Does the format of a dream journal matter?

[Mydera]

So I have done the whole hand writing and typing out my dreams thing before with greatest success in typing them. In the last few years though I have found that I just don't have the time to journal in a typical day (especially since we've been working some crazy long hours at work the last few weeks) and I end up not getting around to typing them out until the weekend. I do keep dream notes, but again find that by the weekend when I can type them up I have forgotten most of the details and sometimes my notes don't even make sense because I have forgotten everything! Generally, it takes me around 45 minutes to an hour to type out a good night of dreaming. It may take over an hour to hand write a good nights dreams. My boyfriend, tired of losing me for long chucks of time to write or type everyday, suggested an audio or video dream journal that I could listen to later instead of reading later. My question is, does the actual motion of using your hands when you write/type help with dream recall, or would using an audio/video journal work just as well so long as you are able to go back and listen to it anytime you wanted to recall that dream state or look for dream signs?

[Burke]

It's similar to studying. Handwriting out everything is likely going to be the best, and it depends on the person whether typing or recording audio/listening to a playback is going to be better. I used to hand write them all out in their entirety right when I woke up but quickly abandoned that since it was taking a long time and I don't have the neatest handwriting to begin with. Now (when I even DJ, I know it's bad ) I just jot down some quick notes and type it all out when I get a chance. I lose some detail, but the general gist is there. If it's a good lucid then I typically forget very little of it. I haven't tried audio recording, but I'm sure it could work well for some, as long as you listen to a playback once in a while. The only gripe I could have with it is that it is easier to comb through a written DJ then an audio one, so if your main focus is on dream signs I'd suggest writing it out, or at least keeping somewhat detailed notes. In all honesty, do what suits your schedule the best. As long as you're keeping some sort of a DJ you will reap the benefits. If remembering 3 dreams a night instead of 4 is what it takes to get an hour of my time back, I'd gladly take it.

[TravisE]

Many seem to feel typing or writing is better. I've never used audio recording exclusively because I find audio an inadequate medium as a permanent record: You just can't scan or search it like text, and it takes up a lot more space/bandwidth. However, it's really handy for capturing a lot of details really fast, so my compromise is using audio recording to initially record everything, and then listening to those notes to type proper DJ entries later when I have a chance. I type rather than handwrite, though some feel the latter works better for memory in principle (as well as not relying on technology that tends to be plagued with short lifespans and technical problems), because it's excruciatingly slow and absolutely kills my wrists after a short while. But I still get the benefit of reviewing all my dreams at least twice this way, and along with periodically going back and rereading old DJ entries, I feel I get at least most of the benefit—enough to work fine for my own purposes. (And I maintain regular backups and use simple, non-proprietary software and file formats to help counter the technology problem.) If time is still too short for that, then I'd recommend going ahead and cutting back just a bit and recording just the dreams that interest you or stand out the most. It's still far better than nothing at all.

[Mydera]

Thank you both for your answers!!! I especially like the idea of recording the dream when I wake up and then typing them out later when I have time. That may be my best option. As I said, I have plenty of time on my one day a week off work to type the journals, but often forget what the notes means. If I audio or video record the dreams through the week to save time then listen to them and type them out on my day off I am still getting in the writing I normally would, but will have the audio to remind me what the notes mean.

[moSh]

The only thing I'd add is to pay close attention to the emotions you felt, and any semantic connections you made during the dream, as these are often what make us remember (or forget!) things in waking life the most. For example, instead of trying to record exactly what a person was wearing, try recording the way you felt about their outfit, as this is likely to spur your memory almost as well as writing out every item of clothing.