Laravel Unit Testing for json APis - Authentication issue

I am writing unit tests in Laravel to test my json API. The problem I am running into is as follows:

1. I make a request to register a user which in response returns an access_token.
2. I make another request with "Authorization" header using the token returned in step 1 and I get an unauthenticated response.

However, if I log the token of step 1 and make a separate ditto request as step 2 using the hardcoded token, I get through and do not get the unauthenticated response.

So to show you the code, here it is:

<?php

namespace Tests\Feature;

use Tests\TestCase;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\WithFaker;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;

class UserTest extends TestCase
{
   private $accessToken;
   public function testExample()
   {
       $this->registerTest();
       $this->anotherRequest();
   }

   public function registerTest()
   {
       $response = $this->json('POST', $this->routes['register'], [
          //my request variables
       ]);
       $response->assertJsonStructure([
          'token',
       ]);
       //fetching token for future requests
       $responseArray = $response->decodeResponseJson();
       $this->accessToken = (string)$responseArray['token']['access_token'];
    }

   public function anotherRequest()
   {
       //if i log the access token here, I get it, its the right one
       $response = $this->withHeaders([
           'Authorization' => 'Bearer '.$this->accessToken
       ])
       ->json('POST', $this->routes['makesubscription'], [
           //my request variables
       ]);

       $responseArray = $response->decodeResponseJson();
       //if i log responseArray I get unauthenticated response
   }
}

Ok so request in registerTest() gets successful and I get a token but request to anotherRequest() fails giving "unauthenticated response".

whereas trying same request as anotherRequest() using same hardcoded token succeeds.

Now I searched this issue on net and found the solution to use: $this->refreshApplication(); so if I change my testExample class to:

public function testExample()
{
   $this->registerTest();
   $this->refreshApplication();
   $this->anotherRequest();
}

It works as expected. Meaning all good.

However, Can anyone explain why it worked after putting refreshApplication() ? What does it actually do?

And of course, if you have any other solution, its more than welcome with an explanation.

Thank you all in advance.

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