I Have a Recurring Dream That I’m Stuck in an Endless Loop. What Does This Mean? (2024)

Wondering what that crazy dream you had could possibly mean? Don’t let it keep you up at night—our in-house dream analyst, Layne Dalfen, author of the Have a Great Dream books, is here to help you make sense of it all. In a column for Oprah Daily, Layne draws upon her decades of experience to explore what a reader’s dream is trying to tell them. Learn more about Layne’s work on her website, or by following her on Instagram.

I have a recurring dream. I get stuck in an endless loop where I know I’m dreaming but I can’t wake up. It’s like a circuit: I start out in one space (a mall, let’s say) then other creepy and weird rooms trying to escape, until I end up right back where I started and have do it all again. I get so frustrated in the dream that, since I know I’m asleep, I smash things or try to fly. I used to be interested in lucid dreams and read a lot about how to do that, but these ones are unpleasant and seem to be out of my control even though it’s my own dream. What does this mean? —Endless Loop

Dear Endless Loop,

First, I want to emphasize that this is a recurring dream. A recently recurring dream is likely a message from your unconscious calling your attention to a current situation. If you’ve been having this dream for years, it’s more like a favorite expression—a long-term personal association with an image, or a familiar thought pattern you use whenever you feel a certain way. In either case, you’ll want to identify the specific waking-life event that triggered the dream this time.

I would ask if some situation in your life has made you feel like you’re in an endless loop. Since this is a repeating dream, try asking yourself: Are you experiencing a “familiar feeling” of frustration over something you think you should have control over but don’t?

Could it be a work situation, for example, your work schedule? One would imagine you should be in control of your schedule, but what if variables and other “weird” situations leave you at the end of the week feeling “right back where you started”?

Look closely at the situation where you feel out of control. You might be facing obstacles generated from an outside source, but try to find those aspects of your situation where you do have control! Perhaps you can direct these resources toward resolving your dilemma. For example, if your schedule is filled with uncontrollable interruptions, could you delegate some of your normal tasks to someone else?

The most important aspect of your dream, for me, lies in the action. You are trying to get somewhere and escape through different actions, and then you repeat this scenario by repeating the dream! My thought is that your dream is pushing you to act on the things you can control, in order to make an impact on a situation that feels out of control.

The “creepy and weird” rooms in the dream could point toward your feelings in your current situation. Have you recently experienced something that seemed creepy and weird, especially if you wanted to escape but felt that you couldn’t?

Here’s another possibility: These feelings might indicate what you anticipate happening if you take action. For example, if the solution to your situation is to bring it up with your boss, that can certainly feel creepy and weird.

You don’t need to limit your thoughts to work. Personal relationships have plenty of areas that might feel “creepy and weird,” or as if you’re not in control even if you believe you should be. One situation that comes to mind is a relationship where you’re trying to change the other person. In your own words, this dynamic proves frustrating because the end result is usually “out of your control, even though it’s your “own” relationship.

Once you pinpoint the actual event, you’re in a position to evaluate if it makes sense to continue trying to gain control. After all, if we look at the action in this dream, you try smashing things, you try flying away, among other actions, to no avail.

While I have suggested ways to help you exercise the power you do have to take control, if this matter involves a wish to change a person or situation you really do have no control over, you may be left with the following question:

Is your unconscious mind trying to convey a message in this dream about stepping back, accepting your lack of control, and letting it go?

Only you, the dreamer, can decide which alternative represents your innermost thoughts: Act on the things you can, including reaching out to others, to help you gain control; or accept whatever it is and let go. Either way, a dream like this can set you in motion to consider your options, and help you connect with all your thoughts and feelings in dealing with the difficult situations in your life.