Real DJ vs computer DJ?

[DreamStorms]

Hey all! I recently gave in to the idea of keeping a dream journal for the sake of improving my dream recall and all. I was wondering if there is a difference at all between keeping a real hard copy dream journal or keeping a dreamviews journal (or any program that let's you have a DJ on the computer). Is there any difference between them aside from the convenience factor? I started writing my dreams down here on the DJ dreamviews provide and I was just wondering if it's fine that I continue on here or move on to a real notebook. Thank yous!

[Puffin]

I tend to recall lots of detail in my dreams, which can be hard to move around in my paper entries. I started just making notes on a sheet of looseleaf, enough so that I remember the full dream in the morning. Then I type the dream(s) up here on my computer DJ. Lately my entries have been ridiculously long - it took an hour to type up my last entry. I'm not even going to consider how long it would take to write that out. I don't see a problem with using a computer DJ, as long as you don't use it in the middle of the night; the bright screen might keep you up. Then again, it's different for everyone.

[JussiKala]

If your computer is near enough to use as a DJ, you can use it. I do.

[Kitties]

I usually write my dreams down in a notebook next to my bed, with varying degrees of detail. Normally it's just a few notes that wouldn't really make sense to anyone else, but I can remember stuff from them. It is hard to move details around with the real DJ, so things in mine often end up written in a strange order. ("Oh, I just remembered, in the part before, this also happened...") I find the notebook easier and faster to write in when I've just woken up. I recently started writing in my DJ here, though, and I have to say I like having tags and categories. That way you can see what appears a lot in your dreams, see dreams about a particular subject, reread memorable or lucid dreams, etc. much more easily. Also when I type them up to post here, I end up writing in a lot more logical order, and with proper sentences and paragraphs and all the details and stuff, which I think is good lol. So basically I don't think it matters too much, and there are advantages to both.

[WolfIsCat]

I used to keep my dream journal in a notebook, but I had a brief period where my recall was so detailed it was taking me almost 2 hours to write down everything every day. I type much faster than I write so I started logging dreams electronically. I still use a notebook next to my bed though. The only disadvantage to an electronic DJ that I've encountered is that you can't include drawings.

[The Silver Bullet]

If your handwriting is as crappy as mine then use a computer. I remembered a lot of detailed dreams this morning but now that the days dragged on and my memory's fuzzier its hard to read my DJ. I'm think I'm going to start using my notebook for notes and then typing all the hard details on computer when I fully wake up.

[Keitorin]

I use a notebook beside my bed, but I agree with everyone else in that it's really hard to get all the details down without spending ages writing. My poor hand can't take it and I think I've started avoiding writing as much as I can because of it. I think it'd be really convenient to just type it all up on the computer, but I'd worry about the bright screen keeping me up and getting too engaged into it, because I have a hard time going back to sleep once woken up to a certain degree (especially where I live now, what with the dogs barking outside and loud TVs). Still...I'd really like to try leaving my computer on one night and trying to type them up as they come. (Using keywords to type up everything up later in the day wouldn't work for me at this point.) Oh, forgot to add, my handwriting can be impossible to decipher when I wake in the night to write something down. That's another area where just typing things up would help. Even if I made typos, there's a better chance I'd understand them. Also, it would force me to wake up a bit more instead of being so out of it and just conking back out after writing down stuff. The issue would be getting myself motivated to get out of bed and over to the computer... I'll definitely have to think about this some more. XD

[JussiKala]

^set your screen brightness to minimum before going to sleep, so you won't have issues with it when writing up your dream.

[ty4TheAdventure]

As everyone has been saying, use whatever is most readily and easily accessible when you wake. If it's paper, it's paper. If it's a laptop, even better. I tend to use whatever I have at the time, usually my cell phone, and type in a bunch of notes. I do this if I wake in the middle of the night. Same when I actually wake up to start my day. I type key words and various short descriptions that I feel will help me remember the entire dream. Then I type all the dreams in as full detail as I can on my computer (right before I actually go into my morning routine). If you have a notebook or a physical journal, you can write your dream in full detail based on the notes and key words you took. Sometimes, I use paper. But I find my handwriting can be AWFUL. Hahaha. In the end it's really a matter of preference. I just like my content digitized. Luckily, I have a text messaging phone. T9 or the "abc" method would be a nightmare to use for this! o_o

[dakotahnok]

Depends on my mood. I used to use an online dream journal. But now I'm using a note book,

[faceonmars]

The easiest method I have found is to keep a small digital audio recorder next to my bed to record my thoughts about the dream. It works for me and I don't even have to turn on the lights (or even my computer)

[DreamStorms]

Got it! I'll keep the laptop DJ then, but maybe I'll start writing down notes like some of you do! Good idea! Thank yous everyone!