Tag Archives: Subconsciousness

“A Nightmarish Origin”

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We’ve all had nightmares at some point in our lives. Several people are plagued with them as if they were in a film caught in some sort of terrifying loop destined to repeat itself while others are fortunate enough to hardly ever have one. Yet, we really don’t put much emphasis into the origin of the word “nightmare”. Many of us shudder at the mere thought of even considering it. So quick are we in wanting to forget such frightening visions, but the truth of the matter is that the word “nightmare” dates back from Old English times when the word “mare” referred to folkloric demons that terrorized people by sitting on their chests while the individuals slept, causing them to have haunting dreams. These so-called demons were often thought to be incubi and/or succubi. The prefix “night” was later added to articulate the dream condition.

Nightmares, as we all know, can cause us to awake abruptly in cold sweats with palpitating heartbeats. Sometimes they can be so disturbing and vivid that the horrifying dreams can linger in our minds all throughout the waking day. Studies report that they happen mostly during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and that we are more apt to remember nightmares than we are the more pleasant dreams.

It’s interesting how the mind works, how each and every one of us reacts to something that can leave such an impact like a nightmare. They can be so daunting that nightmares can even lead to insomnia. What causes such startling hallucinations in our sleep? Several things actually from living a stressful life that one’s subconsciousness can weigh heavily on the slumbering mind, drugs like antidepressants can also contribute to nightmares and many people even claim having scary dreams after eating late night snacks.

A lot of times, nightmares (or any other kind of dreams for that matter) can reflect feelings that a person subconsciously may not even be aware that exists. For example, let’s just say that an individual has a nightmare that involves a threatening storm with a huge house crashing down upon them. Does it literally mean that this will happen to them in real life? Let’s hope not! But it could possibly symbolize that there may need to be a change in the structure of their waking life. However with this subject, it taps into the discussion of dream analysis and that’s a whole other topic.

The way our subconsciousness works can certainly be full of loaded questions with “one of a kind” answers for everyone is different in their own unique way. How we all handle things can be compared to fingerprints, there are no two that are just alike. I’ve had my share of frightening dreams, but the way I’ve dealt with them was by bringing them to life with paper and pen, giving birth to the poems and stories that I’ve so happily created.

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

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The Consternation of the Subconscious Mind

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It was getting late and I was falling fast asleep, into a peaceful slumber. And then, suddenly I awoke to a strange surrounding. It was daytime, several hours had obviously passed and I was oddly outside in a macabre setting. How I had gotten there was quite unknown to me. The sun was high, trees were all around and the figure of a filthy, vulgar man towered over me. With a half-smoked cigar gripped tightly in the corner of his mouth he asked me, “How ya likin’ that? Doesn’t it feel gooood?” As he finished his question, his speech became taunting as if he were playing some sort of twisted game.

Sweat and grime dripped off his forehead down to my face. I could smell his rancid breath filled with stale cigar smoke as he slurred each word. I quickly turned my head away from him. I could see that we were in a desolate place out in the middle of nowhere. I was alone with this societal reject who for some ungodly reason wanted to execute his perversion onto me. He had me laid out on my back on a hard surface, maybe a make-shift table or something, who knows…. and I was stiff, but not paralyzed even though the tingling sensation that coursed throughout my body caused me to feel numb. It was weird, like I had been drugged.

I struggled to move my arms and bellowed out. “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?”

He erupted with a deep, guttural laugh, “HAHAHAHAHAHA… WHOOHOO!!!!” Laughing so hard that it caused him to stumble backwards, almost losing his balance, then he was back to me. Bending over, face to face with me again, as his eyes left mine he eerily led his gaze down to my stomach area. With his grisly smile he goaded, “You haven’t even noticed, have you?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” I was confused, my vision blurred as I tried making sense of it all.

“LOOK!” He demanded.

I mustered enough strength, blinked a couple of times to clear my eyes and brought my attention to where he was talking about.

“OH MY GOD!!!!!” I screamed.

He laughed even harder and more sinister as the look of terror consumed me. My eyes were lain upon a horrendous vision, one so vile that to speak of it continues to unnerve me.

What I was seeing before my very eyes was one of the most gruesome acts I had ever seen, and it happened to me. It threw me into a world of shock. Apparently the disgusting man was getting off on it because he looked so elated as he jeered around.

“HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?! WHHYYYY?!?!?!” I cried. My hands reached down to my midsection, grabbing what I could to piece myself back together. I had been sliced open, from side to side, with my entrails emerging to the surface. Blood was all over me as my insides slipped between my fingers.

His depraved laughter continued as I attempted to gain my freedom. Still on my back with my body ripped apart, I tried pushing backwards with my feet to inch my way off the table.

“You can’t do it! Look at you! HAHAHAHAHA…..” He roared.

