While any number of dreams can mean wildly different things to different people, there is one thing that dream interpretation largely agrees on.
When you keep dreaming of the same symbol, whether that’s a location, situation, a running theme, or in this case, a person, your dream has something important to tell you. Make sure you’re listening.
Sometimes it seems as though our dreams have no patterns at all, where two night’s dreams are completely unrelated, wildly different in their experiences in detail.
So when you dream of the same person, it’s worth figuring out why your subconscious is drawing your attention to this person.
Let’s take a closer look.
How The Person You Keep Seeing In Your Dreams Affects The Meaning
It’s worth taking a look at what kind of person keeps appearing in your dreams, as this is key to figuring out what your recurring dream means.
Dreaming Of The Same Stranger
Having recurring dreams of the same stranger (whether they wear the same face or not, you know it’s ‘them’) is an interesting one.
After all, this is not someone specific you’re interacting with in waking life, leaving you no obvious associated feelings to process in your dream.
One theory is that the stranger in your dream symbolizes a facet of your personality which you are ignoring, or one that you refuse to acknowledge entirely. Dreams like these urge you to know yourself as fully as you can, as things will become easier once you do.
Another reason why the stranger keeps appearing in your dreams is that they represent a major decision you’re putting off. You feel the enormity of it, and you don’t want to make the wrong choice. The stranger in your dream reminds you of the importance of not taking too long.
Some people believe that repeatedly seeing the same stranger isn’t actually a representation of part of you or a worry. Instead, this stranger is actually an external force, perhaps a spirit or a message from the universe, and you’ll need to figure out what it is this stranger represents.
The easiest way to do that is to recall the emotions attached to this stranger. How you react to them, and how they themselves looked and what emotions they displayed in your dream.
Remember that as strange and as out of place as some details may seem, they all have a part to play in your dream, and make up part of the message you should decipher.
A stranger in your dream that causes positive feelings such as comfort, happiness, and protection suggests that you’re protected from the worst of life, that you’ll enjoy a positive event in the near future.
If the stranger worries you or makes you sad, this person signifies misfortune, bad luck, or something you need to confront.
Dreaming Of The Same Person In Your Family
Dreaming of the same person within your family over and over is an interesting one. Whether this person in your family is someone you’ve chosen, or someone you’re directly related to doesn’t matter in this case.
Often, dreaming of the same family member is related to how you feel about them, your experiences with them, and any conflict you might have had.
But dreaming of different family members have different meanings.
Recurring Dreams Of Your Mother
Regardless of your relationship with your mother, the bond between you is one of the most defining points of your life.
It creates the expectations of your future relationships with others, and gives you a framework of how you interact with other people, the extent to which you trust them, and how much you lean on them.
If you are lucky enough to enjoy the connection you have with your mother, constantly dreaming of her may be a call to spend more time with her. Perhaps your relationship lately hasn’t been as close as you’re used to.
On the other hand, if you keep dreaming of your mother when your relationship with her is rocky at best, this draws your attention to lingering issues, tension, or conflict you’re still carrying around with you.
Recurring Dreams About Your Child
This is a common occurrence for many, as you might imagine. If you keep having recurring dreams about your son or daughter, this usually mirrors your love for them, and how you wish with everything you have that they’ll have a good life.
If you live with them, these dreams might just be drawing on your daily experiences, but more likely, they have more significance than that.
Dreaming of your child being younger than they are in waking life points to your protective nature over them, and how you want to shield them from pain. It can also suggest that you wish you could return to the times when they were less trouble!
Recurring nightmares about your child is also a common experience. It doesn’t necessarily mean that something bad is going to happen to them soon, instead it reflects your fears. If you keep having upsetting dreams about your child, it may be worth reaching out to them and put your fears to rest.
Repeating dreams of a child when you are childless in waking life can refer to your most vulnerable self, or a desire to resurrect a childhood hobby or dream.
Dreams Where You Keep Seeing A Childhood Friend
Dreams that repeat themselves often use figures from your past to get your attention. Recurring dreams that feature the same childhood friend can imply that there are still lingering feelings or issues that you’ve never managed to quite get over.
Or, maybe someone you’ve recently met reminds you a lot of this old friend, in which case it’s only natural that you dream of them.
In some cases, dreaming of a childhood friend (see also article titled ‘What Does It Mean To Dream Of An Old Friend?’) can happen when you face similar stresses or anxieties that you associate with this person. Maybe you need to look to the past to find the right answer.
Alternatively, if you had a profound connection with this old friend, and you feel lonely in waking life, your subconscious may be urging you to form new friendships or reach out and reignite old ones.
Dreams Of Your Ex
One of the main villains, or stars of recurring dreams (depending on your opinion) is someone you were in a romantic relationship with. That connection has shaped you as a person, and at one point, perhaps they were the most important part of your life.
But what does it mean when they keep appearing in your dreams?
