Surviving in an Urban Combat Zone

Dear Cynthia: I am 23 and have lived in Los Angeles for about a year and a half. My dreams are filled with artillery, missiles and bombs. In them, I seem to be sitting on boxes in warehouses and am looking out of windows, seeing battlefields. They are quite graphic--bodies being blown apart and left for dead, and missiles approaching me.

I don’t participate in the war but instead find myself in these surroundings. I don’t wake up panicked, but I do feel disturbed throughout the day. Sometimes I think that maybe these dreams are trying to connect me with some past life.

--S.W.

Via e-mail

Dear S.W.: To begin with your last statement, many people believe it possible to view a glimpse of a past incarnation in a dream. This may feel especially real when the clothing, setting and other clues are consistent with a particular period of history, and there is no other explanation, such as battle dreams of a Civil War buff. If your dream is a past life memory, it would still beckon interpretation. Why would you be experiencing this particular life or these exact scenes unless there was some message or value for you in them?

Dreams of combat are common to those who have experienced battle. But given your age, it seems unlikely that this applies to you.

How would you describe Los Angeles? Is it very different from where you lived before? Is it a more aggressive place? Are you in a competitive career, where you could be shot down, judged, criticized or emotionally wounded easily? Or do you see this happening to others around you?

In the dreams, you are somewhat of an observer, still you are disturbed by what you see. Are there angry or bad-tempered people around you? Do you live in an area that feels unsafe to you? Crime or gang activity near your home could plant the seeds of insecurity and fear.

Perhaps the message of your dream is to avoid getting involved in anything that could become explosive. But if the battle comes from within--that is, if you have major conflicting thoughts or doubts--try to identify them. Awareness is the first step to positive change.

Fax your dreams to Cynthia Richmond at (818) 783-3267 or e-mail them to in.your.dreams@worldnet.att.net. Please include your hometown and a daytime phone number. “In Your Dreams” appears every Tuesday and should be read for entertainment purposes only.