Then, “PLOP!” My body fell to the ground. I moaned in agony as my back cracked with pain, but I didn’t let that stop me. While this revolting man continued to laugh, he casually wiped the sweat from his brow with his dingy white tank top. He was clearly enjoying watching me suffer for he knew I wouldn’t get far due to the dreadful state that I was in.

With each minute inch that I moved, so did my exposed intestines as the blood pulsated outward. I arched my back upwards to keep everything off the dirt and ground below, and just like a contortionist, I tried crawling backwards to get away. I looked ahead in my upside-down position, hearing his heckling behind me, knowing that I would eventually have to give up. I knew in my heart that there was absolutely no way that I was going to escape this wretched hell that I was in, but I had to at least try to survive.

 

 

 

It was in that moment that reality finally kicked in and I woke up. Everything that happened above was merely a nightmare. Thank God! It bothered me so much that I found it hard to go back to sleep. I went to work the next day feeling drained and offbeat. This was a few nights ago and I still can’t shake the vivid imagery of the dream. It was so real…  the colors, the surrounding, the intense fear. What would provoke me to have such a horrible nightmare? I’ve conducted dream interpretation before in the past, not just for myself, but for others as well. However, this one continues to bother me. Did I watch something disturbing prior to drifting off to sleep? Nope. Did I have a crazy conversation the day before pertaining to anything similar? Nope. So, what could it have been? Just some randomness played out by my subconsciousness?

The human psyche is a complex one, one that is so diverse that it leads to insurmountable inquiry.

 

 

 

 

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter: @sheilarparker.

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Facebook: Sheila Renee Parker – Author

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Instagram: @sheilareneeparker

~ Art by Sheila Renee Parker available at: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/sheilarenee-parker.html

~ Sheila Renee Parker on YouTube: Sheila Renee Parker

 

 

 

 

Pendulums

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“Swinging back and forth, to and fro, which way will the pendulum go?”

According to Wikipedia’s definition, “a pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely.” From the early 1700s to the early 1900s, pendulums were used for timekeeping and considered to be extremely accurate. But this scientific method is not the reasoning behind me writing this article. No, my reference is in the spiritual sense.

Many people use pendulums for a variety of reasons such as a form of communication with spirit guides and/or spirits in general. Others may use pendulums to access wisdom from a higher self or to even perhaps gain forgotten knowledge from the subconscious mind. The reasoning for each individual’s use is as unique as the person using it. And the practice in which they perform may vary as well.

Like me for instance, I actually have a pendulum. Several years ago I put one together with extreme simplicity. (And yes, it’s ok to make your own pendulum. Manufactured ones work just as well, but my preference was to make my own. I believe that spirituality is quite beautiful and personal, so creating my pendulum made it all the more sentimental.)

Again, simple materials… actually, I only purchased a couple of things. One was a small rope-like thick string (a pretty, light green color) and the second item I got was a crescent shaped, aurora borealis pendant to use as the weight. I strung the string through a premade hole in the pendant and voila, my pendulum was made. Of course, I cleansed it with the practice of incense prior to use. I am extremely cautious with what I do and I never do anything that promotes negativity. I believe in practicing with white light protection and the assistance from spirit guides.

Below is an image of my quaint, yet very special pendulum.

 

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter: @sheilarparker.

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Facebook: Sheila Renee Parker – Author

 

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Dreams… or Premonitions?

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Dreams come in many forms. For some people, dreams occur like random flashes of broken images while other individuals may experience visuals that are in-depth with extreme detail. Many people dream in various shades of black and white, and others dream in vivid colors. Dreams are as unique as the individual who has them. There are even people who claim they don’t dream at all. Some dreams can have such an effect on us that they may linger on our minds for days. However, some can become easily forgotten within minutes upon us waking.

And yet, there are those of us who have dreams that are more than mere fantasy. I’m speaking in regards to premonitions like the ones that I have. When I get premonitions, they happen like reoccurring dreams. Often, I will have them over a matter of weeks and more extreme ones have happened over a matter of a few years. For me, these reoccurring dreams (or premonitions as I like to call them) don’t cease until they actually happen in real life. Occasionally, I will get a premonition only once just prior to it becoming real.

Do I consider myself a seer? Absolutely not. I’ve never experienced visions like those reported by Michel de Nostredame, Edgar Cayce or even Sylvia Brown. I don’t even have visions on a regular basis. They’re not something that I can easily pull out of thin air either.

Some of the earliest premonitions that I can recall happened back when I was a little girl in elementary school. The visions weren’t anything epic, but nonetheless, they were still something to me. I could “see” events happening in advance and other similar things. Like I stated earlier, my premonitions occur during dreams. I, like everyone else, have ordinary dreams that aren’t premonitions. It’s easy for me to tell them apart. All my dreams and premonitions come to me very vividly and realistically. However, with my premonitions I get a feeling that’s kind of hard to explain. The best way for me to describe it would be to say that when I get a premonition dream, the vision is accompanied by an intense sense of “knowing”.

