WHAT NIGHTMARES ARE MADE OF.....

You lay down and take a deep breath....aaawwww your day is done!  Time for a good nights sleep.  Once you FINALLY get your brain to shut down from your thoughts of. ..."got to pick the kids up tomorrow at 10, be at the meeting by noon, pay the bills, pick something up for dinner"...and so on and so on....you dose off to sleep into LALA Land...........................or maybe........... HELL!!!!!!!

CREEPY clowns, unknown echo's down the hall, ghosts, dolls, death, blood and guts, being alone, insane asylums, scary haunted houses....if you FEAR it more than likely Hollywood has made a movie about it, so it's no wonder that THESE visions are stored in our heads just the same way the things we LIKE are.  You can ALWAYS find something disturbing to read about, see a movie about or heck even watching the evening news  is pretty darn disturbing! LOL

So sometimes, during the day we may see something that is frightening to us and once we go to sleep it is a FREE FOR ALL in our mind....random thoughts are thrown all around and sometimes the BAD ONES WINS!!!

Lets talk CLOWNS!!!! Growing up as a young girl I can remember...... to be the "cool kid"....... you had to have a clown at your birthday party!  NOT THESE DAYS!!!!  John Wayne Gacy was a dedicated community volunteer whose persona of "Pogo the Clown" masked a dark secret.  In his career as a serial killer, he murdered at least 33 teenage boys.  Most were sexually assaulted.  Not long afterward, Stephen King's IT and its adaptation starring a chilling Tim Curry kept us even more scared of clowns.   Wait till you see what is coming......Will I be seeing this movie???? HELL NO.....DOUBLE HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!

A clown phobia may be the most irrational of the bunch, but the real-life connections to the serial killer culture lend credibility to this fear. 

How about a cute little DOLL?????  Again, growing up as a young girl what did you ask for your birthday???  A doll of course.  The BIGGER THE BETTER!!!  Never for one moment thinking that this DOLL is going to come alive and kill me!!!  Again.....NOT THESE DAYS!!!!

Maybe it's their dead, dark, unblinking eyes that watch us, or their stiff hands that just seem to be wanting to GRAB something or someone.  Whatever it is, dolls just CREEP US OUT!!!!!  Their physical appearance often dwells in what psychologists call the "uncanny valley."  This is an anomaly of human perception where some figures look human enough to be relatable, but inhuman enough to freak us out!!!  This may be a reaction to dead bodies, which both are and aren't human.  And in many cases, there really isn't much of a physical difference between the corpse of a child and a doll.  And with that sensibility in mind, the idea of them getting up and toddling around toward us is horrifying!




And that's not enough for us to have NIGHTMARES about....how about the fear of "loneliness"  like...oh I don't know.....like being abandon in an ASYLUM or HOSPITAL?????

No one likes feeling helpless or feeling abandoned, and nowhere are we more helpless than in the hospital.  The Exorcist even features a scene where the possessed child is subjected to needles and giant machines and ends up bleeding in a hospital exam room.  In a movie where a child's head literally spins, this hospital scene resonates.  Why???  You tell me.  The asylum compounds all of these feelings because the label of mental illness means that no one will ever believe what the person says and they must be going insane.  It is an incomprehensible vulnerability!  And if the asylum is abandoned, then the ghosts of all those that have pasted between its walls are sure to seek revenge. 

Speaking of CHILDREN.....aren't children suppose to love everyone and be fun loving and carefree???  Obviously NOT ALL CHILDREN!!!!  The emotional stakes of a story increase when children are involved.  It's natural to worry about and want to protect children who are in danger.  But if the children themselves are the source of the DANGER, audiences are caught off guard in the movies and we as adults tend to have trouble believing such "innocence can turn DEADLY."

In the movie The Omen, an innocent-looking child looks on as his family goes down in flames around him.  Twins more than double this feeling.  Developmental psychologists have noted that twins share an exceptionally close relationship, sometimes to the point where their intuitive mutual understanding mimics telepathy.  Imagine...what they could DO if they put their MINDS to it!!!!!  And no more are a famous pair of twins than in THE SHINING!!!!

And with Halloween coming up what do we see on TV.......... but tons and tons of scary shows!!!  And guess what???  Pay close attention and I'll bet you 80% of the Halloween movies soon to be released have something to do with MASKS.  What is it about MASKS????  Some masks have great, big smiling faces on them and some have unimaginable features....like creatures crawling out the cheeks, monsters, and some are as plain as can be...just a plain, white mask.  What is it about THE PLAIN WHITE MASK that sends fear running through our vanes?  Mask HIDE something......something that isn't always pleasant.......something dark....something that we fear......something that we NEVER REALLY want to be revealed. 



