Of Dreams

It doesn't happen often, but did again on Monday night. I half-woke after a terrifying dream in which a sense of evil was literally oppressive. Woke up in a sweat, too scared to open my eyes, and I think I did some serious prayer-pleading during the dream. I half-remember that it was the only way I escaped. It was as if I were being crushed, sat on by a heavy demonic force, though the "story" in my dream revolved around being trapped in the upper storey of a house with a girl who was being somehow abused by the power present.

I can remember while in the USA having one of these dreams. I'm not one to talk in my sleep - ever - but this time I woke up with a hoarse cry for "help! help me!". I woke myself up calling for help - being chased by a "ghost" that had stretched cold claws out to consume me. A year or so back there was another dream, one that again had that overwhelmingly evil feeling, that left me drenched in sweat and terrified to open my eyes in case it wasn't really a dream.

Yet after the dream is over, everything's OK. There's just a memory of it left, but the world is once more fine and dandy - and safe.

I have to wonder what brings on dreams like this. Are they our brains on idle, sorting through stuff that the day has thrown at us? Or is it a subconcious awareness of a battle for our souls as we sleep? Why, oh why on earth, do dreams like this suddenly surface out of nowhere?

(And did it have anything to do with the fact that I watched "Charmed" on Monday night? I've just remembered that the last dream I had was after watching that self-same programme! Only this episode didn't have anything dramatically evil that could have subconciously brought it on...)