Hi, all. Here is another "look at me" post, but I hope that I can offer more in the future. I like this community; it's friendly, intelligent, and fun, so I hope that I can find a place here.

A brief introduction.

I've always been a casual mediator, so the idea of clearing my thoughts isn't new to me, but dream recall is. The last dream that I vividly remember was probably four years ago (Intense colors and emotions. I still can get visuals of it.) despite my 'interest' in lucidity. Since then I would always wake up with a single word or a single image in my head and I've gotten in the mindset of, "oh well, I guess I'm hopeless." It's amazing what two simple words in Google can do for your perspective...

I did plenty of research which I won't go into, but after only six days of a dream journal I've been amazed at my progress of recall. It's incredible that I can focus on that single word or image and after a few minutes my mind gets flooded with memories, so I start writing and I get assaulted by even more people, places, and objects. Once I laid back down and remembered more. I love that it happens, but at four in the morning... ouch. Hah. I'll skip the details of my personal life, but working the dinner shift in a restaurant and going to school in the day, you get the idea that I may face a couple hurdles... I’m trying to start the reality check habit, but that’s a strange one to start.

I have a couple of questions that the search function failed me on.

Alarm clocks murder my recall. When the buzzer goes off, I have nothing. I'm working on my internal alarm clock, but it's not quite developed yet. Other than that is there any tips? I've tried a softer alarm to no affect.

Coffee. Love it. Call it a passion if you will. I read opposing views on it, but the consensus was that it plays no role in recall or lucidity. Is this still the opinion? My thought is that it would at the very least make you more ware as you sleep. Anyway, I don’t drink it past one normally, soooo…

This is a broader question that I couldn't find any answers that I was happy with, but feel free to point me in the right direction if there is an obvious thread or website about it. I've read that talking to your sub conscious, yourself, or sometimes even dream characters can give you amazing perspective. Any experience with this? I have a long way to go, but that is one motivator for me to learn the art.

Thanks for reading,

- -Barrett

Edit: Forgot to mention that my signs seem to be just the fact that things are all wrong. Doors in the wrong places, hallways leading to rooms that they shouldn't, people in enviroments that they would otherwise not be in. Pretty simple to spot actually.

- -Barrett