Very shortly after I began classes at IHOPKC, I started to experience what I now know was sleep paralysis. At the time, I thought I was experiencing a spiritual attack and so I went to my leaders at my school for guidance. I was pulled into a deliverance session with a leader at the time where he asked me extremely inappropriate questions about my sexual history, asking for specific details; sexual positions, how many times & in what locations, did either climax, was I molested as a child, did I enjoy these encounters etc. I was 19. I did not reported it because these types of “deliverance sessions” were normalized & I thought it would be safe as his wife was present, also holding my hand. That night left me traumatized & ashamed. I thought what was happening to me was my fault. They encouraged me to go through Pure Heart but I was so upset by that meeting that I couldn’t bring myself to go. The sleep paralysis continued because of my schedule being a student. Once I started to take care of myself, it finally stopped. I wasn’t oppressed. I did nothing wrong. A man, old enough to be my father, held my hand and forced me to confess to things about my past sexual experiences that I wasn’t comfortable talking about.
- Student, Part-time Staff & singer2007-2009