Remembering & Jolts

[Ekpyrotic]

Hi everyone, I have two questions, they've probably been answered in the forums before, but I couldn't find one of them in search. (1) Because I'm new I've started with remembering dreams. I slept. And woke up. I jolted my eyes open; sat up. "Crap! Lay back back to remember those dreams" (inner dialogue). I laid back down. I couldn't remember much, fragments of about 3 different ones and an image. I wasn't really happy but at least I'd remembered something. So I sat up grabbed my dream diary and special black pen. "Aw crap! I've forgotten", I sat there for 10 minutes and for the life of me I could only remember an image of a tiger. Is this a common problem? Is it just about practice? (2) This problems a little more dramatic. I practice the occasional meditation. So when I laid down to say my mantra "I will remember my dreams..." I done it in usual meditation style. I think I was on the edge of falling asleep then I suddenly woke myself up. Damn! This happened about 3 times, when the fourth time I done the same but this time woke myself up with a huge spasm. Energy pulsed through me until I was bolt upright. So I changed my position, stopped the mantra and got to sleep. Is it best for me to keep practicing this meditation, until I'm in control? Is this a common problem? Thanks! Jordan

[whitby_jet]

I can't help you with the second problem, but can relate to the first. I find that even the slightest movement on waking can cause me to lose the memory of my dream(s). Sometimes my daughter will shout from her room and this has the same effect. So I find it important to stay still and focussed on the memories I have, however vague they are, and if I can do this then other parts of the dream usually come back. I then play them over and over in my mind before sitting up to write them down. Even then I can still lose bits of them along the way....it's pretty frustrating! Of course, if the dream is especially vivid, I can be thinking about it all day instead - like a record going round in my head! That can be equally annoying!!! Whitby Jet

[Ekpyrotic]

I've got my dream journal ready, and tonight I'm going to wake up at 90 minute intervals. And I am going to remember my dreams. I can already see a few pages filled. I'll get back to you tomorrow on how it goes.

[Secret Neo]

See i dont write mine down so mine are usually triggered by something. bit like a deja vu moment. But after i wake up, it usually takes bout an hour for me to remember unless i really want to remember it right after i wake up. btw, love to see new faces round here. welcome.

[becominglucid]

When I first started, I was disappointed that dreams just slipped away as soon as I woke up! But then as my brain got more used to it, I've began to wake up about 3:30, 4:30 and 5 each morning. Each time I have dreams that I write down. Whitby_jet has got it right. Just try and hold onto anything you can, ask yourself what you were doing before that. Lie still and try and memorise a sequence of events BEFORE you write anything down. That works best for me. Good luck!

[Ekpyrotic]

Thanks for all the replies, and thanks for the welcome secret_neo. I've began to wake up about 3:30, 4:30 and 5 each morning. I dis those exact intervals this morning and got 4 dreams! I'm so pleased, it's a little bit childish really. Got one that doesn't make sense and missing a lot of gaps. Two that I have the main plots and modest details about. And one that I filled 6 pages of my DJ with, down to the grafitti messages that were sprayed on the walls. So I'm going to keep doing that. Thanks again! Jordan/Ek