I woke up screaming twice in the last two weeks from the same dream (although I was only asleep less than an hour each time the dream occurred). A man is standing over me trying to smoother me with a pillow. I wake up screaming and trying to fight back. The man’s face is in a white cloud and his facial outline is black and white, much like a police sketch drawing. The facial features are clear, but I do not know this man. Please help! - Kristina 38, Wausau, WI

Lauri:This dream does not mean there is some shady character you need to worry about. In fact, that shady character is either a part of you or some part of your life that is metaphorically smothering you. What, in the last two weeks has really been crowding in on you and causing you to feel powerless? Is it a depression? A situation that seems a little “sketchy”? The fact that the man’s face is in a cloud suggests you may be having a hard time “facing” the reality of this situation or you are having a hard time seeing how you are going to get through it. Whether it be time or whether it be that you need to work harder at the issue, you will get through.

Kristina replies: A dear friend of mine passed away unexpectedly. He did not have any close family members so a group of friends decided to sprinkle some of his ashes in a memorial garden we created. I was a key person in planning the event. Even though it has been over a year and a half since his death, I miss him terribly and his death is hard to accept. Thanks so much.