Quote Originally Posted by Pronoia View Post
If I were to label the primary issues now, they would be:

1. It takes too much work to remember and write down my dreams (especially being married and trying to find a way to not wake my wife and daughter in the morning). I don't like handwriting very much (find mine is cramped, messy, fast) and the light from a computer screen often fuzzes out my memory/creativity even more.

2. I'd do the work if it was 'worth' it, but something in me has believed that it's not worth it -that there isn't any valuable/worthwhile/interesting material in there...or that I won't be able to interpret it...or that even if I could, what good would it do me. Or perhaps, that I'm scared to face certain things (or lack of things) in my deep places.

3. The struggle that I've been having a lot in waking life, the fear that I don't really know what I want or that I don't really want anything (or will never really be able to find/listen/give in to those deep down needs, passions), or that life is now boring or meaningless or 'used up', etc.

I'm ready to face and challenge these blocks, and any support would be appreciated.

Thanks folks, looking forward to more.

Warmly,
Leif
greetings, i too am new here and just completed my introductions as well. i am also dealing with many of the same issues you are, so let me bounce my encouragement and ideas off you and we can possibly help each other out. ill do it list style to speed things up:

1>
-make sure your wife clearly knows what you are doing and that it is important to you, for encouragement and to lessen the stresses of waking / disturbing them. you may also want to invest in a sleep mask, ear plugs, or a fan for her to mask your disturbances

-my handwriting is completely illegible (especially in the middle of the night) so i have turned to various methods depending on when / where i am:
--practice waking without moving and go over as much dream detail in your mind as you can BEFORE you get up to write it out.
--i use my phone (moto droid) and type in brief dream notes on it, to be fleshed out later. i can do this while still in bed and not wake my gf.
--sometimes i also use the voice recorder (again to be transcribed later) which you could get a cheap voice recorder / mp3 player and quickly and quietly dictate them in your bathroom.
--before i go to bed, i turn the brightness on my computer monitor waaaaaay down and i go ahead and create a document with the date on it so all i have to do is turn on the monitor and start typing.

2>
-i feel you on this as well. lately, i have felt the majority of my dreams are pretty mundane with a few exceptions. but the exceptions make things worthwhile! i have also found that weekday dreams are more mundane, because i am more focused at work, but my weekend dreams take everything up a notch. (also i get to sleep more, heh.)

you should do your best to keep the dj up for awhile and then really look at the things you have recorded from multiple perspectives, not just as literal events. look for symbolism, plays on words, common themes, and relate things to your daytime activities.

if you want to lucid dream or walk the path, you must start to remember your dreams. if you want to remember your dreams you must keep a DJ. its like learning any new skill, there is a definite learning / practice curve and you may increase recall suddenly or things may drop off. there are cycles to it and you have not seen enough mornings to begin to see the larger picture.

if your scared of shadow things in your psyche.... well pony up and begin the process of taking those things on! this will probably help you with number 3 as well....

3>
like mentioned before, its a process, and your dreams are a perfect way to begin to address waking life problems like this, but in the end you have to take responsibility for your dream life, your waking life, and everything in between.

i am struggling with these things as well, though i am quite confident in some aspects of my 'selfness' i am a complete newbie in addressing other parts. the struggle is not always pleasant or easy. you must learn to listen to yourself and others (whom you trust) and know when to re-double your efforts, when to maintain, and when to sit back and let things cogitate on their own.

these comments are all meant in sincere encouragement, i hope they help some.