This is my entry to the @jerrybanfield Supernatural Writing experience. This story is more of a gradual change with many supernatural occurrences scattered within than a single occurence.
From the time I was a child, I have always felt a yearning for something more, like a part of me was missing and this turned into a fascination and pursuit of esoteric and arcane knowledge. For as long as I can remember I have always felt a deep draw ad awareness of a “greater” spiritual plane. This led me into meditation, the martial arts, astral projection, dabbling in the occult and trying to develop my psychic powers. I felt drawn to Buddhism, teachings on reincarnation and belief in supernatural occurrences such as ghosts and spirits. Coming from a family where we had deeply cultic Aunts and uncles didn’t help either and someone was always trying to make incisions on our bodies to place traditional medicine and the like.
I was born a Muslim and remained one until I was 22 years old with my Dad’s side of the family being Muslim and my mother being Catholic. My parents always used to tell stories of how both sides of the family congregated at our house in the days leading up to my birth yet immediately the heard the news that the baby was born they all disappeared without ever coming to the hospital or even seeing the baby. My first year was then plagued with strange occurrences until my parents had to call in a Muslim Prayer man to pray over me. He gave me a necklace to protect against evil spirits which I wore until I was almost a teenager and his explanation was the presence of the spirit of my grandfather wherever I was.
As I was growing up I dabbled in almost everything, religious mysticism, Reiki, meditation, spells, binaural beats and had several out of body experiences and well as several terrifying encounters. One which I remember to this day, going back to my dorm in college one night at 3 am, I had an encounter with the most terrifying creature ever. Something I still get chills thinking about even now. I have tried to describe it by I just can’t, it was something like a lion but also like a man but definitely not of this world. Something which you would expect from a Stephen King novel. It materialized out of thin air and I ran only to have it appear in front of me again. Honestly, I thought that was the end of me, I collapsed and my roommate is the one who got me from there. Most people at the time chalked in up to booze but only years later when I started facing such creatures again did I realize just what it was. In college, I had finally settled on the martial arts as being the one thing that gave me balance and I ate lived and breathed martial arts and achieved the highly sort after “mind like water” where you view your opponent in slow motion or as I later discovered has it’s roots in deep spiritual secrets.
A few years later I began having these horrible dreams and sometimes actually seeing things while awake. Being pursued by these horrible half animal half human creatures in a city crumbling down where one false step and I would fall into molten lava. In my dreams I would be pursued by snakes and literally would go to sleep feeling the presence of death in my room and not expecting to wake up. I also kept seeing this place of worship with people all in black attire. At the same time, everything that could fall apart in my life did, I lost my job, was constantly plagued by suicidal thoughts and remember thinking these are not my thoughts, how come I can’t get them out of my head. It got so bad that I was even afraid to leave my flat and especially not to get in a vehicle. Before things got too bad I remember having a dream of a particular stretch of road where people were wailing like at a funeral then a few days later I had a horrible accident on the very spot.
Just before things got too bad a charismatic preacher who stayed near my flats had trouble with his laptop and had heard that I’m an I.T professional and left a message for me to come and help him with his laptop. Being totally broke, I went there in the hopes of making a few bucks but the moment I was in his presence I felt a total peace for the first time in a very long time and once I had fixed his laptop he asked that before I leave would I let him pray for me. I said yes and I remember his prayer being against death. That night I slept peacefully without any depression, bad dreams or suicidal thoughts. After a day or two once again I began to have strange thoughts and sensing a strange presence but this time I remembered the peace I had felt and immediately walked to the preacher's house. Over the next few months he started sharing with me some teachings, every midnight he would phone to pray with me and I noticed by dreams changing. I would dream of fighting with a snake and in the morning wake up to find my sheets and walls covered in blood, sometimes a voice would wake me up saying wake up, don’t sleep there’s danger. I remember once dreaming of being spun in the air by 3 men and I woke up literally in the air and fell back onto my bed from about half a meter in the air. I started getting instructions in my dreams saying open your wardrobe you will find this object, take it out and burn it I burnt my martial arts materials, several objects, including religious objects, both Catholic and Muslim. Several times I was actually told to go to such a spot at my parents’ house, my grandmother’s house and dig only to find very funny things.I discovered all these so-called prayer necklace were filled with charms and only verses which curse. Once these things were destroyed I would notice several ailments would leave me and also members of my family. One day when I was complaining of not being able to find a job to the preacher he told me I had a dream of a relative of yours who is abroad saying let me help my relative and sending some stuff and I saw you controlling this big business but I don’t know what it means. Just a few days later, my brother who was in England phoned to say I’ve sent some stuff see if there is a market for it there. Years later I am the proud owner of my own business from the few things he sent. I experienced many transformations, I managed to let go off so many bad habits like anger etc. For years I had been trying to stop smoking then one day a pastor said, it’s funny today when I was praying I kept seeing white smoke over you and I’ve been told to tell you this was a curse which was in your bloodline, all males in your family smoke but from today you are free. There was something in your heart which you had already started experiencing funny things and would’ve experienced heart disease later on but it’s gone. I felt like something in my chest snapped and 30 minutes later my cousins came to my house and started smoking and I didn’t have the slightest interest in joining them. I never struggled with withdrawals symptoms or had to avoid smoke and I’m happy to say it has now been over 10 years. I’ve learned to lean on God and listen as he speaks to everyone if you can just listen. I’ve also realized that a lot of what we do has far-reaching spirituals consequences but luckily I managed to avoid them.
I know this story seems far-fetched but I guarantee it is true. I have left out quite a bit as it may have begun to seem like it’s made up. I’ve come to realize that a lot of fantasy and mythology e.g. dragons is based on the spiritual realm where there exist, creatures, we cannot even dare to imagine. I no longer believe in ghosts or aliens but I do believe in familiar spirits which masquerade as such. I now realize that psychic powers, as well as premonitions of previous life, are caused by such spirits which possess abilities not limited to the physical realm and have existed for thousands of years and can tell you things which happened centuries ago or even make you feel you were there.
I know this is in direct contradiction to a lot of people’s beliefs and practices here but I have experienced the dangers first hand. It is the classic bait and snatch technique and can also say that the horribly wrong teachings being spread in most churches and other religions are destroying more people than saving.
I also have a deep confidence in my future and have learned to deal with setbacks and keep pushing forward.
Thanks @ jerrybanfield for this completion and allowing us to share, you have become my first witness vote. I will be sharing many other things I have experienced on my blog and it’s been great reading all the other entries.
Image source: pixabay.com