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Originally posted by lifebreath:
Hi folks! I'm new here and would like some input...
Often, I'll be very tired, go to bed, start to fall asleep, then right in the transition to sleep, I feel suddenly filled with energy, fully alert and often seem to be able to see the room even though my eyelids are shut and the room is dark. This is not an unpleasant feeling, but it's hard to get to sleep subsequently. Also, I find that with disturbing regularity, during this same transition stage, some sudden noise will occur that startles me (e.g., my wife moves or coughs, one of my children cries, etc.) After this, I have difficulty falling asleep, sometimes having "panicy" feelings. Once asleep, I generally sleep well. (I also recall that as a child, I often had hypnogogic paralysis and visions/hallucinations and other hypnogogic disturbances. For example, the vision of an old woman sitting at the base of my bed in a large wicker chair or the feeling of hands on my body.)
Hi lifebreath....welcome to the board.
I'm very familiar with this state that you often find yourself in. What happens is that at some point while laying down, whether before you sleep or as you're waking up, your waking consciousness SNAPS to the forefront of your mind.
So what happens is that you find yourself laying there, fully awake but your body is still fully asleep. You're fully aware of all that's around you, but it can be difficult to go "back to sleep" because for all intents and purposes, you're now fully awake (mentally speaking).
This same thing happened to me this morning. I snapped back to my full waking consciousness around 6:00am, and I was able to see things through my closed eyelids. I felt wide awake, but up until this point, I hadn't moved my physical body. I just layed there in perfect silence, expressing a gentle curiousity as to what I was seeing.
But then, my f***ing cat started clawing at the bedroom door and I knew I had to get up to let her in. After that, I couldn't get my physical body back in the super-relxaed state it was in previously.
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Just for background info, I'm what I would consider an "esoteric Christian". I'm Catholic, have had very profound spiritual experiences of rebirth or spiritual awakening, healing and growth within the charasmatic Christian context (ie, speaking in tongues, spiritual visions),
Same here. Although I haven't spoken in tongues for awhile (even though I can do it whenever I want). I used to do it when I prayed, but since I no longer attend church and pray the way I used to, I simply stopped speaking in tongues.
I often wonder how some "non-christians" feel about speaking in tongues and what it all means. Do any of you care to comment on that one?
I know the common answer is "It's all a bunch of gibberish." However, there was a time when I personally could not speak in tongues, though I tried desparately to do so. It was only one day, 5-6 months later, when I was fervently praying that "the spirit of God" fell upon me....and to my amazement, I was speaking in tongues. From that day forward, I have been able to do it at will, with no problems.
I'm just curious how non-christians explain that, since I get incredible guilt trips from my Christian family members that I've turned my back on God, since I've been "filled with the Holy Ghost" and given this proof of Him inside me......but because I fail to attend church, I'm considered a backslider.
Keep smiling,
Jeff Mash
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