Struggling with Dream Recall

**Peroe** · 08-15-2018 05:37 PM

Hello, first time poster here.
About two weeks ago I had my first lucid dream (it was a DILD), but ever since then I've been struggling with dream recall. Every night I do remember 1-2 small dream fragments, but even those are hazy and unclear. I know that writing in a dream journal is highly encouraged for dream recall, but it's ironically hard for me to write down my dreams if I don't remember them. I've also been taking B vitamins, which are supposed to help with memory, but haven't had any luck with that either. It's one thing not being able to have lucid dreams every so often, but it feels even worse for me not to even remember my normal dreams. Nevertheless, I'm definitely not going to give up on practicing the basics every day, so hopefully that gets me somewhere eventually. In the meantime, does anyone have any tips for dream recall? Thanks!

**dolphin** · 08-15-2018 07:47 PM

Welcome, Peroe!

Keep in mind, it is very possible to have dreams consisting of nothing other than sleeping in bed and thinking about things. If you cannot recall any imagery or sensations upon waking up, try recalling what you were just thinking about while sleeping. These thoughts may or may not have been a dream, but either way, by trying to recall them, you are still exercising the same memory you use to recall dreams.

**Methos** · 08-16-2018 06:14 AM

It helps me to keep a book, pen, and red flashlight by my bed. I can roll over and scribble down a sentence about any dream I recall when I wake in the middle of the night, then roll over and go back to sleep. In the morning I use the sentences to write out the dreams in full and add them to the site here.
Maybe an online journal would help? Are you thinking of starting one here?

**Peroe** · 08-16-2018 12:49 PM

I’ve thought about starting an online dream journal, but how is that different than writing in a notebook?

**Methos** · 08-17-2018 05:54 AM

An online journal will be viewable by people on site and possibly available for others to comment on. Discussing your dream journal entries with others might help improve dream recall. A notebook journal would be for your eye only and you could still share some of those dreams into an online journal, or in a thread here on the site for discussion. I've found that the more you openly share your dreams, the better recall can become.