Hello, any why I'm here. Help me remember.

[ccrinbama]

So, howdy everyone. I saw a link to the site from somewhere, though I can't remember where at the moment. Anyway, I followed it, read up on some of the information, and became immediately interested. Why? Because I never knew that realizing you were in a dream was something special. When I was younger, almost every dream that I was in, I realized it was just that, a dream. Also, I remember dreams from my childhood fairly well even now. I remember telling characters in the dream that they weren't real, and that when I woke up, they would cease to exist and I would never see them again. I remember the setting, and I remember that it was third person. I can't remember what my companions looked like, though. I remember having nightmares and not being able to escape from them. The worst experience was when one character - a werewolf of sorts - actually told me "You won't be escaping from this dream." It was horrible. I had to develop techniques to actually escape from the dreams, and I remember them to this day. But, I do remember enjoying those experiences. I actually have many fond memories from childhood dreams. Lately, though, I have realized that I've stopped dreaming... or at least stopped recalling my dreams. I thought about it, and realized that I hadn't remembered a single dream I had experienced for the past four years... at least not on the level of more than something of a photograph, or snapshot of what was happening. I want to be able to remember. And I've always tossed around the idea of dream control with my friends, we had debates on it now and then. I never knew it had a following like this though. So, essentially, help me remember. I have an awful short term-memory, and I have been trying the journal thing for the psat week. Even if I wake up right after REM, I hardly ever remember anything. I told myself that foruming, at least until I become lucid again, would be the last resort. So here, I am, and I am in need of aid. Please, help me remember my short term dreams, I'm all out of ideas. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[nesgirl119]

Hey there and welcome to the forum! If you really want to try to remember your dreams, I would suggest keeping a Dream Journal. If after doing that, you are still having a hard time becoming Lucid, try checking out the tutorials. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

[Burns]

Firstly, welcome to the forum! I think you'll enjoy this forum more than you think. Not only does it contain endless helpful information, but you can discuss topics with an open-minded and friendly community who share the same interests as you. About your recall, it's great that you've already started a dream journal. Be sure to write down anything you remember - words, feelings, etc. Or if you can't remember words, quickly sketch the scene - anything to get something down on the page. Also, as soon as you wake up - don't move. Keep your eyes closed. Concentrate on what you were just feeling or dreaming. Think back - if you remember a scene, try to think of what you were doing before that, and so on. When you've recalled everything you can, quickly grab your DJ and scribble everything down. For you, since you say you've got a horrible memory, I'd recommend writing down every single detail you can remember. Once your recall improves, and you're not struggling to recall anything, you can try only jotting down a few keywords, just to refresh your memory so you can write out the dream in its entirety later. Please feel free to post any questions or experiences you have. Good luck and have fun!

[ccrinbama]

I woke up this morning, couldn't remember a single thing. I was lying in bed, thinking... willing myself to remember something about the dream, and nothing came. Got up, walked around the house a little, then got in the shower. I picked up a bottle of shaving cream in the shower, and got a quick burst of something, I remember thinking "Oh yea, this happened in my dream." Before I actually realized I was remembering something, bam, it was gone. So I continue to shower. About five-ten minutes later, I remember an entire setting from a dream I had last night. I run into my room, and type it up. I'm right on the edge of remembering more, but it won't come. Do you think the shower had something to do with it?

[Amethyst Star]

First off, welcome : It's not uncommon for people to remember parts of their dreams throughout the day, but whenever you start moving after waking, you will start forgetting what happened. Have you tried waking yourself up (with an alarm clock) a little bit earlier than you usually get up? Sometimes doing that will cause you to wake up when you're dreaming and you'll be more likely to recall what happened. As burns said, when you wake up, don't move. And some people just take longer to do certain things, so if it takes you a little while to build your recall, don't stress about it. Stress can also be detrimental when it comes to recall. Just keep at it and you will be able to recall your dreams in time. -Ame

[ccrinbama]

Originally posted by Burns+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Burns)</div> Also, as soon as you wake up - don't move. Keep your eyes closed. Concentrate on what you were just feeling or dreaming. Think back - if you remember a scene, try to think of what you were doing before that, and so on. [/b] <!--QuoteBegin-Amethyst Star As burns said, when you wake up, don't move. So I actually listened to you guys, and it worked. Instead of getting up and walking around, I just stayed in bed with my eyes closed. Five minutes later, bam, they just appeared. I remember three seperate dreams from tonight. Not all of each of them, but fairly large portions of each of them. I know I'm merely working on Dream Recall, but I'm glad I'm getting the ability back again. I haven't recalled that much about any dream for the past four years. Thanks!

[Amethyst Star]

Congrats! I'm glad that that worked for you and just let us know if you have more questions. -Amé

[ccrinbama]

I've been absent for over a month, I believe. The last month before school was a rough one, and I was actually unable to spend much time online at all. I've been back at school for the past two weeks, and until this moment have never really been much inclined to repost on these forums. When I first stumbled onto this site, and began reading the material, I instantly became enthralled. I loved the concept of LDing, and I read through as much information as I could stand. I developed a few personal techniques which - among other things - includes a short litany which I repeat mentally and/or verbally while laying in bed at night. It has become a reflexive action at this point, and I usually don't pay much attention to the fact that I am repeating it. Last night, though, I took a sudden notice to the action (probably because it became verbal) and stopped for a moment to sit up in bed, and execute a brief reality check. I've been making very slow progress over the past month, due to my sometimes very erratic sleep schedule... but it has been progress nonetheless. I have had two LDs in the interval, and four to date since joining this forum. This rate is sufficient for me, and I enjoy the process of preparing my mind for dreaming, and noticing patterns in my dreams while I review them in my waking hours. It has become a sort of side-project, I suppose you could say, and one that I thoroughly enjoy. Anyway, after the reality check last night, I realized that I never would have even given the concept of LDing any kind of serious thought if not for these forums. And I surely wouldn't have progressed even the small amount that I have. I consider it rude to utilize so much acquired knowledge and learned methods, without at least attempting to give something back to the source. So, that's what I shall do. School is consuming a large amount of my life at the moment, and having a rather significant effect on my sleep cycle. But I'll be here on the forums, maybe not nightly, but at least every other night. I'm also going to fire up the Dream Journal again, which I have missed. So in a nutshell, thank you for supplying such an invaluable source of knowlege, and I hope that I can add at least something to this community.