Scary dreams and visions

[OneChristianLight]

For almost two years now, I’ve unfortunately been addicted to dipping tobacco, which is an arguably deadly habit given that mouth cancer is common among long-term dippers.

I’m 27 and moved back in with my parents several years ago to save money. They have noted my nicotine addiction problem, and my mom has promised to get me a drug addiction counselor. She is off work for the next ten days, and I will be getting professional help for my problem soon.

Addiction is scary, mouth cancer is even more scary—but I’ve been seeing things that are far more scary than either of those two things…

I keep having dreams where I am falling, falling, and falling. The dreams seem to go on for hours, and they are somewhat lucid. I eventually end up falling to hell. Prior to getting rest last night, I had a vision of a great pit, no doubt leading to hell, and I said in my mind, what is that? And then a voice arose: “You decide.”

Like I said, I will be getting professional help shortly. My mom is even going to pay for it because she is just as concerned as I am about my addiction to tobacco. But these dreams and visions, which are no doubt related to my awful addiction, are deeply scaring me. Any relevant advice would be appreciated.

 

[Kenny'sID]

They could be as simple as your fear/concern hence guilt with the tobacco issue manifesting itself in your dreams. If the dip really worries you, and it sounds like it does, I'd imagine that is a common occurrence. Not sure if you are up on sorcery and it's connection to drugs or not, but I'm a pretty firm believer that tobacco, and some of these things we don't think are too serious, could be very serious, and not just in the here and now.

Not preaching, I got my problems too. I did quit smoking, but am still on the ecig. Not as bad as ciggs but an addiction to drugs nonetheless.

The good news it you are working on it, and if success with that doesn't alleviate the dreams, then cross the bridge of dealing with it, but I'd guess ending the dip, will end the guilt and that will end the dreams.

 

[com7fy8]

prayer for you, One Christian Light . . . God bless you to be encouraged to trust Jesus and depend on how God is able.

Yes, we want for you to stop your nicotine thing so you don't get mouth cancer. But our main motive needs to be to please God and seek Him to change us so we love and care for any and all people as ourselves.

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

And >

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

So, for me, personally, fear should not be my motivation to do anything, but it can be a warning sign that I need to seek our Father more, for His correction (Hebrews 12:4-11) of His love's perfection

And we all need this, don't we?

 

[OneChristianLight]

They could be as simple as your fear/concern hence guilt with the tobacco issue manifesting itself in your dreams. If the dip really worries you, and it sounds like it does, I'd imagine that is a common occurrence. Not sure if you are up on sorcery and it's connection to drugs or not, but I'm a pretty firm believer that tobacco, and some of these things we don't think are too serious, could be very serious, and not just in the here and now.

Not preaching, I got my problems too. I did quit smoking, but am still on the ecig. Not as bad as ciggs but an addiction to drugs nonetheless.

The good news it you are working on it, and if success with that doesn't alleviate the dreams, then cross the bridge of dealing with it, but I'd guess ending the dip, will end the guilt and that will end the dreams.

Thanks, Kenny.

One of my friends suggested that I switch to using an e-cig, which you seem to have experienced success with, but I want to be off nicotine permanently. I've also tried nicotine gum in the past, but all it does is change the mode of nicotine transmission without alleviating the addiction and thus doesn't work. I've had the best quit success in the past by going cold turkey, one time going as much as ten days without a dip, but then relapsed.

You say the dreams aren't from God, but instead a manifestation of my guilt. Your opinion seems reasonable, but I feel like God is really speaking to me here. Christ died for me, and Jesus' sacrifice for my sins would essentially become a waste if I died early from mouth cancer, so I feel like God really is making those dreams and visions.

 

[CrystalDragon]

Working on it through therapy and such like you're doing is a good start.

I don't think your dreams are visions, just your fears about your addiction manifest in dreams. If God is all-good, he wouldn't afflict you with the same dream night after night that only serves to terrify you.

As far as making the dreams stop, maybe you could look into ways to make your dreams more peaceful? I feel like dwelling on the dreams may cause them to occur more. People do dream the same dream sometimes, and it's when your mind is trying to signal something to you.

