Tape Recorder V.s Written Dream Journal

[Dreama]

I am trying to find out what kinda dream journal to use. which is more effective? a tape recorder or a normal book. Tape Recorder or Book What do you choose?

[zypher0550]

Old fashioned written journal in my opinion is better. Only because if you jot down quick notes they tend to make more sense later on. And because on a recording I'd most likely struggle to find the right words in a good order so I'd hear, "Um...like...um" a lot.

[Moonbeam]

I used a recorder for a while, but strangely I had a much harder time understanding what I mumbled into the recorder than intepreting my handwriting. I was always trying to be quiet, that was part of the problem. The drawback of writing is that I have to get up and go to the bathroom, where I keep my notebook and little clip-on flashlight (so I don't have to turn on the overhead and disturb my vision too much.) But it wakes me up enough so that I can be somewhat comprehensible. Also, if I write, I can go back and add a few details in the margin if I remember something else. With the recorder, I was always saying like, oh yea, this also happened, and I would lose the order. Now I keep the recorder in the car and use it to remind myself to do RC's.

[Dreama]

When i keep a journal next to my bed i allways forget to wright it in, any hints?

[Moonbeam]

Remind yourself before you go to sleep that you WILL remember your dreams, and you WILL wake up after one. Then you just have to have the will-power to make yourself wake up enough to do it. When I am lazy, I tell myself I will remember even if I don't write it, but I rarely do. I guess you just have to try to make yourself a few times and see if it is worth the trouble. I think it is worth getting in the habit of, because otherwise you could forget a lucid dream, and that would be a terrible thing to happen. I get up several times at night so I keep my journal in the bathroom. You could put it there, then drink a lot of water before you go to bed. Good luck.

[Burns]

Written journal definitely. It takes more effort to talk into a recorder than it is to scribble on paper. Plus like Moonbeam said, sometimes it's hard to understand on tape. But whatever works for you - try it both ways and see.

[Armageddon_Heaven]

I've used a journal for almost a year, but I really wanna try the recorder, i mean, I REALLY want to - My handwriting is terrible, and I usually don't want to lie in bed for the next ten minutes and try hard to think of the dream, when I should be getting ready for school. Plus, for me, I have a much better time remembering things when I'm talking about them outloud. Like when I tell people stories of my dreams, they're always more in depth than when I scribble down the notes of it. But I dunno where to get one of those recorder things. If I found out, I'd sure as hell buy one.

[sognoacolori]

Tape recorder definitely. I keep it on the bedside, grab it when necessary, and speak my dream recall into the microphone. A day or two later, i will put my dreadful voice on paper.

[Lord Toaster]

I use a written journal, but mainly because I can't be bothered to go somewhere and buy a recorder. I really will get a recorder one of these days.... but not today Toaster

[Precious]

What about a journal in a text file on my desktop ? I don't like to write by hand and I type faster than I write, and the first time I do in the morning is turn on my PC. So ... what about Digital VS Paper ?

[Lucidbulbs]

I say keep a written dream journal, because at least you can re-read certain parts as quickly as you need to (helps for finding links in dreams or dreamsigns), I keep one hand written and another online. The downside with a tape recorder is that I find myself mumbling and sometimes I can't seem to find the order to something until after I've recorded so then I re-record it to try to get the proper order and forget details, as well as waste a cassette or mp3 player space.

[Lyla]

Tape recorder definitely. I keep it on the bedside, grab it when necessary, and speak my dream recall into the microphone. A day or two later, i will put my dreadful voice on paper. [/b] This is a good way too, especially when you're in a hurry in the mornings. You use a tape recorder and later that day, you put it in your dream diary (which is more helpful, as you might want to browse through it sometimes).