The Meaning of Recurring Dreams

Have you experienced the same or similar dream over and over? Recurring dreams happen to around 60 to 75 percent of adults, according to a 1996 study by A. Zandra. It’s even higher in those who volunteer to undergo sleep and dream studies. And generally is more frequent in women than men. But what does it mean to dream about the same thing? Are you missing an important message? Is something or someone trying to get through to you? Are recurrent dreams the brain’s method of processing significant information, or just a way to get rid of mind-junk?

Dreaming About People

A recurring dream about the same person, or group of people, can indicate that there are issues between you which need to be addressed. Sometimes, in waking life, it’s hard to recognize when we’ve created a barrier, or dissonance between ourselves and another. We may brush it aside or simply avoid being with that person. Yet the reoccurring dream tells you different. Your subconscious really wants you to sort this out. Think of it as a niggling thorn of conflict. 

Perhaps you don’t even know what your dream is referring to? Maybe you don’t have a clue about any past conflict? You don’t need to know what it is in order to put it right. Your subconscious knows that there is hurt or conflict between you, so take steps to reconcile with the other person. Make sure they know that all is well between you. You don’t have to tell them about the dream, or ask them what you did, just make a gesture, such as buying flowers, or a coffee, or inviting them round for supper. Make them feel appreciated. The recurring dream should cease to bother you.

Can You Dream About Your Future Soulmate?

Some people report dreaming about their future love. They may not see their face, but they always say that they’ll know the person when they meet them. These dreams tend not to be the same recurring dream over and over, but more like similar dreams in which the same person appears. Sometimes they’ll take center stage, other times they’ll be on the periphery. Sometimes they act as a messenger, guide, or rescuer. It’s a fascinating subject and we’d love to hear from people who have experienced this and then met the person in real life.

Dreaming About Your Ex Lover

This is extremely common and experienced by lots of people who report recurring dreams. It is very likely to do with unresolved issues, perhaps even to specific events that happened during the relationship that were never concluded satisfactorily. There are ways to deal with these dreams if they bother you. 

You can think about the event and try to come to a place where that conflict is resolved. Use a journal, if you like, and work through it. Do your best to forgive. When you forgive the other person, even if they hurt you, you release blocked energy within yourself. Forgiveness is never about the other person, it's always to give yourself the gift of peace. If you are in contact with your ex, and have a good post-relationship relationship, try bringing the event up in conversation and talking about it rationally — perhaps easier said than done. You might try writing them a letter and not posting or emailing it (please don’t send it!). Write out why you feel discomfort around the issue, suggest a way to put it right. Then forgive them and put the the letter away or, better still, destroy or delete it. You might be surprised how soon resolution follows and your recurring dream stops.

Going Back To the Same Place in Your Dreams 

Sometimes the recurring dream is not about a person, but about a place. You may recognize it as somewhere you have spent a lot of time. Or maybe, you’ve never been there in your life. If you know where the place is, why not try to visit it? The strong feeling of deja vu would be interesting, and you might find out why the location is important to you. 

Occasionally, this happens seemingly by accident. You visit somewhere and instantly recognize that you’ve been there in your dream. Only you can work out why it is important.

Common Recurring Dreams

There are many common situations that people say they keep experiencing in dreams. These are just a few:

• Being late for an exam or interview. This is generally caused by stress while preparing for exams. Yet it’s possible that this is the brain’s way of rehearsing for an important event, such as an upcoming interview. It’s the subconscious working to make sure that you won’t be late at all. Also, those who dream in this way seem to have better results both at exams and interviews. Your brain has been busily working out the details for you, but you only remembered the scary part. This phenomena can be thought of as ‘cognitive scripting’. Once the event has passed, so should the dream.
• Being chased in a dream often means there is unresolved conflict or anxiety caused by another person. Being dream-chased is one of those recurring dreams that almost everyone experiences from time to time. Do your best to identify who or what is doing the chasing and follow some of the suggestions above to resolve the problems.
• Dreaming of your teeth falling out, or anything to do with the mouth, might be connected with a deep feeling of being unable to express yourself.
• Using the bathroom publicly or other embarrassing situation in a dream might point towards the necessity to let go of something that no longer serves you. Flush it away, so to speak. You may need to acknowledge or express the issue in some way. 
• Dreaming that you are pregnant most often occurs when you are pregnant. Or wanting to become pregnant. Sometimes the dreamer is surprised by the pregnancy, which could indicate an unexpressed desire for a child, or conversely, a fear of giving birth. Dreaming of childbirth itself could be that clever brain of yours rehearsing for the big event.

We’d love to hear about your recurrent dreams, please feel free to share. And, if you are having disturbing dreams on a regular basis, consult with one of our dream expert psychics.

Featured photo by Lukas Müller on Unsplash