 

[OneChristianLight]

prayer for you, One Christian Light . . . God bless you to be encouraged to trust Jesus and depend on how God is able.

Yes, we want for you to stop your nicotine thing so you don't get mouth cancer. But our main motive needs to be to please God and seek Him to change us so we love and care for any and all people as ourselves.

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

And >

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

So, for me, personally, fear should not be my motivation to do anything, but it can be a warning sign that I need to seek our Father more, for His correction (Hebrews 12:4-11) of His love's perfection

And we all need this, don't we?

Thank you and God bless for your kind words and prayers.

I'm definitely going to spend a lot of time in prayer today. I really want my addiction to be over with, and I'm so tired of always relapsing days after when I make up my mind to quit. What is different about this time, though, is those scary dreams and visions, and maybe they will be the motivation I need to get through my withdrawals successfully.

 

[Take Heart]

but I feel like God is really speaking to me here.

The first thought I had after reading your initial post was that God was speaking to you in a way to warn you that if you continue down the path you're currently in, your life may take a terrible turn for the worst. I'm not saying that you can lose your salvation, but that your current lifestyle will bring you so far away from God that you may end up to a point where you no longer have faith in Him to save you/that His blood isn't enough to cover your sins and help you start a new life again. Praying that our Heavenly Father will take away every single desire of your addiction to tobacco from you completely, that He will help you through this battle with addiction every step of the way and that He will give you the strength to continue towards the path of recovery and healing.

 

[com7fy8]

@OneChristianLight

You are welcome God bless you, too

I think of 1 Peter 3:4 >

"rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (1 Peter 3:4)

This was specifically written to wives, while Peter was sharing how they can win disobedient husbands. He was saying their good example can win any disobedient man, I understand, since they would be depending on how God is able.

But I notice how this verse says the "incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" is "very precious in the sight of God". So, also, I consider this is what we men need, in order to please our Heavenly Father

Plus, it says this gentle and quiet beauty of God's love is "incorruptible" > meaning, to me, how in God's gentleness and quietness we have His own almighty protection against being corrupted by lusts . . . including for tobacco. So, don't we men need this??

So, getting stronger in real love can help us to get strong against any and all nasty and negative and dominating and dictatorial feelings and emotions and drives. Feed on all the excellent and nutritious things the Bible gives us about how to love, how to relate in love. And we help one another. We all have problems, we help one another; and our own problems which we have or have overcome can help us be humble and feel for other people with their sin problems >

"He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness." (Hebrews 5:2)

This scripture has helped me a lot; I have been a criticism addict; Hebrews 5:2 encourages me to have compassion, first, in caring prayer for people.

Jesus on the cross had hope for any evil person, at all; and Jesus never gave up on any of His disciples.

 

[Kenny'sID]

Thanks, Kenny.

One of my friends suggested that I switch to using an e-cig, which you seem to have experienced success with, but I want to be off nicotine permanently. I've also tried nicotine gum in the past, but all it does is change the mode of nicotine transmission without alleviating the addiction and thus doesn't work. I've had the best quit success in the past by going cold turkey, one time going as much as ten days without a dip, but then relapsed.

You say the dreams aren't from God, but instead a manifestation of my guilt. Your opinion seems reasonable, but I feel like God is really speaking to me here. Christ died for me, and Jesus' sacrifice for my sins would essentially become a waste if I died early from mouth cancer, so I feel like God really is making those dreams and visions.

You're welcome.

Actually, I meant to add it is possible the dreams are of/from God so you may be on the right track. But when you think about it, he made us with the ability to dream, and even if it did just happen naturally, for all intents and purposes, he definitely did it, as the dream probably served one of the purposes it was supposed to when he gave us the ability... that being the same purpose as if he had done it directly. Something to consider anyway.

Yeah, switching from one nicotine vehicle to another, does defeat the purpose. All I can think of is like with a patch, they say the delivery can be controlled and cutting back can be controlled. And though that may work fine, we can cut back with any method of delivery. A real advantage is the patch gets us off a lot of the enjoyment factor, as all it does is deliver nicotine, and doesn't satisfy like smoking, ecigs or dipping...a big part of the addiction.

