Thread: My dream recall is bad, but I think I might be a natural

I know this is a lot... but I kind of have to give you a background. Please bear with me and read it so you can help me

I have always been miserable at remembering my dreams.... I remember only a few from my entire life... I do remember some very interesting details though... I'm thinkin I may lucid dream quite often... but just can't remember it.

-When I was a child, I had a dream of being chased by a lawnmower. I actually remember questioning if that was possible while in that dream, but was too afraid to actually stop running and consider what was happening there.
-A few years ago... I don't know how.... but I came to the realization that I absolutely KNEW I was dreaming. So, for fun, I went up on the top of a skyscraper and jumped off.... I didn't control the environment however. The dream ended somewhere in the fall.

Now this is what was exciting

-Just two nights ago, I had a lucid dream, and I could easily control the environment! Once again, I have no idea how I came to the realization it was a dream, but it was just rock solid "Yes, I am dreaming." I only remember vague details. It was something like a ball went through the air and turned into a butterfly or something, then I knew I was dreaming.

Then, I remember standing there, and one of my roomate's who sometimes bugs me with his pointless chatter was sitting on the ground behind me talking to me. So, I made a red pit open up beneath him. (but I don't remember if he fell into it) Then I put my arms like I was hugging someone, and made a beautiful girl appear in them, but I remember being slightly frustrated in the dream because I couldn't make out her face... I think I actually tried twice but both times it was like something wasn't right, like she didn't have a face, or like her body wasn't like I'd "imagined into being".

So, it seems that I do have some kind of natural ability to control dreams, and it seems to have evolved over time without my knowing it.... but I think the ONLY reason I could remember that dream was because my roomate woke me up with his music!

I got this dream when I slept 'till 1PM on saturday... I had gotten good sleep the night before too.

I was so excited that I lucid dreamed... that I tried again last night and made sure I got about 9 1/2 hours of sleep. I just kept asking myself as I fell to sleep "Am I dreaming now? Am I dreaming now? Am I dreaming now?"

I remember waking up an hour later, and 4 hours later, but I don't remember any dreams. It also seemed like I had a harder time getting to sleep... like trying to lucid dream was a strain on me.

Since I'm in college, I can't forsee myself always going to bed at the same time, or getting the right amount of sleep all the time... but what I REALLY need is help learning how to remember my dreams! I don't wake up during the night normally... and I think forcing myself to wake up 6 hours later would seriously screw up my sleeping patterns.

So... what do you think?.... Think I might be a natural who just can't remember his dreams?... Also.. can you give me good tips on how to work remembering my dreams into my schedule?

...and in another dream... once I had gotten a rubik's snake... (http://www.boardgames.com/rubikssnake.html) but I couldn't figure out how to turn it into a ball! I must've been 10 or something. My subconscious figured out how to solve it in the dream! When I woke up I tried it and it worked!

now THAT's what I'm talking about! That wasn't lucid (I don't think) but that's one of the reasons I want to acheive lucidity.

anyway... *waits for replies*

You guys are ssssssssoooooooooooooo lucky!!!! I have been trying to lucid dream for almost a week and been unsuccesful. I wish I would just hurry up and lucid dream despite my efforts I cant seem to get it. Last night I started to dream and told my self I was dreaming but immeadiatly woke up It is very frustrating.

Welcome to DreamViews, Lucid_dreaming! Ya know, you can start a whole thread of your very own for your first post -- that's what the Newb Zone is for; new threads by new LDers.

Anyway, well, LDing isn't something you can rush -- like most artforms. Some people here, even admins, have had month-long dry spells even after having lots of LDs. I've gone about half a year without an LD before. Don't panic. Please check out the Tutorial section for tips and tricks on how to increase your chances of LDing and the length of your LDs. Most people find it really helpful.

See ya around, all.

oh mah' gawsh!

I make my first post... another noobie posts in my post... and you respond to HIS post?!

>_<... Forgive me but after waiting a few hours for a single response it's a little frustrating to find that both posts don't respond to my post.....

I have the opposite problem Abstraction. I have really good dream recall, but find it hard to recognize that I'm dreaming and so I'm in the middle of several months dry spell of LD. One thing I find that always works good for dream recall is to keep a journal. I'm not sure if you do or not, but if you don't I'd suggest it. Even if you can't remember much or anything other than one or two words to write down, it's a start.

And I've had a dream before where I suspected it was a dream, but I was too afraid and felt I didn't have enough time that it would take to do a reality check and so I didn't. (sounds silly I know now lol) I felt that if I did a reality check and found that I truly was awake, I would of ruined any chances of escaping.

Originally posted by the beauty who sleeps
I have the opposite problem Abstraction. I have really good dream recall, but find it hard to recognize that I'm dreaming and so I'm in the middle of several months dry spell of LD. One thing I find that always works good for dream recall is to keep a journal. I'm not sure if you do or not, but if you don't I'd suggest it. Even if you can't remember much or anything other than one or two words to write down, it's a start.

