Thread: Graeme's Dream Journal

Firstly, the night before last was a dud. I do remember dreaming, and I made notes of the dreams when I woke up, but because I have such a short time to sleep on Fri night and Sat night, I usually don't tinker around with waking myself and recording.

I remember last night's dream because it was so fascinating. It happened twice, at least, on two separate occasions I fell asleep and the same setting/arrangement was in place. I was seeing it as if with my own two eyes. In the first situation, I was making my way into some kind of compound. At the innermost level, there was a bedroom door levitating in the air, and an old train track hanging down, wrapping around it. A very fat man came from down the hall, and was standing in front of the track. I was going to ask how he knew a train wouldn't come out, when suddenly, one did. It fell on his head, but because he was so fat, he was able to push it away.
At a later point in the night, I dreamt I was in the same place, but this time in the basement. THe configuration of the basement would change now and again. When it shifted to reveal part of the compound, I tried to go in and explore, but found myself going very slow, as if I was wading through butter. It was very dark, and I was worried about what might come out at me.

That's all for tonight, at least, that I can record, as its another busy work day for me!

Well, the subject header says it all....last night not only did I not manage (for the third night in a row) to get up at 4 and make a coffee, then go back to bed to WILD, I dind't even manage to record my dreams. What I did find interesting, though, was that every time I would awaken, I remembered my dreams vividly, said them to myself to try to get them into memory, and it was there. Then, upon wakening again the next time (I did this 4 times last night), I would remember the immediate dream from there, and the memory of the previous dream was gone.

The only real imprint of a dream I do have with me today is one where I was with a very powerful man who kept going up to people and killing them, thus becoming them. I was a tiny insect at his side, like a consort of some kind. Then, at one point, I asked him, "how do I know you're not going to kill me and become me?" and that was where he snickered and did just that...

Dave, do you have any advice on what I might be able to try to break this? Its as if a net is over me sometimes. Maybe I am not setting my alarm at a right time, and I'm being wakened at the wrong part of my sleep cycles? I'm going to keep persisting and trying new things, and different angles.

Originally posted by Anelior
Well, the subject header says it all....last night not only did I not manage (for the third night in a row) to get up at 4 and make a coffee, then go back to bed to WILD, I dind't even manage to record my dreams. *What I did find interesting, though, was that every time I would awaken, I remembered my dreams vividly, said them to myself to try to get them into memory, and it was there. *Then, upon wakening again the next time (I did this 4 times last night), I would remember the immediate dream from there, and the memory of the previous dream was gone.

The only real imprint of a dream I do have with me today is one where I was with a very powerful man who kept going up to people and killing them, thus becoming them. *I was a tiny insect at his side, like a consort of some kind. *Then, at one point, I asked him, \"how do I know you're not going to kill me and become me?\" and that was where he snickered and did just that...

Dave, do you have any advice on what I might be able to try to break this? *Its as if a net is over me sometimes. *Maybe I am not setting my alarm at a right time, and I'm being wakened at the wrong part of my sleep cycles? *I'm going to keep persisting and trying new things, and different angles.

That's quite a common thing of which you speak...(and i hope i'm not stealing dave's thunder here)
It's very frustrating, as you have no doubt found out...i've often found the best thing to do is forget about 'consciously' remembering what you dream about...kinda like giving your brain a holiday. If your recall has taken such a massive slide, i would just go to bed and think 'sod it, i'm going to sleep, if i dream, i dream, if i don't, i don't.' I do this quite a lot...but i also assert to myself that i will indeed remember what i dream about...without putting too much emphasis on it...the more you worry, the worse it gets!

I remember one of my dreams clearly from this night, though I didn't manage to record anything, this is just from my memory now.

In the first dream, I woke up in a very comfortable sofa, in the middle of a park where I went to elementary school, in my home town. I guess in the context of the dream, that was my first morning waking up at home, after retuning from Scotland. One of my mom's friends was passing by, and she saw me. Just prior to this, I was on a plane, not comfortable at all, and somehow, I woke up here, in the park. Nothing seemed out of place about it.

