Thread: Recall??

Okay I have retried lucid dreaming from last weekend to last night (I've done it before but no good results so I gave up). And I have set a mantra in my head and "I will wake up and remember all of my dreams" is all that goes in the head before I sleep so I can work on recall before an actual LD. It's a damn awesome mantra the only problem is once I wake up I remember them individually.

Por ejemplo (for example) This morning I woke up and remembered one so i reached for my DJ to write about it. BUT before I had time to write it all down I forgot it and remembered a different one. like a timed test or something.. I remembered more of it later in the day but it's still problematic.

Anyone else have this kind of problem?

Personally I think it's better to recall the memories [somewhat] coherently before writing them down.

If I start writing straight from memory, sometimes I can't write fast enough and end up elaborating false memories -- it turns into a mess.
Whichever way you attempt to recall, it's just as important to not get distracted with anything imaginative as with waking life, which can be tricky writing straight off.

I find that what helps for a steady recall is not jumping to what fragments you might remember, instead going backwards in a reverse sequence of any memorable events, and fleshing it out as you go.

Often we're woken abruptly because of external stimulus. Try to build up a habit of not opening your eyes, and let it become reaction to ignore the senses. It doesn't take long to become automatic, and not only does it help dramatically with recall, it's also a much more peaceful way to wake up. From this state rewinding is really effective, because you can get your 'dream senses' going if you're not focusing on waking life ones.

So my suggestion is to shut down waking life as soon as you awake, and to try and get it habitual. From there to recall the dream in reverse and avoid elaborating on any jerky memories too quickly, in case your imagination takes over. Thinking doesn't help with recall so try and work with the feelings and let them take you backwards.

One way to keep the memories in your head long enough is to (odd as it sounds) lie still in bed with your eyes closed. When you wake up, keep your eyes closed, or if you automatically open them sleep with your head under the covers so when you wake up it is still dark, and you can have time to remember to close them again.

Once you have this down, just lie in bed and let the dreams flood back. Don't push them, let them come back slowly, it has taken me 10-15 minutes before to remember a complete dream. Then what I do is run it through my head a few times and try to re-enjoy it. When I am finished, I get up and write it down, though by this time I have practically printed it to my memory and I can remember it perfectly clearly for days and days without help of a journal. (Though I still use one nonetheless)

I personally keep a dictation machine beside my bed that way i dont have to
open my eyes, after each dream i speak them into the machine and later if i
choose can put them into a dream journal.

@Dreamer, I actually did that for a while, and though easy it doesn't seem to boost recall half as much as actually writing it down. In fact it started decreasing for me after a while, though I don't really know why.

Originally Posted by DREAMER242000

I personally keep a dictation machine beside my bed that way i dont have to
open my eyes, after each dream i speak them into the machine and later if i
choose can put them into a dream journal.

Agreed. I have a small little Sony flash-memory recorder that I keep on my bed every night. When I wake up, I speak into it as I recall... I don't wait to develop any kind of solid memory of the dream. I tend to remember my dreams backwards, so sometimes this can make following them a little difficult when translating to my DJ... but... I don't see myself being able to "write" anymore coherently having just woke up. Good luck!