It is common to experience recurring dreams when you are in a new unfamiliar situations, or when you move from one stage of life to another. You can think of these dreams as road signs on your life journey. They tell you where you are, emotionally, as well where you are heading.
Some common recurring dreams are dreams of being chased, flying, being naked, or being unprepared for a test.
Recurring dreams that you are paralyzed or partially paralyzed can be a sign of the real paralysis of the major involuntary muscles that takes place during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the stage of sleep when we are most likely to dream.
Recurring nightmares can be associated with stress or trauma, or may be a symptom of a form of epilepsy. If you have recurring nightmares, you should see a doctor.
Following are some more common recurring dreams:
Fighting for Survival
Dreams about being in a life or death situation, such as fighting wild animals, struggling in quicksand, being trapped in a fire or fighting in a war can indicate that you feel unprotected in waking life and need security.
The evolutionary theory of dreams says that such dreams are designed to prepare you for similar life-threatening situations in waking life.
Barriers
Barriers in dreams can include, among other things, rooms that you cannot enter or bridges that you cannot cross. If you frequently have dreams in which a barrier prevents you from escaping or moving forward, your unconscious mind is telling you to avoid having negative thoughts. Think of any obstacles you encounter in life as temporary setbacks, and think of any problems you have as challenges that are waiting for you to solve them.
Hidden Treasure
If you dream that you have found a hidden treasure, you are in the process of discovering your place in the world and the gifts you have to offer.
This dream can be a message from your unconscious that you should stop trying to be like everyone else and accept yourself and the things that make you unique.
Recurring Character
If the same person appears over and over in your dreams, you may associate that person with a particular feeling or experience. Even if you no longer have contact with that person, or that person is no longer alive, they will still appear in your dreams when you have that feeling or a similar experience in your waking life.
If the recurring character is someone you like or associate with pleasant memories, they can represent a quality that you wish you had, or a quality that you have, but don’t use.
If the person who repeatedly appears in your dreams is someone you dislike or associate with unpleasant memories, they can represent negative feelings you have in waking life.
Recurring Object
If the same object appears repeatedly in your dreams, that object may be a clue to how you should approach a problem. Pay attention to where you would find the object and what you would use it for. A hammer, for example, might mean that you need to take a forceful, direct approach.