Dream Recall

[StacySailer]

I have been recording my dreams for about a week now to try and improve my dream recall and I've succeeded in recording one every night but i write them down and i completly forget them after about a half an hour unless I read it again. Is this improving my dream recall or is it very bad that I can't remeber them after such a short while?

[Revero]

Don't worry about it, as long as you have some recording of what went on. Our brains seem to have a built-in dream-forgetting mechanism. Stephen LaBerge's theory is that we have this because we evolved from animals which, like small children, couldn't tell the difference between dreams and reality, and constantly confusing dreams for actual memories is not good for the survival of such animals. I bet with training you will get better at remembering your dreams. I've only been keeping a dream journal for the past 11 days and already I'm noticing my dream recall abilities improving.

[Kastro187420]

I think the reason why your not remembering them after a half hour is because you don't give them enough meaning, in other words, don't reject any dreams, or dismiss them as ridiculous or trivial, accept each dream you remember, and treat them with respect, as if they are a part of you, and you will over time find that you remember them much easier, because they will seem more important to you.

[irishcream]

Originally posted by Kastro187420 I think the reason why your not remembering them after a half hour is because you don't give them enough meaning, in other words, don't reject any dreams, or dismiss them as ridiculous or trivial, accept each dream you remember, and treat them with respect, as if they are a part of you, and you will over time find that you remember them much easier, because they will seem more important to you. I agree..you have to take time to examine the dream, work out what it means to you...i'm very big on interpreting my dreams. More so than lucid dreaming. Although i am trying to get back into reality checking, and questioning things around me...but it's difficult!

[Merlock]

I don't see any point in remembering dreams for longer than it takes to write them down. Dream recall is just that, you recall the dream, then you forget it as usual. Remembering dreams for a long time like regular memories doesn't really have any particular upsides so I don't see a need for it. So, the fact that you're writing at least one dream down every night means that your dream recall is already good enough to start with LD induction techniques. Keep it up and you'll get to two, three or even 4 dreams a night!

[Barbizzle]

Your brain is hardwaired to forget dreams. Essentialy dreams are the mind's trash, and we throw them out at night. When we recall dreams, we are digging through trash to find them and bring them back to us. Your mind is apprently effiecnt and throws them abck out again hehe. Liek Irish and kastro said, read you dreams and try to make them important to you. When you do this your mind will realize that you wnat to keep the dreasm and if they are important to you, you will recall them much eiaser.

[kafine]

I find writing my dreams down definatley helps me remember them, but I don't write down every single silly little one (I will start now though!). I had a dream when I was about 6 years old and I was about 14 when the last image of it finally faded. It was because I wrote it down. Also, I have very rarely recorded dreams directly after waking. I should; I have forgotten some great ones that way. But generally I find I can't remember an entire dream untill I have time to collect my thoughts and think back through it. So I usually record later in the day.