remembering dreams

[Chelita]

Hi, I'm Trudy, and I'm a senior in high school. I have just joined this forum and am fascinated... and super excited about eventually having some fun with my dreams. I used to have occasional lucid dreams as a young child, and when I was younger my dreams were generally more frequent, interesting, vivid, and emotional. Now I scarcely remember my dreams, and when I do, they are only brief fragments of fuzzy quality. I pretty much never have nightmares or very happy/pleasurable dreams, more just neutral dreams that regurgitate scenes and people from my daily life. How utterly boring. I used to fly in my dreams and explore cool places! What happened? I know I can change this, but I just would like some advice as to HOW. First of all, I just want help sharpening my dream recall. Can anyone help me?

[Moonbeam]

Start a dream journal. Set your alarm for a little bit earlier. If you wake up at night, try not to move before you think about and try to remember the dream you were having. Welcome to DreamViews, by the way.

[Jared Boz 87]

You have more trouble now because when you were a kid you didn't posess the limiting beliefs that we acquire as adults. Just keeping a journal and things like that will eventually show your mind that you are serious about this, it will realize that dreams are valuable now, and it will shut off the "dream eraser."

[Wavefunction]

Yep, dream journals are very important. Also repeating "I will remember my dreams" or something similar before going to bed seems to help a lot. Welcome to the forum!

[Chelita]

Thanks you guys--I put a notebook next to my bed and tried to focus really hard on remembering my dreams. It hasn't worked yet, but I know it's too early to get frustrated after just a few nights. I never remember waking up in the middle of the night, if this even happens to me. So the only time I can try to focus on what I was dreaming about is when I hear the unwelcome blare of my alarm clock way too early in the morning. Maybe the fact that I usually don't get enough sleep is an obstacle to my ability to remember my dreams? Is this possible? I drank a lot of water last night before bed in the hopes that I would wake up, but never had to go. Guess I was dehydrated.

[roguext22]

hm.. i as always read differently.. because you are in high school with big books and many problems in life.. you probably spend more time learning and living in this world, rather than a little girl who lived in dreams more than you now... - thats why your dreams are not so funny and interesting anymore.. and i think its natural that you have so many things to do in your life.. that you enjoy your life less than you were a little girl - thats why you remember parts of your dreams.. I hope you understood my hints.. if not.. its okay - this forum is full of people who will tell you more

[Chelita]

Roguext22, I thought I understood you until you said you were hinting at something. YOU GOT ME! Be more explicit...

[Moonbeam]

Drinking water was a good idea; try that again--that usually helps me a lot.

[ninja9578]

After you wake up just lay there. The part of the brain that was creating your dreams hasn't quite turned off yet. If you lay still it will start to kick on again and the first thing that will happen is the memory of your last dream will come back.

[Vex Kitten]

Hi there. Looks like you got loads of great advice so I just popped in to say Welcome to the site. Best of luck with your recall.

[Chelita]

Last night I was actually conscious of turning over in my sleep a few times, maybe because I've been thinking about it, maybe because it was Saturday morning so I got to sleep in. But I wasn't conscious enough to keep my body still BEFORE turning over to try and remember what I was dreaming about. So I still didn't remember anything. Oh, well, it's a first step!

[Ronstek]

Hi Trudy and a big Welcome to Dreamviews. Have you thought that the problem with your dream recall is that you are not having dreams that you can recall. It happens to some people as we all have varying numbers of dreams. Frustration at not being able to recall your dreams might be hampering you so adopt the attitude that "if you wake up and cannot remember your dream then you did not have one." When you do remember a dream, write it down in your journal immediately. The best situation for inducing a LD is during a light REM mode sleep which, in my experience, occurs most frequently during an afternoon siesta. For you, this may be the best time to try a LD, in the afternnoon of a weekend day when you have no school or other pressure and can just relax and have a snooze. Yes, inducing a LD is a task that has to be learnt (for most people) using skills that have been practised and perfected, therefore patience, persistance and determination are important but the end result is well worthwhile. Good luck and best wishes from the old man of the site. (cannot find a smiley with a walking stick)

[Chelita]

Yay! I remember some scenes from a dream from last night. (Thanks to all the good advice I got from people.)

[Wavefunction]

Yay! I remember some scenes from a dream from last night. (Thanks to all the good advice I got from people.) Great, it looks like you're off to a good start! Have you started a dream journal? Once you start remembering your dreams you'll definitely want to do that!

[Chelita]

Yes, I've started a dream journal and I think it's helping, but it's not on DreamViews because I try to write down most of the details I can remember, which is TOO detailed for other people to want to read. I'm doing that because I'm hoping it will make me remember more.