Recurring dream

A recurring dream is a dream which is experienced repeatedly over a long period.

A person who experiences post-traumatic stress disorder may have recurring dreams about the traumatic event.

The subjects of recurring dreams vary, and they often include events or settings from the dreamers' own experiences. The following examples are common:

• The sensation of falling
• Flying
• Being held down or otherwise unable to move (compare sleep paralysis)
• Nakedness in a public place
• Being held back in school or failing a test
• Losing teeth or the ability to speak
• Escaping or being caught in a tornado/storm
• Drowning, or otherwise not being able to breathe
• Finding lost items
• Finding new rooms in one's house
• Unable to turn on the lights in one's house

Many of the dreams listed above, such as flying, falling sensations, or everyday activities (turning on/off lights) would be classified as hypnagogic hallucinations. Hypnagogic hallucinations are vivid sensations that occur between being awake and just falling asleep ^[1].

Like any dream, recurring dreams have invited many interpretations.

See also

• Dream dictionary
• Dream interpretation

References

1. ^ Hockenbury, D.H., & Hockenbury, S.E. (2011). Discovering Psychology (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.