Liz, thanks for your comment on dream recall. I think one of the influences right now is that I'm working extra long and have just enough time to get my 7 hours of sleep in per night, between end of shift and beginning of shift. What I am struggling with is trying to get myself up at the right time to get motivated and have a coffee. For example, I went to bet at 10pm...set my alarm for 4am, but recall waking up with slight motivation before it went off. I went back to sleep, and when the alarm went, I was so deep in REM, I coudln't get up.
I have found that if I go to bed at 11pm, and set my alarm for 4:30am, I can get up and WILD. So maybe it is 5 and a half hour interval I will try to set my clock for. We'll see how it goes tonight!

Originally posted by Anelior
Liz, thanks for your comment on dream recall. *I think one of the influences right now is that I'm working extra long and have just enough time to get my 7 hours of sleep in per night, between end of shift and beginning of shift. *What I am struggling with is trying to get myself up at the right time to get motivated and have a coffee. *For example, I went to bet at 10pm...set my alarm for 4am, but recall waking up with slight motivation before it went off. *I went back to sleep, and when the alarm went, I was so deep in REM, I coudln't get up. *
I have found that if I go to bed at 11pm, and set my alarm for 4:30am, I can get up and WILD. *So maybe it is 5 and a half hour interval I will try to set my clock for. *We'll see how it goes tonight!

You're welcome for any advice that i can give you. I sometimes also have that problem of which you speak, wherein i come home, sleep for seven hours, and then have to be at work again at seven the next morning. On such occasions, i don't worry about dream recall at all, i'm more concerned with getting plenty of rest. Also, i tried WBTB with that once, and i overslept, and remembered very little to boot!
Another thing i have learned that really screws up recall is a mobile phone... i'd accidentally left mine on last night, and then was jolted awake by a text at seven am! grrr...i'm used to waking up with the alarm, because it starts off quite softly, and then gets gradually louder, so that doesn't inhibit my recall too much. However, there's nothing to compare with waking up naturally, and letting the images filter into your mind and sort themselves out.

Originally posted by Anelior
What I did find interesting, though, was that every time I would awaken, I remembered my dreams vividly, said them to myself to try to get them into memory, and it was there. *Then, upon wakening again the next time (I did this 4 times last night), I would remember the immediate dream from there, and the memory of the previous dream was gone.

I am exactly the same way. If I do not jot down a note or two about the dream, it is gone, almost assuredly forever. Try to write down just the key points. It is amazing how much a simple fact or two will recover a dream for you.

I have the most amazing adventures between 11pm and 2am each night. Seems I enter a really vivid REM cycle. Like you though, I think, wow so amazing...for sure I will remember this one. And then I don't

Liz, thank you for mentioning that, because its much the way I feel. I feel guilty sometimes when I can't keep up on my dream journal, but I guess when I need rest its better to just focus on that, and remember what dreams I can. Actually, I use my mobile phone as my alarm clock, but no body but the people I work for would text or phone me, so its never a problem.

I remember 3 dreams from last night.

In the first dream, I was in the mall with my best friend from elementary school. Curiously enough, he looked like my friend in grade eight, but in the dream, I associated him with a friend who I had all through school, from gades 1-5. We were walking through an area like a food court. I don't remember much more about this dream, just who I was with.

In the second dream, I'm walking in an old city with Gandalf. At least, its Gandalf dressed down and casual, and we're hiding from black riders. The streets of the city we are walking up is like a switch back, and when we come to the sharp turn leading up to the next stretch, a black rider is coming. We hide in a bush, though not completely covered. I am aware that as long as I don't move the riders won't notice us, because they can only smell. They are after me, but I don't have the One Ring - I think this was more a general hunt for an enemy on their part. Two of them pass, and then Gandalf and I go into a rood and are in an elevator, and after this I don't remember the rest of the dream.

The third dream I remember only a part of it. I was driving around a very odd round-about, but was back in Canada (where we don't have roundabouts!). I remember that I needed to go the other direction, and the only way to do this was to go around the roundabout. However, I found myself very bewildered when the lanes kept changing on me, and I had quite a scramble to get in the lane to take me down the road. I dont' remember anything else - even that bit of the dream is vague.

Now, that all recounted, I am noticing another common theme of my dreams. They are all out of this world bizarre and completely unrealistic, with twisted logic and unnatural happenings and yet, to me, they are completely normal and not in the slightest bit strange. Never do I feel like something it out of place or off as I would if it were happening to me when I'm awake. This is going to present quite a barrier insofar as training myself to recognize that I'm dreaming if in my dreams I don't take notice of anything being dreamlike. I know that the thing to do is to keep asking "am I dreaming" throughout the day, and start recognizing dream signs and certain times of day/happenings to ask if I'm dreaming. Any other advice?

