Thread: Being told to not write to my Dream Journal

Ok, for one, I think your mother is seriously overreacting. I like to think of lucid dreaming as a hobby. People talk about their hobbies! I spent like half the day today rambling on and on about piano! So it's totally normal for you to talk about it.

Another thing is that you have a shit counsellor by what it sounds like. Trust me, I know the difference between good and bad counsellors. I've seen them all. There are ones that get frustrated that you just don't do exactly what you tell them, and they sit there clinging onto their clipboards and frantically scribbling notes, probably something like "LOST CAUSE" even though you have no cause at all. The nice ones on the other hand (the one I have right now is lovely, although she kind of drags buried feelings up and it makes me seriously want to cry) work along with you, and understand where you're coming from.

Honestly, please please please take a stand if they drag this up again. This is something you love and they should not be messing with it. It's not a problem, jeez it's not like you're worshipping demons and devils...

Ah, I don't usually get pissed off at posts but I feel like screaming at your counsellor.

Dude, what the hell??? What's wrong with keeping a DJ? My mom only bothers me because my alarm-clock goes off at 4 am to WILD (told her to make it go off more softly), and it wakes her up... Back on the DJ: How could writing down your dreams ever harm you? Writing down what you ate for dinner isn't dangerous either, so what's the difference? If you ask me people are just ignorant and afraid to look further than their own interest.

People often fear what they don't understand. For those of us who are interested in lucid dream or dreams in general, keeping a dream journal is something completely normal. For other people, on the other hand, who are firmly rooted in reality, who spend little time on self-reflection or contemplating their own mind, keeping a dream journal may seem like a weird thing to do. Some may even associate it with occult practices, pagan rituals or even satanism.

I think the best way to deal with such irrationality is to simply explain to people the benefits of keeping a dream journal, how it can help people to become more in tune with their own mind and to have a more balanced personality.

It's hard to tell what your mother was thinking, but I suspect that she was just worried because she is concerned about your well-being.

I suggest that you don't let some silly counselor take away your dream journal.

I'm surprised you were listening to her at all, since her fears were obviously based on ignorance, unless you really are dangerously obsessed with your dream journal. This is an area of life in which you know better than your mother. I'd advise you, if it happens again, to keep your dream journal but keep it a secret, after explaining to her why she shouldn't be worrying, if she still doesn't get it.

since starting my dream journal and lucid dreaming im actually more aware in real life and the most positive ive felt in ages ;]

Try to get her to read things about LD maybe she will understand. And who knows, maybe she will start a DJ.

Mothers. Sheesh.

I think the advice about calling your mother up and telling her you refuse to stop writing is a poor one. Unless your mother is the type of person that can listen to a rational argument and come to a compromise (and let's face it - if she was, would she be giving you shit about recording your dreams?) then you need to keep your dream journal to yourself. Very seldom do our parents accept the fact that their children know more about subjects than they do, because they refuse to give up on their status as the role model and authoritarian.

It sucks that there are situations where employers, friends and relatives become so ignorant that you can't express things openly but that's life. You have to keep things to yourself unless you're prepared for all the tension that comes with it.

Thank you for replies, everyone.

Originally Posted by dakotahnok

Try to get her to read things about LD maybe she will understand. And who knows, maybe she will start a DJ.

I haven't mentioned to my mother or counselor that I am trying to LD. Heck, can't even imagine how crazy that counselor would go about that. Pff. :S (Dunno about my mother.)

Originally Posted by dreamsickle

Mothers. Sheesh.

I think the advice about calling your mother up and telling her you refuse to stop writing is a poor one. Unless your mother is the type of person that can listen to a rational argument and come to a compromise (and let's face it - if she was, would she be giving you shit about recording your dreams?) then you need to keep your dream journal to yourself. Very seldom do our parents accept the fact that their children know more about subjects than they do, because they refuse to give up on their status as the role model and authoritarian.

It sucks that there are situations where employers, friends and relatives become so ignorant that you can't express things openly but that's life. You have to keep things to yourself unless you're prepared for all the tension that comes with it.

Yeah, I personally think that it wasn't really my mother who went crazy about it, but that counselor. I didn't even mention all that the counselor said, here's one: "You should not write them down immediately when you wake but do it 50 minutes later." Me: "At that point I am already at school." She: "Well, what about afternoon." Me: "At that point I forget them!" :/

Originally Posted by illidan

It's hard to tell what your mother was thinking, but I suspect that she was just worried because she is concerned about your well-being.

I suggest that you don't let some silly counselor take away your dream journal.

I agree on both cases.

Good for you, for standing up and letting her know how you felt about the whole thing. The next time someone comes at you with some ridiculous "advice" like that, tell them that you will consider it, only if they can provide you with logical reasons why they feel that it's necessary - or why they feel keeping a dream journal is such a bad thing. Odds are; they won't be able to, because there really are no logical reasons not to.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by CyperAleksi

I haven't mentioned to my mother or counselor that I am trying to LD. Heck, can't even imagine how crazy that counselor would go about that. Pff. :S (Dunno about my mother.)

