Thread: Imgagine how many LDs are missed because of recall

Its much harder to forget a LD than an ordinary dream, but it does happen (especially if you never record it anywhere). You don't have to consciously wake up (after the dream) to remember the dream, but it helps. I suggest writing down your dreams as soon as you wake (the faster you write them down, the easier it will be to remember/recall). I wish I would have wrote down all the LDs I have ever had. I have now forgotten so many LDs because I didn't record them anywhere. A few months worth of LDs are now gone from my memory.

Originally Posted by Lukin

I'm sure I miss a ton of LDs simply because I do not remember them. Is it a must to fully awake from a dream to remember it?

I forget mine all the time

I always remember waking up after them and thinking "I'll never forget that, no need to write it down!"

Is it possible to mistake a lucid dream for a normal dream after you wake up?

Originally Posted by Karebennian

Is it possible to mistake a lucid dream for a normal dream after you wake up?

Yup. Usually not though, since lucid dreams often end while you are in a state of lucidity. And you'll therefore most likely remember that the end was a lucid dream.

Originally Posted by J.D.

I always remember waking up after them and thinking "I'll never forget that, no need to write it down!"

agreed or even just a awsome normal dream i think i wont forget that no need to write it down then its gone lol

i had one the other night went lucid then forgot in the morning i was talking to my mates about something later that day and it all came flooding back

I know what you mean, usually i can remember my lds, but lately i havent' been able to recall most of my dreams. It was until yesterday when i got my recall back some how, but in actuallity, i still remember my very first ld since i joined dv, it was quite memorable and i can still tell anyone who wants to know what it was about, i probably won't forget it until i get old, i think another reason why i remember it so well is because i wrote it down.

Originally Posted by lucidisfree:)

agreed or even just a awsome normal dream i think i wont forget that no need to write it down then its gone lol

i had one the other night went lucid then forgot in the morning i was talking to my mates about something later that day and it all came flooding back

I always think that. And even when I can remember the basics of the dream, the details go away within the first hour.

Originally Posted by Lukin

I always think that. And even when I can remember the basics of the dream, the details go away within the first hour.

Very true. Thats why it is important to write down your dream as soon as possible after waking. If you don't write the entire dream down and are only making notes, be sure to take notes on some of the details as well. Then when you read it later, you can still piece the dream together and have a full recollection.

I know I forget a lot of awesome lucid dreams. They are especially hard to remember when I get several in a row, or an extremely long one. Sometimes I have to wake myself up to write it down, because I know I will forget.

Originally Posted by Lukin

I'm sure I miss a ton of LDs simply because I do not remember them.

Since lucid dreams imply a state of "normal" awareness, I see no reason why the recall of LDs should be any worse than recall during waking hours.

Originally Posted by Lukin

Is it a must to fully awake from a dream to remember it?

What is "a dream" for you? What makes you distinguish between different dreams? Changing locations or themes? Having a stage 2 - 4 sleep stage - that you most likely can't recall anyway - in between?

It's not easy - if not useless - to distinguish between different dreams in one session. Even waking up is no clear break. I sometimes have lucid dreams where I briefly wake up because of some external signal and often am still able to resume seamlessly.

I think a better question would be to ask how detailed one can recall his or her dreams, how many different plot strands, how many conversations etc., which is a simple matter of memory training.

Anyway, to answer your question, I can usually recall LDs, even if I sleep afterwards and have regular dreams, but the detail I can recall may be less. In most cases that is irrelevant though, because my lucid dreams almost always end with waking up, when there's no way to sustain the state. Even if you're awake, details can be quickly forgotten, often even whole dreams.