Black Smoke

It's called sleep paralysis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleep-paralysis

There are different stages to sleep from things I have read. I have read about this thing and I am sure you could find it on the web. Your body goes into a kind of paralysis when you sleep. It keeps you from acting out your dreams. Most people come out of that slowly as they wake up and never experience the paralysis. Your H is coming out of dreaming before his body comes out of the paralysis. He experiences the dream still while he is still in the body's sleep paralysis. It's extremely frightening but when you understand the process behind it, it is not supernatural.

Sweet Dreams!

evil entity/spirit?

Yes, I know I watch too much Paranormal/ghost Hunters stuff :)

It could also be something like lucid dreaming, where you are asleep, and dreaming, but also part of your brain is awake. It can get very weird, and it's hard to wake up. It's kind of like a nightmare. My husband has that sometimes as well.

Sounds like a dream...or something really wierd.

I hate those dreams! Thank God it only happens once in a blue moon. My black "smoke" is more like a black fog or shadow. But like I mentioned it has only happened like twice perhaps three times in my life. Look up meanings of dreams and find out what dark smoke, black smoke, dark fog, smoke on the ceiling (was it on the ceiling i assumed because that is where mine is).

I do believe in God and the Devil, spirits and angels. I also believe it is VERY rare that people experience actually coming in direct contact with them. I would chalk it up to a bad dream that needs interpretation.

And once you wake him up, what is his mental status like? Is he still groggy from sleeping? Or readily alert and awake?

I recommend that you read up on the different stages of sleep, as it sounds like he is transitioning from REM cycle to the next.

See if this sleep info makes any sense:

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness...

Guess that means no pope for a while.

Dreaming?

Could be night terrors or some type of parasomnia disorder. Might want to try a sleep study.

Good luck!

My husband has done that also. He doesn't have the black smoke, but he has nightmares usually involving someone attacking him or me, like an intruder in the house. It seems very real to him at the time and he cannot move, but is barely able to make some noise. I have to work very hard to wake him, but without adding to his terror. He wants me to shake him and keep telling him it is a dream and everything is OK. He is usually fine after he wakes up and sleeps fine the rest of the night. It really unnerves me! I believe it is a form of night terror or other sleep disorder, but nothing sinister. It probably is related to stress. My husband has sleep apnea also, so it may be related.

In this case I don't think it would hurt to go to a local bible teaching church and share this with a Pastor just to get his perspective. I know I dream almost every night and dreams do tend to reveal things happening in my life. I do believe God comes to us in our dreams sometimes. Good Luck.