When I was a kid I wouldn’t speak about my visions, but as I got older, I would randomly say little things to my friends and they would be like, “how did you know?”. I would simply shrug my shoulders and laugh it off, being very nonchalant about it. Do I take my premonitions lightly? Of course not, but I don’t shy away from them either. I welcome them and always listen to my intuition.

 

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

 

An Event To Remember!

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Happy weekend one and all! Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween. I know I sure did! This has always been my favorite time of year, the smell of the crisp autumn air as it sweetens the chilled autumn evenings. However the nights are getting longer, it gives us the opportunity to light those candles and enjoy their warm, illuminating glow.

Earlier in the week I was the guest speaker at a paranormal speaking event. Had such an amazing turnout and met some really fantastic people who were also there to share their paranormal experiences. We all engaged in topics ranging from ones that have been discussed on this blog like ghostly travelers to the different types of hauntings.

The subject of reincarnation even found its way into the discussion. A lady who attended the event shared with everyone a very interesting story. She told us all about an extremely vivid dream that she once had. But she said that her dream wasn’t just a dream. She said that it felt more like an actual memory, perhaps a memory from a past life. Upon waking, she remembered every minute detail. In her dream, the lady saw herself, yet it wasn’t her in this lifetime. She was from a different era, turn of the century…. Victorian times. In her realistic dream, she even discovered the name of the woman who she thought to be her. So the next day, it sparked something in her so much that it prompted her to research the woman. Her findings were conclusive. The Victorian era lady from her dream actually did live at the turn of the century and had the exact name that was mentioned in the dream. This woman who attended the speaking event said that prior to her dream, she had never heard of the Victorian lady before in her life. She had no explanation to why she had the mysterious dream. Her belief is that it was a fragmented memory from a previous lifetime that surfaced its way into her subconscious mind during sleep.

Other stories that were shared were quite uplifting that included deceased loved ones who still visit the living by showing signs only recognizable to those they hold dear. While some stories were sadder in nature and somewhat emotional. I, too shared several of my own paranormal experiences, like the time when I was a young girl witnessing my first shadow person, followed by more encounters throughout my life. Then, there was the time that I had a frightening experience with a Ouija Board when I was a teenager. An unforgettable memory, even though it happened many years ago, I still remember it as if it occurred only yesterday.

The speaking events that I host aren’t only for me to discuss the paranormal, they’re also a way for others to openly share their preternatural encounters. Having an open mind is key to understanding the unknown.

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter @sheilarparker.

Edgar Cayce & The Akashic Records

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There are people of all walks of life throughout history that have claimed to have the gift of foretelling the future. People like Michel de Nostradamus and Ellen G. White, but the one that really catches my attention is Edgar Cayce. Edgar Cayce was a devout Christian who was born March 18, 1877 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky and died January 3, 1945 in Virginia Beach, Virginia at the respectful age of 67. He was a prophet who supposedly had the ability to tap into the Akashic Records. These intangible records are said to be a collection of mystical knowledge that’s been encoded on an ethereal plane of existence referred to as the astral plane. The Akashic Records are thought to include every single experience known to mankind since the beginning of time. These records are supposedly pretty intense because according to them, nothing is hidden. Every minute detail of our existence is said to be imprinted within them. However, there is no scientific validation that these records actually exist.

Edgar Cayce would often refer to the Akashic Records during many of his readings. While conducting the sessions, the people for whom he was doing the readings usually would not be present. Their questions, ranging from personal to health, would be given to Cayce. He would then lie down and enter a trance where he would access the Akashic Records. His wife, Gertrude Evans Cayce, guided the readings for him. Unfortunately, Cayce’s earlier readings were not documented, but according to an article in the Birmingham Post-Herald released in 1922, it stated that Cayce gave over 8,000 readings followed by an addition of up to 14,000 more readings after that date.

Edgar Cayce claimed that he didn’t remember anything mentioned during his sessions once he was out of the trance-like state. He believed that our unconscious minds have access to information that our conscious minds do not. Not only could Edgar Cayce tap into the Akashic Records, he also claimed to have the ability to perform astral projection, which is the ability to travel in astral form outside the physical body. Many people refer to this phenomenon as an out-of-body experience (OBE). Cayce was considered as a prophet who reported to have foreseen major events like both World Wars, the Great Depression and even the assassination of the 44th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy.

Skeptics believe that Cayce gathered his information for his predictions from the articles and books that he read. Skeptics also criticize Cayce’s support for alternative medicine, which they view as quackery. Edgar Cayce became quite the celebrity before his death. He was even known as the most documented psychic of the 20th century.

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter @sheilarparker.

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!