It depends on the nature of your relationship. If it was nothing but good, and it ended with no hard feelings, you might just miss them. Perhaps a similar person or situation in waking life is reminding you of them.
If your relationship with your ex was rocky, maybe you never got over how it ended. Towards the end, they may have treated you badly, or given you no reason at all why they wanted to end the relationship.
Dreams like this reveal unresolved feelings, conflicts, and issues that you may take into future relationships, sabotaging them before you’ve had the time to give the new relationship a real chance.
If your relationship was abusive, repeating dreams of your ex can point to signs of PTSD, and there’s no shame in seeking help for this.
Dreaming of your ex repeatedly is common when you’re focusing on the past, rather than the present or the future.
You can’t change what happened, and subconsciously, you know you should move on. Look forward to the good things that the present will bring, as long as you recognize them for what they are.
Dreaming Of Your Crush
Recurring dreams of someone you’re attracted to can be a mirror of your desire for them, and in a way, your subconscious is fulfilling this wish.
While there is an age-old myth that suggests that if someone appears in your dream they are thinking of you, there’s no evidence to support this. More likely, it’s because you’re thinking of them.
Dreaming of a crush over and over underlines the question that hangs over your every waking thought. Do they feel the same way? Maybe it’s time to find out.
Rejection will sting for a little while if they don’t like you back, but the feeling of what if won’t fade if you don’t try.
Recurring Dreams Of An Authority Figure
Dreams that repeat themselves can focus on a figure of authority, such as your boss, teacher, or someone else that had a lot of influence on you at some point in your life.
Usually, your subconscious chooses this person to offer you wisdom, created from your own experiences. This is especially apt when you know that deep down, you don’t want to listen to what your gut is saying, as you’re more likely to accept the words of an authority figure.
Dreaming Of Your Coworker
Recurring dreams of your coworker points your attention towards your professional life. Something at work, a project, a problem, or a person is clearly on your mind.
This could be good or bad, and may even indicate that something you’re working towards will work out, or you may need to adjust your approach.
There is also the possibility that your coworker featuring in your dream is just a reflection of your waking life.
Recurring Dreams About Someone Who Has Died
If your dreams keep focusing on someone who has died in waking life, this may be a way of processing your grief, or signaling that you haven’t come to terms with their death (see also article titled ‘Dreams Of Zombies And What They Mean‘).
This may be an especially raw experience if it hasn’t been long since they died, and your subconscious gives you what you want – to see them again.
If the person who died is someone you often went to for help, it’s natural to dream of them when you feel lost or anxious in waking life. This could be a sign that you should think of what your loved one would tell you if they were still around.
A dream like this does also have the potential to be a visitation dream (see also article titled ‘8 Characteristics Of Visitation Dreams‘) , where the dead can visit you in your dreams.
While it can be a very harrowing experience to see someone who you miss terribly, it can also be a comfort, as you’re still able to see them. Only time will help lessen the pain of grief.
Why Do I Keep Having Dreams About The Same Person?
Dreams that repeat over and over are quite common, but it’s interesting to note that not many people discuss them. This may be through a fear of being judged, or simply because they don’t know what it means, or it doesn’t seem important at first glance.
While recurring dreams can be a comforting or lovely experience depending on the subject, they can also be unsettling to say the least.
One theory of why we have recurring dreams is that it’s our brain’s way of telling us that we’re stuck on something. After all, dreams are a way in which we process our waking life experiences, thoughts, and feelings.
This could be something quite difficult to process, such as something you need to actively face and confront before these dreams will stop happening.
Your dreams might signal to you that you’ve got unresolved issues that, while they are in the past, they are still managing to dictate your present.
On some level, maybe you refuse to. Perhaps the thought of it is too difficult, if what you’re clinging onto is the end of something, like a long-held goal, relationship, or way of life.
The person who keeps appearing in your dreams signals that you’re unable to move on from something. This could equally be a less negative thing, such as having a crush on someone and not acting on it, as part of you doesn’t want reality to creep in and ruin the ‘perfect’ way you see them now.
The person in your dream can equally embody guilt, unmet needs, or conflict, whether that’s within yourself or brought about by an uncomfortable situation.
Final Thoughts
Dreaming of the same person over and over can be an odd experience. The dream meaning directly depends on who it was you were dreaming about, their ‘role’ in life and relationship to you, as well as your own associations with this person.
A good way to search for the meaning behind these recurring dreams is to think about your own experiences or associations with the person they keep featuring. Maybe you remember them for a certain trait that you need to embody in waking life, perhaps they are very assertive, and you need to be the same to get past a problem.
They might also represent something bigger. A colleague could represent your work life as a whole, and your desire to shape your future into something you want. Consider what an authority figure in your dream might mean for your waking life.
Whatever the recurring dreams mean to you, it will be a relief to know, and it might even spell the end of the dream cycle, allowing you to move on.