Tortured atheists department

It's completely normal to feel scared or anxious when dealing with unsettling experiences or memories, even if you don't believe in supernatural forces like demons or ghosts. Practice grounding techniques, when you start to feel anxious or overwhelmed, try grounding techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness exercises, or focusing on your senses to bring yourself back to the present moment and calm your mind. Challenge negative thoughts,when you find yourself ruminating on scary thoughts or past experiences, challenge them with rational and evidence based thinking. Remind yourself that these fears are based on superstitions or childhood teachings and not on reality. Create a safe space, make your living environment as comfortable and safe as possible. You can adjust lighting, add calming scents, play soothing music, or use relaxation techniques to create a sense of security and calmness in your home.

taylor swift reference? if so, love it haha. personally, I'm agnostic and I don't really dilly dally much with any religion. If God exists, then awesome! If God doesn't exist, okay also awesome! But there is truly no way of knowing. That's why people struggle with their faith so often. It can be hard for some people to truly believe, and it can also be hard for people who don't believe to completely shut out the idea that it Could be true. I think the most you can do is treat this as you would with any other ocd theme. Practice non-engagement responses such as "okay, that happened." or if you have a thought of "what if that was a demon or a ghost?" well you can say "nothing has happened to me so far and I've been worrying this entire time." or "maybe, maybe not. I can't change the answer by ruminating on it." and try to just exist and keep doing whatever you were doing. Don't try to rationalize by telling yourself waht it actually is. this is most likely reasurring yourself and causing your ocd to come back more and more intense. It can also help to recognize that the reason you are dealing with this specific theme could be because you've experienced religious trauma as a child. That doesn't just go away, and can manifest as fears that you know aren't based on fact. Remember, you've got this and you aren't alone. :)

i had a similar experience with my grandma growing up this why i’m very into spirituality now in my twenties but it’s comforting in some way to know i wasn’t alone in this ! i don’t have any answers for you:( but we’re all here for you💕