A recurring dream is a

dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, al ...

which is experienced repeatedly over a long period. They can be pleasant or

nightmarish A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations ...

and unique to the person and their experiences.

Common themes in recurring dreams

Through psychological analyses and studies, some recurrent themes have been identified. These include dreaming of being chased and pursued, which has been repeatedly demonstrated as being the most frequently experienced recurrent theme. The following themes below have been found to contribute to more than half of recurring dreams:Yu, C. (2010). Recurrence of typical dreams and the instinctual and delusional predispositions of dreams. Dreaming, 20(4), 254-279 *Difficulties with house maintenance *Teeth falling out –

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies explained as originatin ...

believed that if a woman had a recurring dream of her teeth falling out that she unconsciously longed to have children, and that if a man had this dream he was afraid of castration. Neither of these claims is substantiated.Delaney, G. (1997). In Your Dreams: Falling, Flying and Other Dream Themes. New York: Harper San Francisco *Discovering new rooms in a house – Freud believed that houses represented bodies. Others thought finding new rooms represented the dreamer finding out new things about themselves or of their own potential. *Losing control of a vehicle *Being unable to find a toilet *Having the ability to fly The subjects of recurring dreams do vary. The following examples are also common: * 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 or exam you didn't know about * Losing the ability to speak * Escaping or being caught in a tornado/storm * Drowning, or otherwise not being able to breathe * Finding lost items * Unable to turn on the lights in one's house * Being with a significant other * Missing a bus, taxi, plane or train, and possibly attempting to chase it * Having to return to an old school due to an unfinished assignment or other unresolved issues * Being chased by an animal or murderer * One's house catching on fire * Falling from a very high place * Nuclear attack * Reliving traumatic experiences

Psychological disorders associated with recurring dreams