Dream Journals...

[PiscesDreams]

I found this site/forum tonight and I must say, it's amazing... I've been looking for something like this for a long time. I have always had the innate ability to remember many of my dreams each night (both long and short term memory) without keeping a journal. After reading some of the forum posts here, I realize that I have a technique that I naturally do to remember my dreams. When I feel a dream end, and begin to wake up, I will consiously go over the events/plot of the dream several times in my head... kind of relive it a few times, then for me, it's impossible to forget down to the last detail. My dreams have always been very vivid since I was little (When I was 3 years old I used to wake my mother up at night because i was laughing hysterically in my sleep). I actually identified my dreamsigns years ago, before I even knew what dreamsigns were. My dream life has always been very important to me and over the years, I've looked into lucid dreaming a little bit (and watched Waking Life), but never in depth... until now. In the past few weeks, since I finally hung a dreamcatcher directly over my head (I don't know if that actually has anything to do with it), I have had borderline LDs almost everynight, each night more intense than the last. Which brings me here... I want to start working on Lucid Dreaming. Everything I have read on here so far says that dream journals are very important in learning to control LDs. Is it really necessary to keep journals??

[laracroft21]

Hi Pisces! I don't know if a journal actually helps with LDing...I've kept one in a book for years and never had an LD until I came to this site...I've been keeping a journal on here and have had 3 LD's since then....I'm sure it has more to do with my research of the site than the journal. It will help keep track of dream signs, and if nothing else....it's fun to go back and read your old dreams! Looking thru my old journal from 2001 earlier today, I could not remember having any of those dreams so it was amusing to read them. However, if your dream recall is really good you may not need one. I'm new to the site and I know that a lot of the more experienced DV members do not keep one, at least not on the forum. I probably haven't been much help, but anyway, welcome to the site! BTW, do you really think the dreamcatcher's work? I thought it seemed kind of superstitious but I have one somewhere, maybe I should look for it.....

[PiscesDreams]

Originally posted by laracroft21 do you really think the dreamcatcher's work? I'm not sure Lara... A close friend of mine who actually showed me this site gave it to me this christmas... I've always heard the traditional tale that dreamcatcher prevent bad dreams from reaching you (that's what all the sites on it say, too) but my boyfriend heard something else about them, that they are supposed to intensify dreams and make them more vivid because the native americans thought all dreams were from the gods. Now, I have always had vivid dreams, but in the past few weeks they have gotten crazy and the only change that has been made in my life is hanging the dreamcatcher directly above my head. Maybe you should try it too, Lara, and we can see if anything happens!

[laracroft21]

Thanks, I'll look for it then! Can't hurt....

[TygrHawk]

I believe that the main purpose of keeping a journal is to improve your dream recall. If you don't need to improve on that, then there may be no point to keeping one. As for the dreamcatcher, I would bet that it's a placebo effect -- but hey, whatever works!

[PiscesDreams]

Lol I totally caved and started a DJ... I mean hey, I'm already pretty good at recalling them so why not become awesome, right?? Also, my dreams are so messed up I might as well put them out there for other people to question my mental health...... at least that will give me incentive to stick with it-- to prove to the world just what a freak I really am

[Amethyst Star]

As was mentioned, DJs are to improve recall through consistently writing down dreams. You remember what's important to you, so the more importance you place on dreams the more you'll remember them. I'm trying to build my recall up w/out the use of a journal and I think I'm starting to see some results. If you want to share your dreams with ppl, then you can feel free under the Dream Journal Forum. As for dreamcatchers, I do think it's a placebo affect, but that may just me me Welcome to DV! -Amé

[PiscesDreams]

Thanks ame What is weird though, that since I began the DJ, i've been remembering dreams less and less... like i said, recall has always come naturally to me and I wonder if it's possible to try too hard??? but... I've only been doing this a few days... I can't expect everything all at once, right??? as for the dreamcatcher, it's a fun thought!!

[Alex D]

Originally posted by Amethyst Star As was mentioned, DJs are to improve recall through consistently writing down dreams. You remember what's important to you, so the more importance you place on dreams the more you'll remember them. I'm trying to build my recall up w/out the use of a journal and I think I'm starting to see some results. If you want to share your dreams with ppl, then you can feel free under the Dream Journal Forum. As for dreamcatchers, I do think it's a placebo affect, but that may just me me Welcome to DV! -Amé And they look really nice too, but other than that, I agree that it's the placebo effect.

[Amethyst Star]

I agree they look nice. I've thought about buying one for asthetic purposes, but I'm trying to think of how it would fit with my other possessions.... Ah well -Amé