First Advisor

Dr. Waniewski

Date of Award

Spring 6-14-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Psychology and University Honors

Department

Psychology

Language

English

Subjects

dream, psychology, reflection

Abstract

The most widely reported but least appreciated aspects of human experience are recurring

dreams, or those dreams that happen repeatedly with similar themes, imagery, or emotional tone

in each episode of the dream. This literature review was based on five relevant psychological

sources to explore what common dreams tell about what is going on in the inner psyche of the

person having the dream. The synthesis of the empirical literature on recurring dream frequency

has been associated with weakened psychological well-being. Longitudinal studies were

conducted to show the relationship between recurring dreaming and associated decrease in

well-being. These theories are used to suggest why unresolved emotional issues drive recurrent

dreaming. A need-based theory of recurring dreaming relates recurring content to frustration of

core psychological motives, and an evolutionary theory suggesting that threatening recurring

dreams are an adaptive simulation process. These works of literature, when taken collectively,

create a strong argument; recurrent dreams are not accidental reverberations of sleep but

psychologically structured processes that are evidence of what is incomplete, the unprocessed, or

not recognized in reality. This thesis is centered around four themes. They include prevalence of

the dream and well-being, emotional continuity of recurring content, unmet psychological needs

as a cause of recurrence, and the threat simulation function. Lastly, the paper finishes with a

discussion of what these findings suggest about how ordinary people and clinicians may consider

persistent dream patterns.

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