9 Helpful Tips for Understanding Why You Keep Having the Same Dreams

Have you ever had the same dreams multiple times?  

Do you think recurring dreams have some sort of message that is important for you to understand?

Many dream experts assert that dreams may be occurring over and over again in order to get you to pay attention to a message about something in your life. 

Many people experience recurring dreams at some point in their lives and oftentimes they are somewhat dramatic or nightmarish. They could be brought about by some sort of stressful life event or a problem that you’re experiencing. 

You might have the same dreams once a week, month, or randomly throughout the year. If the dream is troubling, and you want to understand the meaning or overcome such dreams, follow these tips:

1. Take some time to really think about your life.

Take a minute and go through this checklist to get started: 

• Are you struggling with a certain problem? 
• Are you afraid of something? 
• Has a traumatic event occurred?  
• Are you hitting some sort of life transition? 

Contemplate what’s been going on in your day-to-day life and jot down things that come to mind. Your psyche may be trying to get you to address something that you’ve been ignoring or are not aware of.

2. Look for patterns.

Do your recurring dreams follow a common pattern or theme?

Many people admit to having recurring dreams that pertain to flying, being chased, falling, losing teeth, not being able to walk or run, or being naked. While recurring dreams may not have any significance, some may.

For example, if you’re having a recurring dream that you’re naked in front of your coworkers or friends, you may be feeling vulnerable in your life for one reason or another. Or you may be getting a message from your psyche to be more vulnerable with someone.

Some of the most common dreams include:

• flying
• your teeth falling out
• animals
• being chased
• your home being destroyed
• driving out of control
• sex dreams
• forgetting your pants
• getting to class on time

3. Look within.

Do a little digging into your psyche.

Declare to yourself that you’re willing to confront any negative emotions you’ve been ignoring. 

Be open and honest and ready to contend with any emotional turmoil you’ve been experiencing. If you need help, reach out to a professional who can help you do some exploration.

4. Look for symbolism that is occurring in your dream.

Many dreams are jam packed with symbols that mean something.

Are you being chased? Perhaps you’re allowing fear to rule your life. 

Are you pregnant in the dream? Maybe it’s time to birth a new project. 

Is there a monster out to get you? Maybe your shadow side is trying to get you to notice emotions you’ve been repressing. Try to decipher the symbolism in the dream.

There are some excellent dream interpretation books you can read to gain some insight.

The Dream Dictionary: From A to Z by Theresa Cheung 

Dreamer’s Dictionary by Stearn Robinson & Tom Corbett

12,000 Dreams Interpreted: A New Edition for the 21st Century by Linda Shields, Gustavus Hindman Miller, Lenore Skomal

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5. Write down the dream in detail each time you have it.

Keep a pen and paper right beside your bed and write every detail as soon as you awake.  

If you wait till later, you might forget some important details. You can also use your phone's voice app to record your dream and then jot it down later once you’re fully awake. You may be able to gain insight by comparing dreams and the way they vary.

Read this next: Can’t Remember Your Dreams? Tips to Help. 

6. Be patient with yourself. 

You might not ever really understand the recurring dream, or it might simply take a little time. 

Know that it’s all right. Be patient with yourself and allow for some mystery.

7. Read up on dream interpretations. 

If you educate yourself by utilizing dream experts, you will probably be able to discern why you’re having a recurring dream much faster. 

Dream experts have taken many years to sift through thousands of dreams and piece together common themes, archetypes, and so on. It may help you to see what they have to say about your recurring dream.

8. Use art to record the dream.

Get your art supplies out and do your best to draw or paint the dream.  

The act of recreating the dream while you’re awake and putting it out there in visible form may give you some insight as to what the recurring dream is about. 

Think about back in the days when there was no paper. People carved some of their dreams in the rocks and we’re still deciphering what some of them mean today.  

The creative act of getting the dream out in a visual way can be helpful.

9. See a dream interpreter.

Feel free to see someone who specializes in dream interpretation. Many Jungian analysts are well-versed in recurring dreams. Do a bit of research and talk to someone about your particular dream or dreams. You may get the answers you’re seeking.

Following these steps should allow you to get to the bottom of your recurring dreams. Once you do, you might find that you stop dreaming the dream all together, as it will have served its purpose. 

Not every dream has significant meaning, but recurring dreams tend to have more meaning than random ones. Pay attention closely and be open to receiving insight and guidance.

Updated from Aug 11, 2023

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash