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Definition
The repeated appearance of the same or very similar themes in dreams. Usually points to unresolved emotional issues or unconscious messages. The dream tends to stop when the issue is resolved.
Related Terms
Nightmare
Bad dreams that evoke intense fear, anxiety, or terror, usually waking the person. They occur during REM sleep and are typically remembered in detail. Can be linked to stress, trauma, and medications.
Unconscious
The deep layer of the mind beyond conscious awareness, harboring repressed memories, impulses, and desires. According to Freud, dreams are the royal road to the unconscious.
Repression
A defense mechanism that pushes painful, unacceptable thoughts and memories into the unconscious. According to Freud, repressed content returns in dreams in symbolic disguises.