War dreams are more related to unnamed people and more related to fantastic beings than dreams in general. They are less related to peers, less related to family, and less related to romantic partners.

War dreams are less related to happiness, less related to embarrassment, and less related to confusion.

Dreams of war are more related to natural places and more related to magical places than dreams in general. They are less related to home and less related to schools.

Dreams of war are much more related to aggressive acts, much more related to disasters, and much more related to death than dreams in general. They are less related to sex, less related to eating and drinking, and less related to health events.

War dreams are more related to good dreams than dreams in general. They are less related to nightmares, less related to recurring dreams, and less related to sleep paralysis.

Dreams of war are less related to smelling, less related to taste, and less related to vision.

You can gain insight from thinking about any dream, no matter how strange. Only you, as the dreamer, have final say on what your dream may or may not mean. Each dream is unique.

The DreamWell dictionary provides information on how each dream symbol appears in dreams in general. Finding how experience war in dreams can be a key to understanding its meaning.

Our emotions in dreams can help us understand its meaning. Pay attention to how you felt in the dream. Pay attention to how you feel about war in dreams. See how you feel about war now, in your waking life.

This interpretation is from ""The Dream Interpretation Dictionary: Symbols, Signs, and Meanings" and is provided by J.M. DeBord aka "RadOwl". He is the author of several acclaimed books about dreaming, the host of The Dreams That Shape Us podcast, and is a moderator of r/Dreams, one of the largest dream sharing communities on the internet. War is a heck of a metaphor that can apply widely to situations in life, such as a confrontation—especially a protracted confrontation—or battling a workload, or a hostile environment. Keep stretching the metaphor and it can apply to situations such a stressful exam week, or being treated like an enemy—and the enemy could be, for example, the hateful ex of someone you’re dating, or the side of yourself you treat with hostility. A war isn’t a skirmish or squabble or even a fight. It’s a protracted situation. That’s how the symbolism is differentiated. It’s stronger. Decoding the meaning of a dream symbol like war begins in your feelings and emotions, because you react to symbols according to subconscious knowledge of what they mean. You’d expect scenes of war to trigger strong feelings and emotions, but if they don’t, that’s a clue that the symbolism connects with milder associations. For example, if battling a workload is just a fact of daily life for you, the war in your dream isn’t likely to make you feel horrified or desperate. The war metaphor is based on the idea of battle. If you react strongly, that’s a clue that the dream connects with a meaning of war that’s more charged. Look at details, too. Such as a blasted battlefield representing a protracted confrontation. You’ve been dropping bombs on each other for a while, and it shows in the dream landscape. On the other hand, if the battle hasn’t begun yet, it’s likely to mean the war represents something you’re expecting, instead of that’s happening or already happened. It’s the week before exam week, and you’re still gearing up, not yet taking exams. That’s when the battle begins. Look at your enemies—are they general or specific? If they are targets seen at a distance, or non-human, or just average Joes, then they’re more likely to represent something that’s non-personal. The war might symbolize the way you go about advancing your career, and the enemies are simply targets you’re trying to reach. On the other hand, if the enemy pounces on your chest and looks at you hatefully before ramming a combat knife into your head, then the meaning is more likely to tie in with something very personal, such as the ex who hates you or the war of the roses you’re in with your spouse. See: Enemies, Opponents Look at the actions—it’s all part of the story. Such as in the last example when the knife is rammed into the head—that’s specific to the situation. It could mean that your enemy is getting into your head, or the enemy is in your head. Consider facts about war that fit the dream-story. War is when two or more sides face off. War is organized. War is chosen, whereas battles erupt. War has a bigger buildup and bigger consequences or reward. It’s inevitable. That differentiates war symbolism from ordinary fighting symbolism. A fight can be a temporary or one-time thing, something that’s comparatively less serious than a war. War is next-level. Nuclear war is “next next-level.” See: Nuclear bombs War can be used to symbolize a situation in your life or inside yourself, but also consider the state of mind a war situation creates. It can mean you’re constantly on guard or wary. It can symbolize paranoia and fear. It can symbolize a “war mentality,” such as a person being at war with the world. It can represent one side imposing its will on another. It can be used to create scenarios related to brutality and compassion. The possibilities go on and on. As with other dream symbols, the symbolism of war is captured in figures of speech. “At war with yourself” means self-conflict to the extreme. Sides of yourself are battling for supremacy in your mind or heart, or you are making decisions contrary to your values, ideals, or true feelings. A “war footing” is similar to a “war mentality,” meaning you are alert, ready to attack and defend. Sometimes you have to be because you don’t know from where the next psychological or emotional attack is coming. Dreams are known to create scenarios to make a subject more personal and understand it inside-out. For example, you hear stories about a relative’s experiences in war and dream about being in the heat of battle. Or you read about a heroic World War II battle, then dream about it. Dreams are also known to show what it is like on the other side. Portrayals of war tend to focus on the victors and the glory of conquest, but there is nothing glorious about war for the people in the thick of it. A dream might show the dark side of war—children mangled, cities destroyed, grief and sorrow—to shatter the illusion that war is something to be envied or desired. Then again, maybe in an exaggerated way that imagery sums up your childhood. A civil war can symbolize a war within a family or organization. It can be an apt way of describing your relationships, job, or neighborhood. See also: Armor, Armies, Destruction, Documentaries, Enemies, Erupting, Family, Fighting, Guns, Invading, Movies, Nuclear bombs, Opponents, Subconscious, Warriors