Thread: I'm starting a dream journal

Hello Andrew, to Dream Views!

Starting a dream journal is the correct first step, though it wouldn't hurt to also start doing reality checks right away as it takes some time before they become effective. I hope you won't have as much trouble with procrastination as I have had. Keeping up RCs and a journal can both be tedious tasks, yet both are pretty much necessary. There are other techniques to become lucid, yet they are quite hard to pull of for a non-expert. I know from when I was lucid dreaming that keeping a journal would give me a recall of around four dreams per night (versus one or two by trying to recall them without writing them down) and performing RCs gave me up to two LDs per week (versus one per one or two months by just keeping a diary).

So... on to tips:
-For the dream journal I'd suggest that you try to write down as much detail as possible (everything), yet not bother much to write a coherent and gramatically correct story. Abbreviate common elements. It doesn't matter much if you'll forget the meaning of abbreviations later on- do you really intend to read this thing years on? Will you ever have the kind of time to read the volumes you've written? I made the mistake of writing full stories and it took me 30+ minutes per day, making me procrastinate writing things down and drop the whole thing later on.
-For reality checks I suggest making the nose check one of your default tests (it almost never fails), to conduct your tests properly and to pay attention to them (else you might test positive in your dream and think nothing of it). Aim for the recommended twenty per day, but know that you haven't screwed up if you only manage ten or even just five; it's still better then nothing, just don't quit. If you really don't feel like doing a RC (started happening to me after some time) then perhaps you could try thinking of them as giving you a +1% chance of a lucid that night or something along the lines? Motivation is key!

I'm actually back to the forums to get me motivated to get started with this again... so I hope to see you around. Good luck!

edit:grammar

so by "not knew to lucid dreaming" I'll assume that you already know that you should be doing reality checks and other techniques along with the DJ. My only advice for you is that even when your recall gets better, keep writing. Once I got to the point where I could remember long, vivid dreams in perfect detail without a dream journal, I thought it didn't matter anymore. Then I decided to write some dreams down because they were really interesting and suddenly I became lucid with DILDs a whole lot more often.

Much thanks for the replies. Wednesday morning I'll write the first entry, even if I end up not remembering anything. I'm know I need to remain consistent in my journal entries. I don't think I'll post my journal here until I've gotten some good entries in it, which may take a while. I'm going to try to get myself to wake after every dream, though I'm not sure how it'll actually work out. Any tips on that would be great.

to DV.

Remember to read the tutorial on dream recall, that should help you start your dream journal with as much detail as possible. If you have questions feel free to ask.

Originally Posted by andrew1123

I'm going to try to get myself to wake after every dream, though I'm not sure how it'll actually work out. Any tips on that would be great.

I'd say not to go that far. You could have more dreams than you think and waking after every one might result in you not getting as good of a sleep as you should be getting. Usually you can train yourself to wake up after really vivid or long dreams though, which are more useful in becoming lucid afterward anyway.

Welcome friend! Dream Journals can be tricky sometimes. The main things you should follow are:

1) Don't be lazy! wake up and write the dreams you remember down! even little fragments.
2) Be as detailed as possible! it's hard to do in the middle of hte night, but it helps a lot! write down feelings and certain things that stood out to you
3) Underline dreamsigns!

There is a Dream Journal tutorial, but I figured I'd give my two cents.

Hope to see you around!