heavenly Father is smart enough to know when one is willfully trying to do that, and will just allow them to come in near Him like that? He won't, which is why one trying that will be given to Satan's host in the heavenly.

 

[Arnie Manitoba]

I have anew system to help that seems to work. When I get into bed i say out loud these words:

"Any unclean spirit wishing to enter this place and trouble my sleep will not be tolerated. I shall cast them out in the name of Christ for the Lord Jesus has vested me with the authority to do so."

I have used it for the alst four ngihts and it seems ot work.

Best wishes Templar.

I have used the words following ....

"Anyone here or within hearing distance " .... obey Jesus .....
"Anyone here or within hearing distance " ... worship Jesus ...
"Anyone here or within hearing distance " .... praise Jesus ..
"Anyone here or within the spiritual realm " .... worship Jesus ...

etc etc ...... the devils cannot stand being told to worship or obey Jesus ..... they hate to even hear those words being spoken

 

[Templar81]

its OK veteran. ther3e's no way i would try it now and for the very reason thatyou hve stated. I finally feel alot more in control and able to dealw ith unwanted spirits so the alst thing I want to do is give them a door back in. I have been reflectin on my sleep Paraalysis a lot over the alst few days and I think that being engaged in spiritual warfare has ultimatrly made me stronger ith the Lord, I'm sure of it because knowing the I hve authority given to me by christ has taught me a lot about discipleship.

 

[veteran]

its OK veteran. ther3e's no way i would try it now and for the very reason thatyou hve stated. I finally feel alot more in control and able to dealw ith unwanted spirits so the alst thing I want to do is give them a door back in. I have been reflectin on my sleep Paraalysis a lot over the alst few days and I think that being engaged in spiritual warfare has ultimatrly made me stronger ith the Lord, I'm sure of it because knowing the I hve authority given to me by christ has taught me a lot about discipleship.

When you cast them away from you, don't forget to order them back to the 'pit' in Christ's Name. If you'll recall, the evil spirits that were legion asked our Lord Jesus to let them go into a herd of swine instead.