Tips and Tricks

*Keeping a Dream Diary
*Lucid Dreams
*Problem Solving
*Remembering Your Dreams

Keeping a Dream Diary
If you really want to start discovering what your dreams mean, then you should start keeping a dream diary.  Not only will you be able to look back on past dreams and compare them with dreams your having now, but you'll find you'll start remembering your dreams more often and in more detail.  Following these simple and easy steps will get you on your way to creating your Dream Diary.
1.     First and foremost, you'll need a book (Duh!).  It can be anything; a scribbler, a book with a lock, or just some paper stapled together.  But personally, I'd suggest investing in a hardcover book, and if you have younger sibling, possibly one with a lock!  Having a hardcover book will help keep your pages intact, so you'll have your book for a while.
2.     Give yourself a goal, but something that is reachable.  Say, for the first little while, you'll try to enter one dream every two weeks, or maybe every month.  It may be a little difficult a first, but once you get into the habit, it will become a breeze.
3.     On each page, draw a line down the center.  Then, you can write your dream on the left, and your interpretation on the right.
4.     Keep your Dream Diary by your bed, or at least at night.  This way, you'll have it right there, so you can quickly jot down your dream before you lose it.  I'd also suggest putting a bookmark in it, or having it open to the next blank spot.  This will prevent you from having to flip to try to find the page.
5.     In the morning, write down your dream, or as much of it as you can remember.  Write down thoughts, feelings, sounds, touch etc.  Using all your senses is the best.  Make notes about people or things that stick out, the colour, weather, and setting of your dream, anything.  If you are having trouble, or can't, remember your dreams then right down the feeling and thoughts you are having now, after your dream.  This sometimes triggers the dream.  But most importantly, don't worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., this isn't English class!  If you start to worry about these things, you start to forget your dream.
6.     When your done writing your dream down, read over it.  In the right hand column, right down notes about people or things from your dream.  You can write down their relation to you, or what they mean to you.  You can also try to write down what you think the dream is saying about you.
7.    After this is done, write the date at the top of the dream, and if you want, give it a title.  Then you can come back to this site and look up the symbols a figure out your dream.  Or you can send them to me, and get them interpreted, for free.
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Lucid Dreams
Lucid dreams are the realization you are dreaming, and the ability to control the dream.  It is an awesome experience, and its really cool to have the ability to have the dream go how you want it to go.  Practice the following steps to begin on your way to lucid dreaming.
1.     During the day question whether this is real or if you are dreaming.  Ask yourself  "Is this a dream?" Although this may sound stupid, getting in the habit of questioning reality while your awake will lead to you questioning it while you're asleep.  This is how the lucid dreams begin- questioning reality.
2.     Right before you go to bed, repeat the question for the same reason as above.
3.     After a few weeks of questioning, your first lucid dream will occur.  To speed up this process, you can tell yourself that you will have a lucid dream tonight.  This helps to 'program' your mind, helping you to be aware that you are dreaming.
4.     When you realize you have 'awakened' in your dream, increase your awareness by looking at your hands.  Then, bring your hands together.  This helps tell your mind that you're in charge.  If you feel like you are falling back into ordinary dreaming, look at your hands again to help maintain your alertness.
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Problem Solving
While your asleep, you can get your brain to solve problems you've been troubled with,  and relay the answer to you in a form of a dream.
1.     Before you go to bed right down one problem, in the form of a question, and place it under your pillow.  As you fall asleep, think about the question, and try to make it into a picture.  But always think happy thoughts and imagery, never picture anything negative.  Then put the issue out of your mind and let the dream do the rest of the work.
2.     Look forward to your dream, like you would look forward to receiving a letter or email from someone special.
3.     When you wake up, write down your dream in full detail.  Naturally, your dream will relay the answer in symbolic form, so you'll have to interpret it and find how it is directly related to your question.
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Remembering Your Dreams
Remembering your dreams can be half the problem in deciphering them.  Here are a few simple things to try, to assist in remembering them.
Going to Bed:
    -Write down the date in your diary.  This signals your mind, tells it your ready for your dream.
    -Help your body and mind prepare, suggest you want to remember your dream.  Relax your entire body, and all your muscles.  Then tell yourself several times that you are going to remember your dream.  I know this sound silly, but it works!  It sends a message to your brain, which helps to remember your dream.
Waking Up:
    -Stay in the position you are in, close your eyes, drift back into a sleepy state.  This may help bring the dream back out of your unconscious and back to your conscious mind.
    -How do you feel?  Your mood when you wake up triggers the mood of the dream, which may, in turn, trigger the dream.
    -If you can only recall a small part of your dream, that's ok, write it down anyway.  Sometimes writing down this small part can help to remember the rest.
    -Try using pictures.  Draw images you remember from your dream.  Even if you can't draw, it helps you think.
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