Dream Recall Issues

[nisura]

Hi all recently discovered the concept of lucid dreaming from a RL friend who gave me this site addy. Been reading the whole site over the last few days trying to dig out any tip about DR. My current problem is that when i wake up it feels like my brain has already trashed the dream memory, so i can't even tell if i was dreaming or not to be able to try and recall it. So without a start point i cant focus on it and attempt to reconstruct. Did anyone else eperience this when they first started? or have any advise for how to stop this happening? Thanks for yer time =D awesome site btw, fantastic amount of info

[SpanishFlea]

Im no expert, since Ive just begun as well, but I was just having this problem. I guess the thing is to not try too hard, or at all. Ive found that reading about it and going to sleep with a little thought of it still in mind has helped me have dreams and recall them. Also, if you read the stages of dreaming explanation (sp?), somewhere in there I remember reading that you should set your alarm for different times in the night, since as you move on to each stage of sleep, your brain is erasing previous dreams. So possibly, if you woke up in the night, before your brain has a chance to erase the dreams, you'll remember them. Ive also found that waking up after a full night's sleep, and then going back to sleep for a little bit, induces a dream. This could go hand in hand with the above statement, but Im not sure. Im sure someone more capable will come and answer your question soon though, so no worries!

[nisura]

thank you! knowing i'm not the only one who experienced issue is helpful in its self. the only time i get any form of dream recall is when i go back to sleep after a full nights rest (what can i say, i love to sleep) and these almost feel like daydreams because im half awake. (have been recording them anyhow) already planning to kill the next however many nights sleep it takes with the setting an alarm method to wake me up regualrly during the night. from what i can make it its best to use 90 minutes and do it a few times over in the night, is that true or can someone suggest an alternative timescale?

[Clairity]

Been reading the whole site over the last few days trying to dig out any tip about DR. My current problem is that when i wake up it feels like my brain has already trashed the dream memory, so i can't even tell if i was dreaming or not to be able to try and recall it. So without a start point i cant focus on it and attempt to reconstruct. Did anyone else eperience this when they first started? or have any advise for how to stop this happening? Thanks for yer time =D awesome site btw, fantastic amount of info I find what really messes up my recall is being jarred awake by an alarm or some other sound and/or if I immediately change position or start thinking about my day once I wake up. Try telling your subconscioius to wake you up after each dream or to wake you up about 15 minutes before your alarm goes off (I know it sounds stupid but you'd be surprised how accomodating your subconscious can be). Once you wake up.. do not move! Think about the dream that you just had.. If nothing comes to mind.. try to remember if there was a specific person, place, thing, food or emotion in the dream. Once you come up with even a tidbit of the dream.. try to work your way backward.. how did you get there.. who was with you, etc. I'm glad you like the site and welcome to Dream Views! .

[nisura]

last few nights i have been trying to get myself to wake up after dreams. before i go to bed i spend about 15-30 minuted meditating. then when i fall asleep i focus my intent on waking up right after a dream and or just before my alarm (which i have been setting for 90 minute intervals). the first night the alarm was to quiet and i slept right through it. woke up 5 hrs later and attempted to recall but got nothing. fell back into a lighter sleep and got a couple of dreams down from that. the next night i used an alarm that never fails to wake me. woke up on time, attempted recall and slipped back into sleep while trying, for another 6hrs. when i woke again i went back into a lighter sleep and got a few dreams written down, nothing huge but at least a few points about each. feels like my mind is messing with me hehe. will keep at it though thanks for the reply clairity =)

[Clairity]

You're so very welcome and recall will get better with practice! .

[Stell]

I can only offer limited advice as i'm a newbie also. But since starting out with trying to attain a LD experience i had trouble remember dreams, it was like i go to sleep and its just black and i wake up, however i read advice about a dream journal. Admitedly at first did not use this advice, and didn't have much luck with recall, then i decided it was there for a reason and took the plunge, keeping a journal on a file on this laptop and now on the forums, and found i am remember dreams even more. At first i had nothing to write when starting the journal, so i wrote down two old dreams i still remember now, and that seemed to work and i have been able to add another dream to it. There are a few more i not wrote down yet that i reall should. Anyway i hope this helps, take the plunge and see if it works