Tips for Recalling Dreams
Focus on Dreaming:
Develop an interest in dreams. Just getting interested in dreams helps
dream recall. Read books on dreams, take dream workshops, join dream study groups, and talk with your friends about
your dreams and your interest in dreaming. Throughout the day, affirm that you will remember your dreams by saying to
yourself, "I remember my dreams."
Why
do you want to remember your dreams? Write in your dream journal your reasons for wanting to work with your dreams.
This sends a message to your dreaming mind that you are interested in working with your dreams.
Take action on your dreams. The meaning of a dream comes from actualizing
it rather than interpreting it intellectually, i.e., put the dream into action; do something with it. This lets your
dreaming mind know you are serious about working with your dreams. Dream recall and quality will be enhanced as you
act on your interpretations. Every dream does not, however, need to be interpreted and acted on. Your dreams have
a life of their own.
Use
hypnosis to bring greater focus and attention to your dreams. Hypnosis is a tool for working with the unconscious
and expanded awareness.
Do Your Inner Work:
Include self-awareness techniques in your
life. Your ability to recall your dreams is related to your willingness to self-introspect.
Be open to change and willing to accept the meaning of a dream even if it threatens present beliefs and attitudes. You
can use a variety of ways to discover your inner self to include the following:
Psychotherapy. Seek professional help in healing emotions and
childhood issues and for coming into greater awareness of your own psychological
dynamics.
Bodywork. Your body has wisdom. Receiving bodywork
from a professional trained in holistic touch can assist you in listening to your body.
Journal Writing. Write about your thoughts, frustrations, problems, joys, decisions, and life events in a journal. This is perhaps
the best tool for staying in contact with your inner self. Not only does journal writing give you a vehicle to express
your inner self, but you will also find that as you write you will receive inspiration about your life. This inspiration
comes from the same space as your dreams. Journaling can include poems, short stories, and paintings that you draw.
Small
Group Work. Participating in small groups can contribute to your personal growth.
The groups can be therapy groups, dream groups, or any group where people come together to explore their inner being.
Small groups are seedbeds for enhanced consciousness, because in the process of the exchange, we can enter into greater consciousness.
Meditation. Prayer and meditation bring us closer to expanded awareness.
Attunement to this aspect of ourselves can facilitate dream recall. Gardening, walking, and other experiences can be
forms of meditation.
Psychic Development. Practice
developing your psychic sense on a regular basis using techniques in the numerous books on the subject that are available
today. As you open to your psychic sense, your dreams have a clearer vehicle through which to speak to you.
Spend quiet, alone time each day. It's difficult to hear the inner voice, the psychic
sense, when there is a lot of noise in our lives. Remove noise in your life. Get up in the morning without turning
on the radio or the TV. Try driving in the car without the radio on. How often is there noise in your life?
What kind of noise is in your life? Spend time each day alone, without reading a book or doing anything and without
noise of any kind (not even soothing music). Your mind may wander and think about the day or issues in your life.
That's fine; allow this to happen. Wait until your mind is clear, still sitting there alone and without noise.
There will come a space in this noiseless alone-time when you can more clearly hear your inner voice; when you may get inspirations
and ideas. Even if you don't hear your inner voice at this time, you are more likely to hear it by leaving quiet
spaces in your day. Quiet, alone-time is particularly helpful before going to bed because it creates a space and a willingness
on your part for listening to your inner voice through your dreams.
This
quiet alone-time could include meditation. But what is being described here is more about contemplation, an allowing
of the inner voice to speak to you; an active meditation (not one where you block out all thoughts) but one where you welcome
inspiration and new ideas from your inner voice.
Before You Go To Bed:
Review your journal. Your
journal can include your dreams and interpretations as well as a diary of life concerns and experiences. Write in your
journal before going to sleep. Review your dreams from previous nights. This brings focus to your dreaming.
Place paper,
pencil, and light by the bed. Keep material near your bed to record your dreams immediately upon awaking.
You can also use a tape recorder.
Use a pre-sleep hypnotic suggestion. While falling asleep repeat a suggestion to remember your dreams,
such as "I remember my dreams when I awake in the morning." You can also use a pre-sleep suggestion to help
you with a current problem. "Tonight, I dream about solutions to ____________________________."
Don't move upon waking. Allow
your mind to review the night's dreams. Slowly move your body as you get your paper and pen. Write your dreams in
an outline format. Then fill in the details. You will also find it helpful to wake up before the alarm, as the
sound may hinder dream recall.
Write down something, anything! No matter how seemingly insignificant, write something dealing with your
dreams. Whether it is a few words, a phrase, one sentence, or just how you felt upon waking. Consistency in dreamwork
brings good results.
Take It Easy:
Take a relaxing vacation. Most people tend to have better dream recall
and have clearer dreams while on vacation. This is probably because we have less or different stresses.
Let yourself fail. Anxiety over
remembering your dreams can diminish dream recall.
