Sometimes it seems that half of the art/iconography in Tibetan Buddhism, and some similar Indian iconography, is of demons.  They represent a kind of power of consciousness that destroys/crushes the ego and all the trips it creates. They appear to be scary, until one realizes what their job is.  When we first confront these forces they are disturbing...they are going right to the core of our deepest illusions - like hatred, greed, lust, etc etc - to pull them out of us and rip them apart until we are free of them.  Not something we willingly go along with at first.  However, one can meditate on the demons/powers, eventually get to know them, integrate them, help them do their job.  You can do it while wide awake, even. After all, they're ourselves.  It could be seen as "a blessing"...probably millions of people are unfortunately too asleep to take advantage of an opportunity like this.

Good luck to you...it starts like this for many of us, it appears, myself included.