i've passed through the gate of ishtar, or something like it.  i need to know how to get out.  i am not sure how this happened, so if anyone out there has any experience or knowledge of this, i would be grateful to hear about it.

the ordeal started last november when i joined a friend of mine at a full moon ceremony where a guided meditation took place that would connect you with your animal totem for the upcoming year.  i had never participated in such a thing before so i did not know what to expect, if anything at all.  my vision began with me in egypt quite a distance away from the pyramid complex at giza but i could still see them with a black snake scurrying at my feet.  i thought to myself i was clearly imaging things because the pyramids are so iconic and at that thought i immediately shot straight into the air and found myself hovering over a huge desert hurricane in what seemed like the southwest in america (i later found out the black snake/pyramid vision was my friend's who was laying next to me during the meditation).  i floated down through the hurricane and the dark winds were blowing sand in my hair and eyes.  i felt i would blow away if i did not find shelter because i certainly could not hold onto a cactus.  i saw a cave and ran to it.  it was very dark but the vision was so hectic i was just glad to be out of the violent winds.  as i shook the sand from hair i heard a very deep snortish sound coming from the depths of the cave.  i turned to face whatever it was and saw 2 huge red eyes glowing bright enough to illuminate in the blackness.  the creature had a head similar to a horse with big ears, a super long neck connected to a fat toad-like (but not really) body and fat furry paws.  the thing seemed surprised and almost annoyed to see me but also gave the impression that i was meant to be there.  at the end of the meditation, the shaman said we would come across our animals within 2 weeks. at this point i thought i had done something wrong because i was surely not going to come across this animal.  you can imagine my surprise when i read the code to the matrix 2 weeks later saw the passage, "the dragon hath horns of a stag, eyes of a demon, neck of a snake, belly of a clam, scales of a carp, ...ears of a cow, soles of a tiger, etc."

in the book it talks of vampiric entities who drain those that cross through the gate.  i am experiencing this in the extreme, and have been for over a year now.  it has all but ruined my life.  i've read plenty on how one gets to hell, but i have yet to see how one gets out.  any suggestions?