Demon

[artdragondream]

:evil: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/58410104/ :evil:


I saw this thing in a particularly freaky dream. In the dream it was standing behind a woman who apparently didn't know it was behind her. It seemed to exude its own darkness and towered over the woman menacingly until it saw me. It started to come after me incredibly fast. Then I woke up from fright. After I woke up I was completely paralyzed and it took a good while before I could get my body to finally move.

Freaked me out! :shock: And this is a very poor representation of what this thing actually looked like. The fact I was paralyzed made me think this could have been something more than a dream. Possibly an OBE I can only partly remember.

Has anyone ever seen this thing?

~Scott

[CFTraveler]

This, my friend, is the classic representation of the 'dweller on the threshold'. This is the 'hag' in most reported cases of sleep paralysis. In fact, I've read in some occult literature that it is thought that this fellow is the model for 'The Grim Reaper'. I've seen it and I'll bet (but not much, I'm not a gambler) that a lot of people who has SP has.
I'd like to think he's an archetype created by our idea of 'death coming to get you', (based on this fear) but it really is a case of 'chicken vs. egg'.
I'd rather think he's got no real objectivity, but then, it's a belief based on my own desire to feel safe, iykwim.
Ps. the picture didn't really convey the telescoping aspect of the red eyes, now did it? :shock: :D

[artdragondream]

Ps. the picture didn't really convey the telescoping aspect of the red eyes, now did it? :shock: :D

No he just had glowing balls of orange light floating in his black eye sockets. I remember those quite well because its one of the things that freaked me out the most.

~Scott

[wstein]

Pretty certain this is NOT a demon. Most demons have more reptilian skin and eyes fully attached to eye sockets. Though some are black, most are a dark red. They seldom wear clothes when in 'native' form. Demons normally they look menacing or devious, not mysterious and foreboding like this one.

[CFTraveler]

I hope this makes you feel better:
http://forums.astraldynamics.com/viewtopic.php?t=7304

[Mishell]

OH my goodness CFT! After reading that thread you posted I realize that many of the "visions" I've had in meditation are actually OBEs. All the elements are there. Everything but the noise, mine are always quiet. I was never intentionally looking for an OBE, maybe that has something to do with it. :?:

[CFTraveler]

Visions, projections, tomaytos, tomahtoes.... :wink:

[artdragondream]

I hope this makes you feel better:
http://forums.astraldynamics.com/viewtopic.php?t=7304

I read your link and from what I can remember I don't think that's what it is. The only explanation I can think of is that is was a simple nightmare although the paralysis that came after when I woke up suggested something more to me. Your description of a dweller on the threshold sounds like you think I'm reacting in some way to my energy body as it has left my body and automatically interpreting this prescience as a threat then manifesting the image of the threat from my mind.

What happened was first I saw the entity towering over the woman realised that this thing looks terrifying and having the response of fear from what I saw.

When I woke up and realised I was paralyzed I knew I was awake and didn't see this thing anymore. From what Ive read about the Old Hag syndrome it seems that these people are seeing the image of a creature or "Old Hag" at the same time as the paralysis symptoms, as if this creature where holding them down.

The only 2 explanations I think that fit in this situation is either my mind created this image some how in a dream or I actually saw a real entity while out of body. Perhaps a combination of the 2 who knows

Id love more input into what this could be.

~Scott

[elendal]

What happened was first I saw the entity towering over the woman realised that this thing looks terrifying and having the response of fear from what I saw.
It's very interesting that you said it looked terrifying. Did you actually mean to say that it felt terrifying?

I've never seen such a creature, but after I started having lucid dreams (or OBEs, whichever) in '98, I met 3 beings in my "dreams" that looked like completely ordinary people, but they caused such a strong feeling of panic in me that it's beyond description.

The following night I dealt with all of them (much to their surprise), but the fear I remembered kept me away from lucid dreaming for the next 7 years. That's how strong it was.

Eventually, I started lucid dreaming again, met them on a couple of occasions, and dealt with them accordingly. I haven't seen them for quite some time.

I think that I was lucky enough to NOT see them as in the picture you linked, but only as ordinary human beings. That saved me from a lot of misinterpretations on my part. It also showed me they are not that much different from us after all.

I think these are some kind of "shepherd dogs", being used to prevent "sheep" from straying to far. They are not as dangerous as the feeling of pure panic they project into people. The fear can hurt you much more than anything else they can do to you.

[CFTraveler]

Scott:
My intent linking you to the 'dweller' explanation was not to make you think you had a separation, but to show you another post describing the figure. In other words, to show you that it is actually a common experience, possibly archetypical, and not a real demon.
I agree about the nightmare scenario- A hypnopomp, to be more exact, IMO.
I'm sorry I wasn't more clear.

[Mishell]

artdragondream,

I agree with CFT that this was an archetype and not a real demon.
I found a website that might help you make sense of the characters in your dream.http://www.kurtleland.com/dreamchars.doc. I thought the Delimiter and the Shadow may have relevance.
I was also curious as to whether or not the woman in the dream was someone you knew. If you know her, think about her qualities, habits, etc. That is what she is standing for in your dream. If you don't know her, think about what you first thought upon seeing her in your dream. You mentioned she was sitting down. Could be that the message for you in this dream is to stand up and take notice.

[CFTraveler]

Awesome website, Mishell. I liked it so much that I'm going to put it on the AD pedia for info about archetypes.