Containing negative things? *trigger*

Son is having nightmares about violent creatures. He tried to speak with them, thinking they may have their own awareness, but they seem only bent on hurting him. Violently. Each has a symbol that represents a 'repressed emotion or memory' according to Protector who is the one who can kill them..but they always come back. He suggests once the 'thing' is dealt with consciously, they will either stay dead or disappear.

However..until each thing is identified, processed, etc...my son has to go through the torment of their coming after him. They have come out of the basement where they were locked away and while Protector says they CAN be locked back up - if he does so, it will take that much more effort 'a considerable amount' to ever unlock it again. He thinks it best to just keep dealing with them when they attack.

My son thought he 'dealt' with one of them...but it didn't disappear..so maybe he doesn't even know the extent of the event yet...but he's perplexed because he says "I really don't feel angry about it or scared about it...so now what? why is it still here?"

What I want to know is - is there any way to 'chain' them so they can snarl all they want, but not hurt my son in his mind or in his dreams? I'm scared they will get away from the Protector and frighten the other occupants in the house inside...I don't know what to suggest to the Protector who can only just keep killing them or distracting them...except 'chain them'. Has anyone had a similar experience? Any advice is appreciated!

OK, so I have no experience with containing these sort of things. Just wanted to say that right out. My Poet was locked away for quite a long time due to destructive urges, but she was a full-fleged part, even hosted a few years during the teens.

But, OO showed me an image that might work for you. He showed me paintings (or if your son and his Protector prefer, photographs). What if they trapped these things in image form. If these are unacknowledged/unexpressed emotions, their attacks are not about harming your son, but just a need to be seen and experienced. What if, instead of locking them away in a way that feels inaccessible (or difficult to access later), they were instead confined to paintings on the wall of that hallway or cellar or something your son encounters them in. Photographs would work too, but as paintings, they would have a lot more ability to creatively represent themselves, a sort of fullness of expression.

Then, OO showed me your son and his protector walking up to the paintings, when they are ready, one at a time, and touching the painting. And when they touch the painting, the fragment or negative affect or memory in question could come forth to meet them in their bodily form. I get that these fragments may be too rudimentary to really understand, but if there is any hope of explaining to them that your son is unable to take in what they are sharing, because the experience is too frightening and overwhelming the way they are approaching him now, I would try that too. Also, if they are sentient enough to agree to go into the paintings (rather than force-trapping them ghostbuster's style), I would have your son's Protector promise them that he and your son do intend to come back and spend time with them. That your son will be more able to "keep" what they are trying to give him if it is a controlled/controllable experience. I know you said they are kind of mindless, so if they can't explain, maybe the Protector could contain them in the paintings without their consent.

This may sound really weird and I'm not sure if it fits at all, because I don't think I have any small fragments like this myself (we tend to channel certain threatening emotions mostly into specific parts, even if the actual memories are held by others), but OO was insistent that your son, who is obviously very imaginative, might have the ability to do so. We have naturally created a lot of spaces inside and are trying to learn how to make changes more purposefully, but it is hard work.

The only thing I can think of, is that rather than lock them up and/or try to get rid of them... maybe try taming the instead? I'm not sure it would work, but my usual response to anything is: treat them like sentient beings, treat them like you would treat any other injured animal (with compassion and with caution), and try to work things out. Granted, this might not always work for all people, but maybe it will work for your son.

We had some dark, not so nice things here too. Eventually they settled down, but it wasn't until we faced what they were that they became friends instead of enemies.

I think your son's Protector has the right idea. Deal with them, don't try and subdue them. And it might take more than once to really deal with the problem they represent. It might take weeks, months or even years. But I am confident in your son's ability to handle this... he's made great strides already, as have you.

Also, maybe your son can create an inner space that is big enough for them to run wild?

Azel, my ISH, showed me how to seal off shadows. Basically you put a big glass jar over them. The jar is strong and can't be moved and seals them in. The jar is glass so you can see through it. Once the shadow is sealed in the jar, you can look at it and inspect what it is from safety.

Your son may feel like he is okay with that little monster, but it is still there for a reason. I have things like that creep up too. For two in our system, when things come up of that nature, we have them act it out. For Arabella, this involves visiting one of our abusers with weapons and allowing herself to do whatever she wants. After she is done with her visualizations, she usually feels better and is able to settle back down. When Alice wants to do things, we use the visualizations again. She usually lets them go through to the funeral and the part when they put her casket in the ground. Then she feels better.

I think I read before that the one creature wanted to hurt a little boy bully on the playground. Perhaps have your son lay back, close his eyes, and go back into that memory. This time, tell him to let the creature take over and do whatever it wants. The memory should go until the time others step in, stop them, and a possible arrest. While these feelings are real and can be acted out through imagination, there would be consequences. Those consequences should be part of the exercise.

It works in our system. When Arabella does it, she usually takes it through the trial and sentencing. Alice through the funeral. This allows them to see the consequences of their action and know why these things cannot happen in real life.

Thank you guys! I can't tell you how helpful this is. I hear what you are saying - each of you have said the same thing as far as not trying to rid him of them or 'destroy' them - but really, just this containment so he can feel safe until/when he wants to look into each one...we have talked about going in the order they were spoken about...

I think the art/painting is right in line with my son's creativity - and in a story he is writing, he has the main character with a room full of paintings to represent decades of memories...so this may be something he can do....

On the same note - the jar also seems very viable - to be able to inspect them and as Snakeskin said - try to start some communication - to treat them as the injured/hurting/angry beings they are. It really reminded me how this all started to surface - his two greatest protectors were the two characters in his nightmares that he was scared of the most....they did horrible things in the dreams but now we know it was to get his attention and to teach him something.

While these little guys are very violent...his Protector did mention that perhaps their size had meaning...to indicate my son's age/size of what they represent. That helped too... you have all given me a lot to think about and things I can suggest that may help him feel more safe/peaceful about them until he is ready to go down that path. THANK YOU!!!!