I quit completely for a year, both smoking and ecig, and when my supplies run out I intend to drop it again.

Hope all goes well with quitting.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

One method that worked for me when it came to giving up watching certain tv shows or listening to certain music or having certain converstations or watching things online was imagining Jesus being literally there with me... kind of like the disciples would have experienced. Having Christ ever present with me, so to speak, allowed me to resist the temptations as I would never watch that, or listen to that or say that if Jesus was sitting next to me. Sound hokey maybe but it helped me to realize I'm not alone.

I think sometimes Jesus becomes a "concept" to us and we don't think about the reality of Jesus really abiding with us. If the veil were to be taken away, we would see holy angels weeping or rejoicing for the choices we make and the fallen angels doing the same.

 

[OneChristianLight]

One method that worked for me when it came to giving up watching certain tv shows or listening to certain music or having certain converstations or watching things online was imagining Jesus being literally there with me... kind of like the disciples would have experienced. Having Christ ever present with me, so to speak, allowed me to resist the temptations as I would never watch that, or listen to that or say that if Jesus was sitting next to me. Sound hokey maybe but it helped me to realize I'm not alone.

I think sometimes Jesus becomes a "concept" to us and we don't think about the reality of Jesus really abiding with us. If the veil were to be taken away, we would see holy angels weeping or rejoicing for the choices we make and the fallen angels doing the same.

Thanks.

I had a similar idea come to me earlier. I plan to read the Gospels again today, and then maybe re-read them again for a second time, then maybe a third time. In doing so, I will feel reinvigorated as a Christian, which will aid me in forever giving up this sin/addiction. Reading through Psalms may also strengthen my Christian spirit and help likewise.

Another idea I that came to me—and it's certainly not an idea to be taken lightly—is to make a written vow to God where I agree never to consume any nicotine-related product. It would be really serious, so I would have to think very hard about it and make sure it's something I can follow.

 

[CrystalDragon]

Thanks.

I had a similar idea come to me earlier. I plan to read the Gospels again today, and then maybe re-read them again for a second time, then maybe a third time. In doing so, I will feel reinvigorated as a Christian, which will aid me in forever giving up this sin/addiction. Reading through Psalms may also strengthen my Christian spirit and help likewise.

Another idea I that came to me—and it's certainly not an idea to be taken lightly—is to make a written vow to God where I agree never to consume any nicotine-related product. It would be really serious, so I would have to think very hard about it and make sure it's something I can follow.

Considering breaking an addiction can be hard, I feel like it would be more manageable if you made a written vow to God each day "I agree to do the best I can to not consume any nicotine-related product today." Focus on keeping the vow for that day. Do the same again and focus on that, and eventually the habit will be reminding yourself of the note rather than consuming nicotine. Just an idea.

 

[tturt]

Understand you're really wanting to stop - I've got problems, too - but encourage you to think a lot before making a vow before Yahweh. If will power had been sufficient before, you would have already done it. Right?

For your consideration: call on Yahweh on each occasion and asks Him for the strength, wisdom, healing, and peace you need.

 

[sarah_beloved]

Thanks.

I had a similar idea come to me earlier. I plan to read the Gospels again today, and then maybe re-read them again for a second time, then maybe a third time. In doing so, I will feel reinvigorated as a Christian, which will aid me in forever giving up this sin/addiction. Reading through Psalms may also strengthen my Christian spirit and help likewise.

Another idea I that came to me—and it's certainly not an idea to be taken lightly—is to make a written vow to God where I agree never to consume any nicotine-related product. It would be really serious, so I would have to think very hard about it and make sure it's something I can follow.

Hi OneChristianLight,

I would like to encourage you to stop being self and sin conscious but to start looking to Jesus. All these methods, while done with good intentions, are focused on your self-effort. It is not about how good our deeds are. It is about how perfect He is. We have no righteousness to speak of, in our flesh there is no good. We are accepted by God because of the righteousness of Christ. Perhaps you can start listening to sermons that preach on the finished work of Jesus. When you truly understand that Jesus has already paid the price for you to be free, quitting would be effortless.