Tonight, Radio Free Mormon shares some personal stories about close encounters with the dark forces of the supernatural.
Don’t listen to this episode alone!
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Radio Free Mormon: 106: Halloween Special
That was quite a touching episode. I do think Mormonism frames our experiences often in supernatural ways. Sleep paralysis happens less when you don’t sleep on your back. Tree branches snapping sound very much like a rifle shot, or several in a row. But your last story was very touching, and pretty scary to boot. I had a very vivid dream after my beloved cat died. I saw her all glowing bright white and celestialized, looking up at me in perfect peace from a picnic table bench. This, shortly after she passed away at an advanced age. I was 19. When I awoke I was certain this was her way of telling me that the celestial kingdom was wonderful for cats too. That’s the Mormon interpretation, but I like to think of it in this way even decades later. Thanks for the interesting and spine tingling tales. Sorry about Cerby, I get how that feels.
The story about your sleep paralysis really hit home. I’ve suffered with it most of my life, but it was especially pronounced on my mission. In one area we were asked a few times by members to cast out evil spirits, and at the same time I was having more frequent episodes at night and the early morning. I always thought it was a real, life or death battle with Satan and his angels. It was a brutal time in my life. A few years later, while studying psychology at BYU, I learned about Narcolepsy and Sleep Paralysis and it all made so much more sense. Every now and then I still have an episode, 20 years later, and it still freaks me out. Sorry about your dog…that was very hard to listen to.
I deeply appreciate you sharing this. When I was in the mission field about a month and a half my companion and I met a man in his twenties who was eager to visit with us. For some reason, I don’t recall, we met with him in our apartment. He held the Book of Mormon in his hands and flipped through it for about thirty seconds. He said that he read and understood it because of that brief encounter. He had absorbed it. He also told us how he had disciplined his spirit to be able to leave his body and go wherever he wanted to. It was difficult to make much progress with a planned discussion but he shared his thoughts on paranormal stuff which wasn’t spooky or occult exactly but weird to my companion and me. Oh well, everybody’s different and we claim the privilege to let others worship what they may. This was about 45 years ago. My companion and I slept in separate rooms. In the morning he told me of a strange experience he had during the night. He woke up at some point to see a red demonic head in front of his eyes and laughing at him. No matter where he turned his head it was right in front of him. He called upon the name of Jesus Christ to deliver him from this demon and the demon disappeared and he was blessed with a good sleep after that. So I related my experience. During the night I awoke and lay in bed paralyzed. I felt like my blankets must have weighed 500 pounds and a chill was all over me. I rolled sideways and landed on my knees. I prayed in the name of Jesus Christ for deliverance and I was able to go right back to sleep after a deeply felt prayer of gratitude. We had a brush with the dark side and invoking the Lord’s name solved the problem. ……On the lighter side and only slightly related to the podcast I came across a joke recently. Years ago a good friend who was a lawyer told a group of us a few lawyer jokes. He laughed harder than anyone else. No offence intended to any lawyer. So here is the joke. …..There is a bridge between heaven and hell that got damaged. Saint Peter met with the devil and said, “We fixed the bridge the last time this happened so it’s your turn to repair it this time.” The devil answers back, “All my workers are on other projects.” Saint Peter says, “Look we need this bridge repaired. If you won’t do it we’re going to have to sue.” The devil answers back, “Well good luck with that. Where are you going to find a lawyer?”
RFM,
Great episode! I just finished listening to your interview with John Dehlin for Mormon Stories as well. Great job on that as well. In your interview, you shared a little bit more of the positive spiritual experiences you had following your baptism. I was especially intrigued with the experiences you had praying your way through the Book of Mormon the first time. John said that later in the interview you would go back and discuss how you reconcile your experience with the Book of Mormon with your current beliefs. I waited and waited, but it was never discussed. Do you have another podcast episode where you go over this? I’d love to hear your thoughts about why the “heavens opened around you” following your baptism, in particular your experiences with the Book of Mormon.