Hmmm...other advice...
there was a tip that was passed onto me that sometimes works quite well for me.
Basically, when you're in a dream, don't worry about going lucid. Just concentrate on what it feels like to be in the dream.
What it feels like to be dreaming. When you wake up, and recall your dream, try also to recall that 'feeling' of being inside a dream.
If you do this often enough, it should lead to lucidity. it's worked for me once or twice, when my recall has been exceptionally good, and i've been able to recognise that 'dream feeling'
I think there's a tutorial on it, called 'dream feeling induced lucid dreaming'
Look it out, it might be useful to you!

Its funny you should mention that, Liz, because that's been my focus with dreaming - trying to grasp and meditate on whats its like to be dreaming, versus what its like to be awake. There's such an uncanny difference between the two, yet trying to place one's fingers on it is difficult. I can see the logic behind why that focus might help with lucid dreaming: the more you learn to recognize what a dream-state is like versus what a wakings state is like, the more liklihood that you wiill recognize "dream material/state" when you are dreaming.

Once again, my recall from last night is just what I can remember here and now. I clearly remember a dream where I was having an argument with one of the oldest boys I look after. I think part of the aggravation was that I'm going home, and I feel the sadness of having to part from the family here I've gotten so close to. That aggravation perhaps filtered through to create the argument, because after that, I was at odds with the whole family. The setting was not the house in which I am working now, but a more modern home, with, believe it or not, a lawn/outdoor ground on the second floor as well.

The rest is pretty cloudy. I am still keen on trying Dave's method of having a caffeinated beverage upon waking before WILD, but better to wait until my straight-stretch of work stops next week.

couple of questions.
What do you do for a living, and what's brought you to scotland?

Hi Liz,

I am an au pair right now, but will be working for a web developer who is a philosopher when I go back to Canada this October. After that, I want to look into web development myself and see where that takes me.

I was brought to Scotland by a whole lot of intuition and kooky coincidences, that began with my desire to go to India in August of 2004. I am here because the family who was looking for an Au Pair lives in Dalkeith, just outside Edinburgh.

No posts on dreams this weekend, because I was very very busy again. Only 25 more days to go and then I start a new life back home in Thunder Bay!

I know things will get on a more even keel when you return home. At least you and I will be in the same time zone. Gonna suck to leave Scotland though. It's a beautiful country

Best of luck tonight!

It's always nice to be able to go home...
Look forward to reading your next dream installment!

Just got up now to WILD, and having my cup of coffee. Yahoo! Finally succeeded at trying that one! Here's my dreams thus far while they're freshin my mind.

Earliest one, I remember demonstrating for some children how I could just two storeys and land properly. There was nothing out of place about this, as I was conscious of how I might want to avoid hurting my legs when I hit. I woke up just before I did that actual jump!

I recall being in a sort of gas-station shop. However, the owner of the shop was the boss I work for here. There was a packet of some sort of flax-seed bar, which I said my uncle makes (and I was aware this wasn't true as I said it). My boss said that I might as well take three. Then I said no because I have no money. This is interesting, because it reflects my situation here now (in waking life!), that I've spent all my money and have to get by until October 20th without a cent. I thought he might be nice and give me the 3 packets for free, but he went to the counter and got the debit machine out. In that case, I said I would just buy 6, and some supper, if I was using my credit card.

There are two others, that I had tried to keep in my memory when I was lying in bed, but they aren't there right now. Lost somewhere in my hippocampus I guess! Now, I'm going to WILD!

Well, no success with WILD today. I think the problem is I woke up too late to try it (7 and a half hours of sleep), and so with the caffeinated drink, I went back to sleep. Tonight, going to try it out by waking at 5am.

I was hoping to post here again and then found that dreamviews was down. I had just given up on it, when friend told me it was up again. This is great! I can continue posting here. Probably won't see too much from me over the next few weeks, and I'm going through my last week in scotland and then have to get into the swing of things in Canada. But wanted to post here just to let anyone reading this thread know I havne't disappeared, and I'm glad the site's up!