Sleepwalking, known as somnambulism, in ancient times was considered a "curse," "plague," "demonic possession," "a mark of evil," or "punishment for some unconfessed sin." Attributed to witchcraft in the 1600s, as evidenced in Shakespeare's "Macbeth," somnambulism, is another disorder without physical markers. Witches, women who made a pact with the devil in exchange for supernatural powers, used somnambulism against their victims. Some believe it to be old wives tales or superstitions, in the Middle Ages, most townsfolk feared that sleepwalking could be a contagious evil and the sleepwalkers, and their families, were shunned by the community.
A sleepwalker was considered to be in a "trance-like state," walking without knowledge of what they were doing.
Sleepwalking episodes usually begin abruptly; patients show a blank expression, indifferent to the environment, with a low level of awareness and reactivity. In the state of somnambulism, patients are confused, disoriented and unresponsive; they fail to achieve full consciousness and are extremely difficult to wake up! [European Neurology]
Many could not explain what sleepwalking was other then "demoniac possession." In classic myths, such as Lamiaeand Empusae, goddess Hecate’s daughters and in Jewish folklore Lilim, Lilith’s daughters, 16th-century Spanish writer, Antonio de Torquemada, noted that "the devil influences dreams which provoke sleepers ‘to commit follies, i.e. sleepwalking," whereby losing both their mind and body at once.’
My experience with sleepwalking is with my older sister:
She would wake up in the middle of the night, open the locked front door and walk straight on to the middle of the road, and simply just lie down on the street, without any knowledge of what she was doing. We all freaked out! I was really young at the time, around 7 years old, because we shared the same room I was the first to wake up and call my mum as we followed her to the street. We would try to wake her up, but my mother would silence our fearful cries, and guide her back into the house to bed. When she woke up the next morning she could not recall what she was did the night before and thought were actually teasing her. But we weren't. She never ever believed us, but this happened nearly every night for many years. This was due to the demon that was using her body to do this, her mind had no ability to see this, in her eyes she was asleep. The demon had the ability to 'shut off' her mind, whilst in her dream state, and use her body at will. We encountered many demons in our house when we were young, and this was one only one of the ways they would attack us.
Sleep Doctor, Dr. Carlos H. Schenck, in his book Sleep: A Groundbreaking Guide to the Mysteries, the Problems, and the Solutions is one of the most prominent sleep doctors and researchers who explains the mechanisms of sleep, and the spectrum of disorders that can occur when these mechanisms go bizarrely wrong. He says the signs and symptoms of a sleepwalker are:
partial arousal during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, typically during the first third of the night
dream content that may or may not be recalled when awake
dream-congruent motor behavior that may be simple or complex
impaired perception of the environment
impaired judgement, planning and problem-solving.
He suggests that the sleepwalker's eyes are open but may appear as a glassy-eyed stare or blank expression but the pupils are dilated. They are often disoriented, and upon awakening they may be confused and perplexed, and might not know why or how they got out of bed; however, the disorientation will fade within minutes. Sleepwalkers may talk while sleepwalking, but typically does not make sense to the observer. Upon awaking there are varying degrees of amnesia associated ranging from no memory at all to vague memories.
Sleepwalking may also accompany the related phenomenon of 'night terrors,' especially in children. In the midst of a night terror, the affected person may wander in a distressed state while still asleep, and examples of sufferers attempting to run or aggressively defend themselves during these incidents have been reported in medical literature, as a psychological disorder. One study suggests that it has been reported in patients with "schizophrenia, hysteria and anxiety neuroses." Also, patients with migraine headaches or Tourette syndrome are 4–6 times more likely to sleepwalk. [Orme, J.E. (1967), "The Incidence of Sleepwalking in Various Groups", Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Vol 43, Iss 3, pp 279–28.]
What Are the Dangers of Sleepwalking?
There can be serious health consequences from sleepwalking. Injury can occur if a person falls or collides with something while walking or running. Mishandling of sharp objects, or trying to drive a car during an episode can be life-threatening. Violent behavior can cause harm to the sleepwalker or others, or even be involved in sexual activity without their knowing. Studies have found that people who sleepwalk have higher levels of excessive daytime sleepiness and insomnia symptoms.
Recently, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that these spirits come from the nether region to torment the person. I believe when you sleep, your soul (mind, will and emotions) is asleep, and attacks during sleep is much easier then when awake. If there is any unconfessed sin, a tear (wound) in the soul or spirit realm, or a marker from witchcraft (spells), these dark beings can gain access to the individual and cause them temporarily to sleepwalk.
The Bible tells us to be aware of spiritual forces, that we should not be ignorant to them or to their devices, that our adversary the devil, walks around us like as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour! Jesus cast out demons from people all the time because they were tormented by spiritual dark entities. These spirits come from the spiritual realms and if you are not awake, whilst you are awake, these things can happen to you, or someone you love!
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. [Ephesians 6:12-13]
It's time to break free from these dark forces through spiritual warfare and prayers, and you can do that through my Out of the Darkness eBook Series available on Amazon. Set yourself free and live a life of peace and health.