And don't forget WHO'S AFRAID OF THE DARK????  To me this is the one fear that tops ALL fears!!!  The dark can hold any of the above fears in it.  The dark is the "unknown".....and the "unknown" can sometimes kill you!!!  Many people are so fearful of the dark that they NEVER turn the lights off, they sleep with them on and they are NEVER EVER alone.....in the dark!!! 

The dark is where the monsters live that are in our closets, where the ghosts come out and lurk above us as we sleep.  The dark is where your DEEPEST FEARS become a REALITY!!!!  I get asked all the time "aren't you scared when you go to a haunted location?" Well, the answer is YES!  Of course!  No one ever said being a ghost hunter you had to be brave (but it helps.LOL) Not all the time but sometimes.  The difference is....I deal with fear in a completely different way than someone just going into a haunted house for the first time.  I TRULY BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF!!!  I have been doing this so long that I don't really FEAR the unknown anymore....I am more interested NOW in finding out what is hiding in the DARK.....but just to make you feel better I wasn't always like this.  Here's the perfect example of being in the DARK and not knowing what is in there with me or what the dark holds.  I was on an investigation in a private home where there were stories of the children being scratched, things moving, voices and all kinds of other activity.  So I was in a room that a child had been scratched several times...so I'm already a little leery about the space.  It was pitch black and we had already been having tons of activity.....when all of the SUDDEN.....something grabbed my hair and pulled it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me tell you....I DID NOT TAKE IT WELL!!!!!!  I screamed "SOMETHING IS GRABBING ME....SOMETHING IS GRABBING MY HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  I was so FREAKED OUT!!!  It was SO REAL TO ME!!!!  Well it was a small room...and my team members were in another room when one came running in and without thinking turned on the light.  My heart was beating soooooo fast........and I could hardly talk.......(and just for the record....I don't act like this all the time. LOL) but I turned around and was pointing to where I was standing and  THERE............THERE THEY WERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  MY GLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  YEP! My glasses that I had on the top of my head had slide down the back of my neck making me think SOMEONE or SOMETHING was pulling my hair!!!!!!   OK OK....go ahead and laugh.......I did myself once I realized I wasn't being ATTACKED by a HAIR PULLING GHOST!!!!

The whole point of that story was....... I was already on edge being in the dark so........my imagination was able to run wild and I let FEAR take over!!!  I literally tell myself during investigations now.....when I am starting to feel "THAT FEELING" coming on "there is nothing to fear but fear itself" and I REALLY LISTEN TO THOSE WORDS......it really DOES seem to calm my nerves or uneasiness.  

Here's the deal....whatever we fear....whatever makes up jumpy.....or uneasy can HAUNT us in our dreams.  And in today's world....we are not offered a lot of "conditioning shows, news, articles or just whatever as comfort" so what do we do?????  Well.....you should do what I do....if I've watched a SCARY show (which I rarely do) before bed or even during the day.....simple solution........I watch 2 hours of I LOVE LUCY and off to sleep I go.

Now.....Sleep tight everyone and PLEASANT DREAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE MEANING OF DREAMS-THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY



I have lots of people ask me about dreams.  What do they mean??? Can our loved ones REALLY communicate with us through dreams?  The simple answer is "yes" the more difficult question is "what does it all mean"?

We dream in five stages of sleep:

Stage 1-This is the lightest stage of sleep, the transition phase, where you feel yourself drifting off.
Stage 2-Your brain activity starts to slow down, as well as your heart rate and breathing. Your body temperature falls a little and you're beginning to reach a state of total relaxation in preparation for the deeper sleep to come.
Stage 3-is the start of deep sleep, also known as slow wave sleep. During stage 3, your brain waves are slow "delta waves," although there may still be short bursts of faster of brain activity (also known as beta-waves).
Stage 4-this is the one when you experience your deepest sleep of the night. Your brain only shows delta-wave (slow wave) activity, and it's difficult to wake someone up when they're in Stage 4 of sleep.
Stage 5-This is the stage of sleep when you dream. It is also referred to as "active sleep" or REM sleep, which stands for the rapid eye movements that characterize Stage 5. During REM sleep, your blood flow, breathing, and brain activity increases. An EEG would show that your brain is about as active as it is when you're awake.

