Recurring Dreams

(This blog was originally posted on June 24, 2014)

Photo courtesy of Fotolia

      Have you ever had the same dream—or a dream about a specific topic—more than one time? These are recurring dreams, and they occur when the subconscious mind is unable to release or vent the content of the dream for one reason or another. You are likely to continue dreaming about this topic until your SCM has worked through, resolved or released your subconscious attachment to that issue. If this has happened to you, don’t worry: recurring dreams are your mind’s way of letting you know that you need to let go of a behavior, emotion or attachment that is preventing or hindering your personal growth.

     In his book, Professional Hypnotism Manual, Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D. observed that an individual may also have recurring dreams about a stage of development that they may have missed. He theorized that the person’s dreams repeatedly address a specific literal or symbolic representation of a conflict, whereby the subconscious mind tries to relive and work through whatever is keeping the person “stuck” in that stage. Those dreams would likely cease once the person consciously or subconsciously resolved the conflict, thus releasing him or her to enter a new stage of development.

     For example, if someone seeks hypnotherapy to “stop” his or her recurring dreams about a former partner or aspect(s) of that previous relationship, I would first help the individual to analyze those dreams. I would specifically be interested to know what his or her dream interpretation reveals. What new insights does the client have about the behavior, emotions or beliefs associated with that former partner or relationship? In other words: What are you subconsciously holding onto? What do you subconsciously not want to give up or refuse to release? Next, I would incorporate this information into the hypnotic script(s) to encourage the client to give him- or herself permission to release any remaining emotional attachment to the person/relationship that may be preventing personal growth. I would also incorporate information about the positive lessons and experiences that the person acquired through this relationship, which my client could apply in a future and more successful or rewarding relationship. Finally, I would give the person a hypnotic suggestion to release residual emotions or behavioral attachment to the former partner or relationship—specifically, to the habit of dreaming about them—in early-morning venting dreams. Such release will not only provide a resolution for the conflict(s) that the person’s SCM has been working so hard to resolve, but will also enable him or her to pursue other goals that will facilitate continuing personal growth.

    I have addressed the psychological and physiological benefits of dreams, and hypnotherapy and how to analyze dreams, in several previous blogs: Dream Therapy, Part 1; Dream Therapy, Part 2; and Dream Therapy, Part 3.

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

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