Kim,

I am writing this to the list in case it might help others and
especially since you posted your request to the list.  You did the
right thing, by the way, so I commend you for doing so.  The
experience you had is commonly faced by many Christians but few
will ever admit to it.  To do so makes them feel as if they are
less spiritual, or less of a Christian, than everyone else.
There is also the fear other Christian will think we are less
spiritual, too.  This is the Enemy's plan, of course.  The
psychological community calls such an event an anxiety attack or
panic attack but could also fall into many other psychological
profiles.  None of which means a thing as far as God is concerned
but I suppose it does help when seeking a secular diagnosis to
something spiritual in nature.  I have experienced exactly what
you described many times in my life.  Five years ago it pushed me
to the very edge of my relationship with God because I thought,
as did many others, I was crazy.  These type of demonic intrusions
occur for various reasons.  In many cases, they think they have
the right to do it based upon something they think we believe, and
by that I mean, something we believe which isn't true.  This could
be something we believe that is untrue about who we are in Christ,
who Christ is in us, who God is, or isn't, and it could also be
based upon spiritual or emotional trauma experienced at some time
in the past.  The last real attack I experienced was just a few
weeks ago.  It lasted no more than 3 seconds because I recognized
what it was and stood my ground in Christ.  He bounced away, or
bounced off, not because of who I am but who Jesus is in me.  He
tried, though.  Got to give them credit for trying.  He was trying
to gain a foothold, that is, a base of operation within my life.
By the way, it isn't Satan personally.  He is too busy for little
people like us but he has lots of lying spirits that love to try
and interfere.  The difference from now and five years ago had to
do with truth.  I know who I am in Christ and I know who Christ is
in me.  When the attack occurred, and in many respects, it was
similar to exactly what you described, I almost immediately
recognized the attack for what it was.  It came as a sudden flush
of emotional anxiety and it felt as if something physically
slammed into my body.  It probably did slam into my body but
bounced off.  You cannot be possessed by a demon.  Of course,
demons don't like you to know this because they want to generate
as much fear as possible.  Being in an environment of perpetual
fear is the opposite of being in a perpetual state, or
environment, of faith which is God's element of operation.  Also,
keep in mind, Kim, the Enemy does not have the power of life and
of death according to the Bible.  Only the Lord has this power and
authority.  I'm referring to the fear the lying spirit attempted
to generate by making you think your next step would drop you
right through the floor into hell.  Sorry, Charlie.  You ain't got
that much authority.  The Bible tells us not to give place to the
devil.  This means, we are not to give him even the smallest of
areas in which he can function.  Why?  Because, you give him an
inch and he tries to take a mile.  What I just said is found in
Ephesians 4:27.  In Second Corinthians 2:11 the Apostle Paul talks
about not being ignorant of Satan's devices.  The word for devices
in Greek, is directly related to our thoughts.  Since our emotions
are connected to our thoughts, the Enemy will attempt putting
thoughts, the word you used was dread, and you also spoke of
feeling like something grabbed you.  These are emotions and mental
feelings and thoughts the Enemy attempts to use against us to see
if we respond in any way.  The Bible tells us to take every
thought captive, Second Corinthians 10:5, and to resist the devil,
James 4:7 but when we are afraid, that is very difficult to do.
That's when calling upon others to agree with you in prayer is an
excellent idea.  These episodes of panic and anxiety can be
medically treated, up to a point, and some mental behavioral
modification techniques do work but again, up to a point.  The key
is knowing the truth and the truth, Jesus said, will set us free.
About five years ago, I went to a friend for episodes I was having
on a daily bases and several times each day.  I called him a
couple of days later, he was a Christian counselor who worked in
this area by the way, and I asked him, why aren't they going away
and why isn't the fear going away when I pray?  As it turned out,
it had to do with lies I believed and at the time, I did not know
what those lies were.  It wasn't long before I began to find out.
When the lies are removed, you cannot be fooled and spiritually
seduced into believing that lie ever again.  Why?  Because the
Bible calls this type of healing the renewing of the mind.  See
Romans 12:2, Second Corinthians 4:16, Ephesians 4:23, Colossians
3:10, and Philippians 3:15 for starters.  The Enemy attempts these
type of spiritual assaults for two reason.  Either a lie, or
confusion, already exists some place in our life, or he is
attempting penetration once again in order to establish another
place, or base, of operation.  Ephesians 6:12-18 says we just need
to stand fixed and the Enemy will bounce off like a rubber ball
off a brick wall.  What if it doesn't go away?  It only means
there is some reason, a lie, confusion, guilt, fear, or any
numbers of reasons the Enemy will use, to try and keep us off
balance spiritually.  How do we find these things?  Through
prayer and generally through agreement in prayer according to
Matthew 18:19 and hopefully with an intercessor who understands
and can discern by the Holy Spirit.  If I can help, let me know.  I think I
have some day time hours available now.

Phil.