When you are in Stage 5 of sleep, this is when you are most relaxed and all your "defenses" are down.  You know...the ones where you "analyze" everything you see and do.  If you see a door open by itself, well then it MUST have been the wind, the "transparent" lady in the corner MUST be a reflection in the mirror of something.  When ALL your "defenses"(that's what I call it anyway) are down, it makes it easy for spirits to show themselves to you or give you a message in your dreams because you aren't trying to "block" them (again, my words) with trying to come up with a rational explanation as to what you are seeing or hearing.

Dreams can be very comforting and also very scary!  Below is a site that I found very interesting about "what your dreams means".  I can't say that I agree with ALL the logic or explanations of the site but I found some of the analysis to be very insightful.

Maybe this site will offer you some explanation as to what your dream means to you.   And hey....if you still don't get the answer your looking for...write me...and I will give you BECKS TWO CENTS on it. LOL

http://www.dreamsleep.net/dreamthemes/feelings-dream-meanings.html

 

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN

So many people think that once you die that the love you had for someone is lost...........quite the contrary....love NEVER dies.......it just goes from the mind to heart....to HEART to HEART.  What does that mean?  Well, it's kinda like smelling a rose with your eyes closed.  First you see it......then you close your eyes....... and you can't SEE it anymore but you can still SMELL it therefore you know it is STILL THERE!  It's kinda the same way when someone we love dies.  We are sooooo used to seeing them and having them in our lives that once their gone....we fear the love is lost.  But here's the deal....when someone dies they take the love they had for you with them, ONLY now....you can't see them but hopefully you can FEEL them or maybe even receive signs from them.

When our love ones leave us, they help us through life in so many ways that we may not immediately recognize it.  That is because they are here to protect and guide us not to lead and direct.  Two things you need to remember when our loved ones are giving us "signs" from above letting us know that they are still here.  One-BELIEVE IN THEM and two-NOTICE THEM!!! 

Not all signs are small, and not all are monumental.  Each one of is there for a specific purpose, be it to comfort you, help you finalize a decision, or confirm something you already knew but just weren't sure about.  Remember......our job is NOT to SEARCH for signs.....but to notice them!!!

Some of the ways that they may try and give us signs are.....finding feathers, a favorite song that you hadn't heard in forever, "pennies from Heaven", hearing their voices, or finding something that has been lost for a long time.  And let's not forget about visits in our dreams.

FEATHERS- Feathers are symbols of faith, therefore our loved ones make sure that you understand the significance of their offering and believe that it's a real message from above. 

MUSIC-Music or a favorite song that has meaning to you and your loved one is one of the ways that spirits communicate that "something special" is still here and ONLY YOU would recognize the it.  Music bypasses defenses and opens the heart, so it's a favorite choice of sign from above.



PENNIES FROM HEAVEN-The Universe works in mysterious ways, and our loved ones are no exception.  The fact is.....we ALL love gifts!  So our departed loved ones can't pick up the phone and order  flowers for us so "pennies from Heaven" can sometimes be the way they make you feel supported or even may make you feel better on a emotional, spiritually and physical level when you find a penny.  I'm going to go out on a limb and say I bet every time you find a penny you SMILE!  What a great gift that is!  So next time you find a penny...just remember that it might have been purposely placed in your path.

VOICES-  This one is simple.... Sometimes spirits know that the only thing you need is to HEAR from them and I do mean HEAR from them.  This just reassures you that they are still watching over you and have never TRULY left you.

 

FOUND ITEM-Our love ones never forget SPECIAL things or things that meant something to the both of you.  They know when you need MORE than just a song or just a penny.........so that wedding band that your husband lost when he was working on the car may SUDDENLY show up in the most unlikely place!!!! This is no accident.....THIS is his way of saying I love you and always will. 

 

 

DREAMS-Dreams are the place that spirits can communicate with us directly.  This is the time when you are free of stress and your mind is at it's most relaxed therefore, it is the time when your spirits can give you a message without all the distractions that may prevent you from noticing other signs they may be trying to give you.

 

The bottom line is.....our loved ones DO give us signs that they still love us and know that WE still love them.... BUT we have to be willing to see them and more important recognize them!  Signs come in many different forms and situations.  They are deeply personal, and what's significant to you many not make sense in another person's life.  I know it's hard to believe......but our loved ones will be with us every step of the way until we met again, but until that time......never doubt that the SIGN you THINK you are getting....is TRULY meant to be.