This Is What Happens In Your Brain When You Have Recurring Dreams, According to Neuroscientists

Have you ever experienced the same dream more than once? They’ll often comprise of similar themes and occur in moments of stress or change. Typical examples include being chased or falling. On a more positive side, other examples include finding money or hearing good news. Experiencing recurring dreams is often said to reveal any unresolved areas in someone’s life. This allows for reflection and assessment while providing the opportunity for exploring solutions. During all of this, the brain is activated in different ways.

This is true with any kind of dream experience. Dr. Clifford Segil D.O, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, mentions groups in the brain are activated simultaneously such as the occipital cortex and the auditory cortex.

“When a person experiences recurring dreams, the limbic pathway is being activated in the brain,” Dr Segil shares. This part of the brain deals with three main functions including emotions, memories, and stimulation. If a dream keeps repeating itself, chances are it has a significant role in the development and processing of emotions. This will also involve the amygdala, an almond-shaped area that also pertains to our emotional experiences.

While the limbic system and amygdala are key components in the department of emotions, another area of the brain involved with recurring dreams is the reticular activating system (RAS). The RAS is located on the brainstem and helps filter information that may be deemed as important.

Whether your recurring dreams take place in negative settings or not, the activity in the brain is fired up in a particular structure. If you wake up forgetting details of a recurring dream, consider journaling before getting out of bed. The parts of your brain are here to tell you something.