Thread: I am new to this, but can't dream. Any tips?

Everyone dreams, but many don't remember. Assuming you're talking about regular dreaming, not lucid dreaming.

If you lack memories of regular dreams, you need to start a dream journal. Write down any fragments of dreams, even small things, even ideas about what you might have been dreaming the night before. Try writing in a dream journal for a couple weeks, and see if your dream recall ability improves.

Well I already see a flaw in your title.
"I am new to this, but can't dream."

You are wrong. Everyone dreams, you just can't remember your dreams currently. Hint 1: Confidence is required, if you don't believe you can dream you aren't going to remember that you did.

You should browse the forums a bit, and you will realize there is plenty on this issue. Some basic steps to start you off would be, firstly tell yourself you ARE going to remember some dreams in the morning. Be excited about it, enthusiastic. No need to remember a full dream, just focus on remembering at least a 2 or 3 second chunk is all to get you started.

Keep a dream journal. Write down EVERYTHING you can remember no matter how big or small in the fullest of detail. Enjoy it, be happy you are making progress, look back regularly on your previous entries. After a few days you should be recalling lots more.

Subconscious commands work well with emotions, pair something with an emotion and it will sink in. So this is why you need to be enthusiastic and excited when telling yourself before bed that you will recall at least a little bit. The dream journal acts as a command as well, saying, "This is important enough to write down! Remember it!" which is also why you shouldn't think of it as a chore, but rather as a fun way to keep track of your dreams.

Once you can remember at least a little something, practice the "don't move" technique. (Patent pending. ) Basically when you wake up (without an alarm or sudden jolt, just a natural wake up) don't open your eyes or move. As long as you stay still and keep your eyes closed, your should be able to remember ALLOT more of your dream. Just relax and enjoy reviewing your dream. You might notice bits and pieces coming back, or even a flood of memories. Once you think your brain is done sorting, and you can remember as much as you think you will be able to, open your eyes and write it all down. If you move or open your eyes before reviewing, you will notice an immediate deterioration of your recall and you may even forget the entire dream completely.

Anyway, search around for more tuts and you should be well on your way. This should get you started.

It is my understanding that everybody dreams every night. If you get enough sleep, you will always go into a period of REM sleep.

However, not everyone remembers their dreams. I would say that this is your difficulty. There are lots of things you can find on how to improve your dream recall. What I do is simple:

(1) Upon waking up, lie as still as you can, preferably without moving or opening your eyes. Think back to a few minutes ago, and focus on any image that comes into your mind. If you can get any piece of the dream, concentrate on this, and think of what happened before and after this event. Hold the thought in your mind until the focus becomes sharper. Doing this, you can often restore a good bit of the memory.

(2) Keep a dream journal. Once you are able to recall any of your dreams, write them down as soon as you can. Put in as much detail as you can. Often, the act of writing down the dream helps me to remember even more of the dream. And it is one of the most important ways to imrove your dream recall.

Those are the two main things that I do. There is a tutorial on dream recall in the wiki section.

Lately, instead of writing down whatever I can remember of my dreams, I record them on a dictaphone. I just recite everything I can remember. It's much faster and involves less movement than writing.

Theen, later in the day I can transcribe it to my dream journal. you might want to try that.

Ooh yes, I agree with Equus on this one (and in fact is usually what I do), though wait until you remember your dreams a little bit more.

I say this because, at least for me, it generally isn't quite as effective as writing it down by hand in the first place, though it is certainly simpler for the mornings and who knows, might work better for you.

I have suggested this before, but I also use an application on my phone so that I can enter things I remember about my dreams at any point throughout the day, because my phone is always with me.

Good Luck!

I said dictaphone - but in fact I do use the dictaphone app on my phone.

Be ye warned: your voice sounds weird when you hear a recording at the best of times. When you record yourself talking about dreams while half asleep you'll sound ten times weirder.

It's... disturbing.

Oh, and make sure you do transcribe the recordings and delete them regularly - because sooner or later everyone looses their 'phone and you don't want strangers (or wworse yet, people you do know) listening to your dreams.

[QUOTE=Equus;1608889 you don't want strangers (or wworse yet, people you do know) listening to your dreams.[/QUOTE]


....lol, that's not the only thing I wouldn't want people finding on my phone

I understand completely. You have a Spice Girls ringtone.