Few of us will have participated in a war. But always somewhere around the world there is a war being fought. The media makes us very aware of these conflicts. International terrorism makes us anxious for our safety. Our fears of death and destruction, insecurity, pain and loss rise to the surface and in times of war our dreams can become even more vivid.
The Enemy
A dream of war won’t usually reflect the attitude of a nation – it is more likely to do with acting out personal battles. Our dreams reflect why we are under attack or what we are fighting for.
To identify the enemy and understand what they symbolize is crucial in the analysis of a war dream, as is who is the aggressor. Does the war represent conflict over scarce resources? Then it is important to know who has the upper hand. Are you retaliating or defending yourself against attack?
Perhaps a specific person or circumstance in your life is causing you to feel threatened and you have to defend your territory. Or maybe a dream is your only way to fight back at a real life bully or abuser.
Or your dream may simply be showing you that you need to be more assertive or take spectacular action to get noticed.
Allies and Fighting Strength
Are you fighting alone or do you have allies, if so how organized and how strong are they, what tactics do they use?
Your attitude and that of those around you is important. Do you feel strongly about what you’re fighting for or are you forced to fight against your will. Others may seem keen on the fight whilst we are not, this could indicate disharmony in a waking life team. A formal, organized army may be bringing to the surface our feelings about authority and discipline. Actually being armed within our dreams may signify readiness to fight – either aggression or being prepared. If you are unevenly matched against opponents, maybe using bows and arrows against modern weapons then you will surely feel this disadvantage. It will depend on the exact nature of your dream but using weapons may signify either being in control or loss of control.
The Battleground
The setting will suggest the underlying mood of the battle – on land, sea or air, in a jungle or a desert, or in a city. Do you have a clear view, do you know where you are going? These answers may give some insight on the issues over which you are at war.
Personal Battles
War is often a dream metaphor for the struggles and personal battles of our everyday lives. If your dream is of being invaded maybe there is someone or something invading your space in real life. If you are actually waging war in your dreams, then consider your waking life for any conflict situations, are people being aggressive or overbearing?
If you are losing a dream battle or being outsmarted, are you feeling defeated or manipulated over a waking life issue. What are your feelings within the dream – fear, anger, sadness, rebellion may all play a part and relate to events in your life. Identifying these feelings and situations will enable you to take appropriate action.