Something never encountered before

We'll call this a strange story, by any account.  I've heard this same basic story - details exactly the same - 4 times lately from folks in different locations. Try to trac with me...

The belief system that's dominant here includes having a particular idol outside of your house, 2 inside of your house, a red banner-like piece of cloth, and a string around your waste with some charms on it.

If folks decide not to believe this, or to switch their beliefs, they tend to have dreams and nightmares of battles going on around them, a massive black figure holding them down, or being paralyzed and not being able to scream or act. Most folks will hold off on taking down or destroying their idols until later - that way they can ease themselves into the barrage of chastisement and questions from friends and neighbors that will inevitably follow.

"Why'd you take it down? Who's gonna protect you? Your actions are gonna jinx me and MY family too because we live right beside your crazy actions. Why don't you care about the spirits of your ancestors any more?"

They'll decide in their heart first, and then work up the courage to tell the world.  (That much is universal.) So, these dreams, to me, sound like a battle for their mind and emotions. A battle in a realm we are uncomfortable with and doubt at times and know very little about if we're completely honest.  Spirits? Ghosts? Demons? Angels?   

I know, right.  "Weird". In all my time Seeking, I can't say I've heard too many Topics on this, or desired to pick up any books about it. Want to hear more?

Today's story went like this:  A couple in S.R. have decided to Believe in the creator. They got to the point where they threw their idols into the lake. And for the last few weeks they've both had dreams of people or dark beings calling out to them, saying they don't like being in the water, there's no food in the water. Asking them to take them out of the water. And not in all the dreams but some, there's a golden garden beyond their lake or behind the being.

I have more questions than comments on this subject, and honestly I don't even know what to type from here...  It doesn't compute, it doesn't resound, it doesn't inspire or scare... What is this? These forces at work in our world?

The battle of Good and Evil. To know you're being fought over?  Fought FOR? There's a baseline we need to grasp in a desperate way when we can wrap our heads around it.

Thoughts?