DREAM RECALL

EVERYBODY DREAMS!

If you think you don’t dream, you just don’t remember your dreams.  People vary in how much they remember in their dreams.  Many people "just don’t care."  Unlike dreams in many other cultures, dreams in the Western culture have lost their importance.  Some people don’t remember their dreams because their lifestyles are so rushed that they don’t get enough sleep, their sleeping cycles are often interrupted, or their schedules occupy their minds and they "get up and go" rather than take time to think about their dreams as they wake.

First you must realize that anyone interested in remembering and understanding their dreams CAN do so.  You are not required to possess any psychic abilities, or special talents! Interpreting dreams can be done by anyone willing to simply learn how. It is not very hard to do and does not require much of your time, nor is there any really intense study to do. The more you work with your dreams the better you get at understanding them.  Before you know it, it will come naturally to you.

Dreams are just another way of communication.  They communicate ideas, warnings, health issues and sometimes even communicate the future.  They can be used for entertainment or as valuable tools to aid in your journey through life.

So how do I recall my dreams you ask?  Here are a few tips:

First, develop a relationship with your "unconscious." When you tell your unconscious ("psyche") that you want to hear what it has to say......it speaks! Sometimes, a simple interest in the dream world will stimulate dream recall.

GETTING READY

Have a paper, a pen, and a subtle light by your bed. This minimizes the obstacles you may experience upon waking to record, minimizes the movements you must make, and makes the job easier. A subtle light will not fully wake you.

RESTING PROPERLY

Go to bed early. Getting a full night's sleep and having a clear head in the morning will help with dream recall. Relaxation is a must. And following good, steady sleeping habits is also a must. There is a thing called "sleep debt" that occurs when you regularly do not get enough sleep. When you build up your sleep debt, you sleep so deep it is almost impossible to remember your dreams, so follow regular habits.  Regardless of what anyone may have told you, it is a fact that adult human beings NEED a minimum of eight hours sleep in order to be fully rested.  Not getting enough sleep is the number one reason for not remembering your dreams!

SET THE STAGE

Give yourself a suggestion to remember your dream. You must want to remember your dreams in order to do so. Giving yourself a suggestion is simple. Just keep in mind, and randomly bring to surface a little thought like "I will remember my dream". ,mean it, and feel the conviction.  Plan on waking up slowly and peacefully.  Try to wake up naturally without the jolting noise of an alarm clock.  Let yourself wake up in the middle of the night. Drink extra water, the night before, to assure that you will have to get up in the middle of the night, where you can often catch your self dreaming.

TIME TO REMEMBER

When you wake up in the morning, don't move! Stay in your same position, relax your body and let your mind drift closer to your dream. Remind yourself that you want to remember your dream. Shutting your eyes may help.

Write down whatever you remember right away so you're not trying to remember that material while trying to recall new material. Or , review the parts of your dream in your mind once or twice before recording.  (Speaking of recording, some may find it easier to have a small tape recorder beside their bed, it is easier to record your dream than to write it down and you also get the added benefit of hearing the emotion you were feeling about the dream, just remember you still have to transfer it to your journal).

If you have no recall for a couple of weeks, write down any made-up daydreams or fantasies.

When memories are coming quickly, jot notes about each part. Do not worry about sequence.

When something is hard to describe in words, make a quick sketch.

When you have exhausted the recall in that body position, move slowly to another body position that feels natural. See if your can remember anything else. If so, write it down.

When you can't remember any new material, review whatever you have written. Sometimes that will trigger forgotten parts. Ask yourself questions about it. Some sample questions are: "Which side was it on? What color was it? How many were there? How do I feel about that? How far away was it?"

This is a good time for putting the parts in sequence.

Don't worry about how you got from one scene to another.  Dreams often just jump.

If you are unable to recall any images, just experience your feeling. Each morning when you wake up, you feel a little bit different. Give that feeling some space. It is, at least in part, the effect of your dreams.

Keep your dream in the back of your mind during the day. Does something remind you of your dream? Ponder your images. This helps you to feel more connected to your dreams.

Whatever you recall, treasure it. Your dream images are perfect! With practice, you will develop your ability to recognize their perfection.

Create an image of yourself recalling your dreams. If trying to remember dream scenes feels like fishing, then see yourself fishing when your are recalling dreams. Other images: open container lids to see if anything is inside, play a TV game show, pull in ropes with dream scenes attached to the other ends, or run a movie backwards slowly. Find your own image.

Be clear as to why you want to remember your dream. Tell yourself during the day, "I want to remember my dream because..."

Tell your dream to a trusted other or a dream partner. Saying them out loud can make them feel more real and can bring on an "aha!" (that light that goes on when we realize some thing).

WHEN YOUR IMAGES ARE FADING FAST

Instead of trying to ignore waking stimuli allow your awareness to flash, briefly and rapidly, back and forth between the dream imagery and the waking stimuli until the dream imagery is firmly fixed in your memory.

Intentionally let the dream go, telling yourself that it will return to you within a few minutes and you will catch it.

If you are still stuck, let the dream go. During the day, if you find yourself thinking of your dream, try to remember other parts of the dream at that point.

During the day, synchronicities you may encounter can trigger some element of your dream. At that point you can sometimes recall other parts of your dream.

When you next go to sleep, ask for a dream that will give you the forgotten dream material.

If, while dreaming, you become aware that you're dreaming (lucid dreaming), you can ask to recall forgotten dream material.

Experiment with how you remember, record, analyze, and explore your dreams; try drawing, poetry, clay, and so on. Weave them into your day. Dreams can be the source of much inspiration, wisdom, and joy.

For more tips on Dream Recall, see Step One of Becoming Lucid.

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