Dream vividness AFTER waking up...

**Empedocles** · 04-21-2011 02:05 AM

Hi there fellow Lucid Dreamers...

Many years ago (2004) I was actively involved in lucid dreaming, and was very successful at it. Due to certain circumstances, and being very very busy, I had to stop doing it. Sometimes I did have a spontaneous lucid dream now and then, but I didn't do anything related to it in waking life.

Now that most of this stress in my life is gone, and everything is back to normal, I decided to get back to lucid dreaming. The thing is, I have the following problem:

My dream recall suffered during these years, and it's understandable I think, but what suffered even more is my dream vividness... AFTER waking up. Ok, I might be confusing you, but I'll try to be specific.

Example: I am in a dream, very vivid. I perform a reality check, and realize I'm dreaming. The vividness is still there, and even increases as I rub my hands. I am amazed in the dream how vivid it is, and how real everything looks. I enjoy the dream, doing many things, being lucid, etc. The dream begins to fade, and as soon as I wake up, and I mean at the exact moment I come back to the real world, my memory of this extremely vivid dream seems like it was many years ago. The memory of it isn't vivid at all. It seems distant, unclear, and foggy, while in the dream it was extraordinarily vivid and clear.

Is this a dream recall issue? Also, if I don't write things down I am very quick to forget even some major parts of the dream.

I'd be really happy if someone told me they had the same problem, and that it went away later. I started a dream journal again 3 days ago, and I'm hoping it will help.

Please, if anyone knows what I'm talking about, and has any advice, please share!

Thank you.

Jakob

**Cacophony** · 04-21-2011 02:26 AM

Hi there

I recall having this problem when I didn't have my dream recall up to its full potential. I would say that you should focus on your dream recall - if your recall is up, your recollection of small details, vividness, etc. should come more easily. Are you keeping a dream journal?

**Empedocles** · 04-21-2011 02:28 AM

Originally Posted by Cacophony

Hi there

I recall having this problem when I didn't have my dream recall up to its full potential. I would say that you should focus on your dream recall - if your recall is up, your recollection of small details, vividness, etc. should come more easily. Are you keeping a dream journal?

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I said that I started a dream journal again 3 days ago, and I'm hoping it will help. I too believe that it is a recall issue.

Any tips on how to improve it beside the dream journal? Any specific techniques?

Jakob

**Cacophony** · 04-21-2011 02:32 AM

Well, I would say give it at least two weeks of daily dream journaling before you see improvements.

Honestly, I just keep a dream journal and then re-reading your dream journal entries before you can go to sleep can also be a very big help!

Outlining your dream signs that occur within the pages of your dream journal, and generally just making the conscious effort to think about your dreams makes all the difference in the world! Good luck!

**Empedocles** · 04-21-2011 02:33 AM

Thank you, Cacophony. If anyone else has any input regarding this, please feel free.

Jakob

**Empedocles** · 04-21-2011 02:39 AM

Originally Posted by legendarymidget

That is sort of what happens in real life as well. If you try to remember something which happened just yesterday, your memory of it will not be as vivid as when you were actually there.

At least, I think that's how it works...

No, I don't think so. I remember many years ago when I had lucid dreams, the memories of them would be extremely vivid after waking up. Of course the memories fade, but not very much. I had clear and vivid memories days, weeks, months, and years after the dream. Even now I remember my quality lucid dreams from many years ago.

But now, after waking up from a lucid dream, it feels as if I dreamt it a year ago, whereas in the dream it was vivid.

I think it is just a recall issue.

Jakob

**Cacophony** · 04-21-2011 02:44 AM

Yes, it definitely seems like a recall issue. However, I have not found any "quick fix" solutions to boost recall immediately... But the tried and true way is dream journaling If you keep that up, I bet in two weeks you won't have a problem anymore.

**Empedocles** · 04-21-2011 02:45 AM

Alright, thanks.

Jakob

**Empedocles** · 04-21-2011 12:39 PM

Had an amazing lucid dream last night with two false awakenings afterwards. I was lucid throughout the false awakenings as well. I did some fun stuff, and was amazed at the clarity. However, as soon as I opened my eyes in the real world, the memories of the dream started to run away very fast, as usual. If I hadn't written it down I would have lost more than 50% of it.

As I said before, the dream vividness is amazing, but the MEMORY of the vividness is bad. It is very frustrating, because many years ago I was what you could say an expert lucid dreamer. I have to fix this problem, and soon. It is kind of lke this: You are in the dream, analyzing the details and being in awe how clear everything is. But as soon as you open your eyes, the memories are so unclear, it's almost as if you never had the experience. Like my brain doesn't want to hold on to the memories. Very hard to explain to someone if they never felt this before. I do recall at least 3 dreams per night, sometimes even 4 or 5, but it's the clarity, vividness, and details of the dreams that fade away like crazy.

I need to convince my brain that these memories are important to me, but I don't know how to do it, aside from the Dream Journal.

This is my fourth day of dream journaling. I hope this whole thing will improve after two weeks or so.

Jakob

**Empedocles** · 04-22-2011 02:56 PM

Alright, it is getting a little better. I wasn't lucid last night, but I remember many dreams, and the memories are more vivid than before. It still has to improve alot more in order to be on the level it was years ago, but it is getting better. I will keep at it.

Jakob