i personally believe some places we visit in dreams, especially places we dream we are at in many dreams, are actual places in the astral or physical world. we and others can create recreations of earth in the astral world. so for example, a cottage on a lake. we can also recreate something we made in the astral world, like a scene of a cottage, in the physical world.

so if i "recognize" a place in a dream, i typically think i am visiting an astral or physical location in my dream.