Recall Trouble

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has any tips to consistently remember dreams. I think my trouble is that when I reach that point of partially waking up while being filled with dreams... I would rather just go back to sleep. lol Of course, when I'm awake... I have alot of motivation to have ld's and have excellent dream recall... but push come to shove, I really like to sleep. And forcing yourself to wake up and remember your dreams just isn't nearly as pleasurable as going back to sleep. lol Any suggestions?

Hehe. :P Yeah. I know.

Basically... just tell yourself something like, "Okay. Tonight, just this once, I will take a few minutes to write down my dreams. I'm going to be sleepy but it is only a one time thing. I'll be losing a little bit of sleep but it will only be for this one night." Then write down your dreams. I think if you really force yourself to do this and then see the results.. you very well may feel quite differently about this activity. ;) You might wake up in the middle of the night and be excited rather than just groggy.

You don't even have to write a novel or anything. Just jot down key words or short phrases!

Otherwise, you could practice remembering your dreams after waking up from a full night's sleep. Maybe you won't remember much at first, but if you keep working on your journal, your recall should improve very quickly.

I had the same problem, I had trouble remembering my dreams. But I found this technique on a website. It works so well for me that I'm able to remeber my dreams every night sometimes even two or three of them. What the technique does is make your dreams more vivid which makes them easier to recall. It's very simple. When you go to bed, picture in your mind a black screen with a geometric shape in front of the screen. you can do any shape you want. I find the basic ones like circle or triangles to be the easiest. you can make the shape any color you want also. As you fall asleep just keep picturing the screen and shape in you head. I think if you change the shape or color of the shape it changes what the dream is about. Just a warning: I heard if you do a blue circle it causes nightmares.
This might be a little hard to do at first, but it gets easier after a few days.
I hope this helps. I also just want to add that once you wake up you might not remember your dreams right away, but within about a minute or two everything will start coming back.

Arie, 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 keep a small memo pad open with a pen clipped to the spiral next to my pillow. When I wake up from dream, I don't turn on the lights, nor open my eyes.. I just reach for the pad and start writing.

No one says that you have to write a "book" about the dreams you had in your journal. For me, if I'm too tired (or lazy), simply writing down the main topic/subject, and a word or two or a feeling is enough for me to recall a dream.

Some people just write snippets of their dreams.. others write paragraphs, some put images, or feelings, others draw pictures.. whatever helps to bring a dream back to you when you read over it the next morning is appropriate.

In addition to all the excellent advice above, I'd like to add that regulating your sleep pattern helps also. IF possible, try to go to bed around the same time each night and wake up the same time each morning.

Welcome to Dream Views and good luck with the recall.
:)

I have trouble with my recall,i think ill try mes tarrants technique