And I've had a dream before where I suspected it was a dream, but I was too afraid and felt I didn't have enough time that it would take to do a reality check and so I didn't. (sounds silly I know now lol) I felt that if I did a reality check and found that I truly was awake, I would of ruined any chances of escaping.

Thank you!

*sigh of relief* 10 hours later... I get my first response haha.

I haven't kept a dream journal... but I decided I'm going to at least try tonight.
I've asked myself if I'm dreaming tons of times today and have been reading about lucid dreaming all day... I'm hoping for another tonight since I play on getting 9-10 hours sleep again (besides...it couldn't hurt my muscles... I'm a bodybuilder and my legs are stinkin' sore! haha, I need all the rest I can get!)

I'm not sure I will be able to successfully remember anything at all... but I did remember waking up a couple times last night... it seemed like there was no reason, but I woke up 1 hour after sleep began, and then about 2 hours later... then I think I might've woken up about an hour before I had set my alarm (about 8 hours after I started sleeping)

I don't know if my sleep was just disturbed, or if I just happened to remember when I woke up... but I don't recall any dreams from last night.

Don't worry if your recall's bad. It may take a couple of days for it to build up, but don't worry. Stress often causes negative effects on dreaming. Often on nights where I've had a really hard day my recall will just be crap. One important thing to remember, though, is when you first wake up don't move. Once you start moving around you start to wake up and the dream fades away. Just lay there and try to think of the last thing that happened, even if you can only remember a small detail like an image or character or color or emotion.

It sounds like you're a natural in most respects. I'm sure if you work on that recall you'll realize you're lucid more than you think. I, myself, have mediocre recall and am only able to go lucid about once a month, so don't get too frustrated. What college do you go to?

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

-Amé

Yeah, I woke up after a 20-minute power nap today. I think I was just starting to dream, but all I remember is I liked it, and when I sat up I almost immediately forgot it. I layed back down and thought for a few minutes... nothing... It was like grasping at air trying to grab something that used to be there.

That tip can definately help me I think. When I wake up I normally kind of explode up into a sitting position lol.. I don't wake up suddenly, it's just what I do <_<.... I think the tip of not moving will REALLY help.

I think right now I'm just in the "training my mind to have certain habits" phase. I just hope I don't have trouble remembering to remember

Originally posted by Amethyst Star
Don't worry if your recall's bad. It may take a couple of days for it to build up, but don't worry. Stress often causes negative effects on dreaming. Often on nights where I've had a really hard day my recall will just be crap. One important thing to remember, though, is when you first wake up don't move. Once you start moving around you start to wake up and the dream fades away. Just lay there and try to think of the last thing that happened, even if you can only remember a small detail like an image or character or color or emotion.

This is very good advice, especially the DONT MOVE part. Just lay there and let it come to you. Once you get a tiny wisp of dream, the rest comes quickly. It may not very easy at first, but it is what you have to do, and it does work. You might try changing your sleep habits a little like going to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal, but get up at the regular time.

Originally posted by Lucid_dreaming
I have been trying to lucid dream for almost a week and been unsuccesful. I wish I would just hurry up and lucid dream despite my efforts I cant seem to get it. Last night I started to dream and told my self I was dreaming but immeadiatly woke up It is very frustrating.

I foudn that happened with me whe I was first starting to learn. You'll get that insight and then BAM! you're out as fast as you were in, but eventually you'll learn how to stay in it. I find a good way for me isi to find somethign in teh environment and just stare at it instensly then it just becomes clear and I know I'm deep in it. Also, it took me probably... a month and a half of really trying before I finally got my first.

And don't stop!! if you stop, it'll never come, lucid dreaming is such a conscious effort.

I have ok recall, usually i can recall the dreams i have right before my alarm clock goes off or i wake up naturally if they are good dreams. I have never looked into lucid dreaming before but i have been able to recognize when i'm dreaming for a long time. In the past year i've had a few dreams where i can control my own actions. Today though, i had the best dream ever. I changed objects in my dream. This prompted me to look further into lucid dreams and i found this site. I was happy to see your post becuase it so closely parallels my own story. I'm going to work on my recall, maybe try using an alarm clock.
Good Luck

Welcome to DreamViews, Nobrakes!

A Dream Journal and keeping track of your Dream Signs might also be of some help.

...

Sorry, Abstraction! ^^; I totally didn't mean to diss you at all -- I just felt I could respond to Lucid_dreaming's post better than I could yours, and it was unfortunate that he posted in your thread...

Should there be a sticky about newbs starting their own threads for this very reason?

And as for this response, well, I haven't welcomed newbs for a while, so like Sesquipedalian, I'm goin' on a welcomin' binge!