What the hell? I really don't see why anyone would think LDs are dangerous. After all, they're just dreams, if you don't sleepwalk and try to fly by jumping off somethin you'll be fine, right?

Originally Posted by You

What the hell? I really don't see why anyone would think LDs are dangerous. After all, they're just dreams, if you don't sleepwalk and try to fly by jumping off somethin you'll be fine, right?

Well if this counsellor thinks that even keeping a DJ is "bad", I don't think I am going to say anything about LDing to a person like that. xD

My mom's initial reaction to me keeping a DJ was totally the opposite of what you posted, as for my dad... Phew. He thought it was pointless and made me look like an escapist. I explained to him that there's nothing wrong with it, which took a bit of effort (and I had to gather my resources first) but he finally got it. It's good you managed to defend yourself.

Mines is a secret

Ok, it's kind of lying around my room, so if my dad wanted to sneak a peek he could. I haven't exactly written "DREAM JOURNAL" on it so he'd probably think it was just a collection of really random and wierd short stories.

My whole family knows about my dream journal. My sister thinks the idea of LDing is cool, but her sleep schedule won't allow one (), while my mom and dad don't really care. I guess they figure dreaming is happening when I am sleeping, so it is not negatively affecting my life. I told only one of my cousins, and the day I told her, she had a LD but didn't know what to do in it.

The fact of the matter is, LDing is an occult practice (occult meaning unknown). People tend to not accept things that they have never heard of before.

How old are you that your mom has to call you and tell you not to write in a notebook? my mom might tell me that but I'd ignore her anyway because something like this is insignificant. BTW your mom's weird

Originally Posted by Jay12341235

How old are you that your mom has to call you and tell you not to write in a notebook? my mom might tell me that but I'd ignore her anyway because something like this is insignificant. BTW your mom's weird

It wasn't my mom who said that, it was the counsellor fellow?

kinda wierd she got a counselor for something completely harmless if not beneficial. and that counselor dosent know what shes talking about, she sounds like one of the ones that make up problems with you to get bussiness where they would otherwise be unneccessary. i always kept my dj secret, but one day my brother found it, waited untill he had a sleepover and read it with his friends. found it from my mom walking in my room with it saying is this yours? after that i ripped out the pages and locked them up and stopped my dj completely since i have naturally good recall. im just glad i ommitted some x rated scenes <_<

Man, that's a bummer. I've been hearing more and more cases about lucid dreamers being "persecuted" like this. Sadly, it's not the first time I've heard that someone of 'authority' considers the acts of keeping a dream journal "bunk." Which is ridiculous. It's exactly like keeping a day-journal... except it's filled with a hell of a lot more interesting things and typically keeps you more in tune with your emotions... at least enough to be able to analyze it. But hey... there's a minuscule fraction of people that take the time to reflect upon their life daily, let alone their dreams.

damn that sucks. If I ever have children keeping a DJ will be encouraged!

Originally Posted by Raspberry

Mines is a secret

Ok, it's kind of lying around my room, so if my dad wanted to sneak a peek he could. I haven't exactly written "DREAM JOURNAL" on it so he'd probably think it was just a collection of really random and wierd short stories.

Same here, basically if my family members would want, they could read my DJ anytime. But I've been taught to respect other peoples privacy and basically I dont have to worry about it, that my brother, mom or dad would go and search my room, cause they have got the same lessons on privacy.... But I DONT want them to see it anyhow, since it contains some sexual dreams I've had so I just put it under my schoolbooks for the day.

And my moms reaction to lucid dreaming was "Oh, I've read about that isnt it the same as dream control etc." So I corrected her and told what I know about lucid dreams. I've been complaining to my mom about how hard it is for me to have a lucid dream, and one time she asked "Why is it so important to you to have a lucid dream" So I replied again by telling the possibilities of lucid dreaming, and I think she understands me.

And the reason to the reaction of the counselor guy is probably the fear of unknown. If he would know about lucid dreaming he would probably say to your mom that she needs to encourage you to keep on going with it, because it has so many benefits.

Originally Posted by astraalipaska

And the reason to the reaction of the counselor guy is probably the fear of unknown. If he would know about lucid dreaming he would probably say to your mom that she needs to encourage you to keep on going with it, because it has so many benefits.

Mm.

What I have gathered now, is that the main worry of them about it is that I am addicted/obsessed to it. So now, because getting so full of all the bugging about my DJ, I am taking a 1 month break from my DJ to show, that I have no kind of addiction/obsession/whatever. That should stop them bugging me. (Still going to try and remember dreams without writing them though, and keeping up with RCs etc.)

And that DOES NOT MEAN that I am going to stop doing my DJ.

Aw, it's unfortunate that you need to take a step back for awhile where you could be making progress, just to prove some point to a counsellor

Yeah, I'm torn with your decision, I wouldn't make it, but it's YOUR decision. This would personally make me dream more out of spite.