Recurring Dreams

Recurring Dreams

Recurring dreams are dreams that are precisely or almost precisely the same every time they occur, or dreams with a similar theme each time they occur. For example, a student might periodically dream about a particular high school teacher with whom he has a specific argument. Precisely the same dream, without variation in detail, may recur approximately once a week, once or twice a month, or once a year. Alternatively, the student might have a series of dreams about having disagreements with authority figures—dreams that differ widely in detail but share the same basic emotional tone.

The meaning of either of these patterns, as one might anticipate, is that the dreamer is grappling with some sort of unresolved issue that keeps presenting itself over and over again during sleep. Precisely what the issue is may not be clear, and simple repetition may not make the issue any clearer. In any event, it is not abnormal or even unusual to experience recurring dreams.