how can I remember my dreams?

vinny

vinny

The Living Force
there are many accounts of people's dreams in this forum, and I think for the most part they can only be interpretted on a personal basis, because I tend to think that the symbology etc has mostly a personal relevance.

I have a lot of very bizzare, eventful, interesting, colourful dreams pretty much every night, but even though I know I've been dreaming - I CAN'T REMEMBER anything! When I wake up, I know what kind of dream I've had, but within a couple of seconds it all slips away and I can't remember any of it, even if I concentrate on it. It's really quite annoying!

What can I do to help me to remember? Is it just a matter of writing down as much as possible as soon as I wake up, or is there more to it?
 
sleepyvinny said:
there are many accounts of people's dreams in this forum, and I think for the most part they can only be interpretted on a personal basis, because I tend to think that the symbology etc has mostly a personal relevance.
Click to expand...
Very true. But then again, if it were that easy people wouldn't have questions about it. The final say is always the dreamer's, but sometimes an outside viewpoint can widen the dreamer's perspective so their conscious mind has more options of interpretation available, which they can synthesize into new possibilities of understanding. And in the end the interpretation always has to feel right to the dreamer so its hard to lead him/her down a blind alley, provided the dreamer is sincere about wanting input, which I believe the ones posting here are.

sleepyvinny said:
When I wake up, I know what kind of dream I've had, but within a couple of seconds it all slips away and I can't remember any of it, even if I concentrate on it. It's really quite annoying!
Click to expand...
So you do remember, but the problem is making that memory permanent. Here is what I know. Forgetting dreams is caused by the differences between dream and waking contexts, because memory is associated with your brain state. Similar forgetfulness occurs in some drug experiences because the straight mind is working in a different context then the chemically influenced one, so encoded memory in one state cannot be easily decoded in another.

One of the differences between sleep and waking is movement. When you dream, you are paralyzed, and dreams are encoded into memory under this context. When you move the context changes, and usually memory transfer is easier when recall occurs before getting up out of bed. Brain waves for REM sleep are correspondent if not the same as the waking state (while what goes on in other brain states is a total blank).

So when you wake up, you just need to linger a bit longer on the recall process without moving. Stay relaxed, eyes closed and get the details vividly. At the same time emphasize the main highlights, intending to remember them throughout the day, so you can later recall those first, and the details will follow. Personally, I don't write dreams (too lazy) and memory fades by the time I get through the first few lines. Anyway, if you have 15 minutes to spare upon awakening and don't jump out of bed, recall should be much easier.
 
Man everyone's different, that always gets me. I find i can remember my dreams through the morning mostly, if i felt it was a significant dream i type it out at work inbetween projects and stick it in my livejournal or sometimes up here.

I can usually recall the "plot" of a dream, or rather the sequence of events, but most of the time they're out of context. If i have a conversation with someone in a dream i can remember the jist of the interaction but the specific dialogue is lost completely. I can also remember how my dreamself felt in a context, most of the time this happens is when feelings are contextually inappropriate based on waking standards.

Hope the comparison may offer some insight :-)
 
The funny thing is, I can STILL remember some vivid dreams that I had years ago, even as a child. The difference with these (I think) is that they were very vivid dreams that made me wake up whilst they were in full flow because of their intensity, rather than me naturally waking up at the end of a sleep-cycle.

Esoquest, I think there is some common sense in what you say - that the process of waking up slowly may help me - to give an opportunity to transfer the 'sleeping state' memories or highlights into a waking-state memory, to give something to latch onto.

I'm going to try it and see what happens. My current dreams are always eventful, full of events, places and people (see, I CAN remember that much, just no specifics!) and I get the feeling they would be 'fun' to remember a bit more, and maybe it'll provide a bit more insight into what I am trying to 'process' in my sleep, who knows.
 
Hi Sleepyvinny
I remember reading a book many years ago which discussed dream temples and so on.The author was female,though I cant remember her name. Anyways one is supposed to keep a writing book and pen besides ones bed at night which is supposed to show that one is seriouse about wanting to recall dreams.

If one wakes up early hours of the morning remembering a dream,it is then that you must write it down, not go back to sleep and hope to remember it when one wakes up after going back to sleep.

On awaking,do not get out of bed and make coffee, go the toilet, and so on..immediately start to work on recalling your dream, if nothing comes immediately rocking/ rolling from side to side for some reason is supposed to help one recall dreams.
 
sleepyvinny said:
What can I do to help me to remember? Is it just a matter of writing down as much as possible as soon as I wake up, or is there more to it?
Click to expand...
Detail can sometimes be fleeting in that if I don't write them down soon then subtle details slip away, or maybe an entire dream. What I do is write down keywords and phrases as soon as I can after waking so I'm less likely to forget something. Then I can go over the list and recall the dreams easier. It's not a flawless routine but it helps a lot. I also find that a strong desire to remember dreams helps. And, sometimes I forget a dream but know I had one to remember, so it sort of feels like it's right there trying to pop out of bubble but it can't, then later I'll see something or hear something the triggers the memory of it.

How you wake up might be a factor. If you wake up having some sense of urgency to dash off into a routine then that's a distraction. Try giving your self time for thinking when you first awake without going into a bunch of motor action.
 
Yup, I have not much to add in the sense what to do after waking up - I also usually keep a notebook and a pen right beside bed, on small table. Staying motionless and intending/focusing on main aspects of a dream, writting it down - that's what should do - but don't expect fast results. I noticed when I keep writting dreams down a couple of days in a row my ability to remember dreams increases, but if I'm lazy and give up - memory diminishes.

Another thing I've noticed is the intensity of dreams and ability to recall them while awake has usually direct relationship with the level of my general energy - vitality, health, name it (that relationship doesn't include 'special' dreams, which I remember in most details forever). When I sleep regularly, about 8 hours a day, in the same hours, when I'm calm, well fed - then ability to remember dreams noticeably increases.

Heh, that's interesting - maybe it is another clue for 'forgetfullness' topic?
http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=1263

At present I'm reading Castaneda's "The Art of Dreaming" - if I find more clues I'll let you know.

And one more thing, which is rather bizarre - some time ago I've bought "immortality rings" ( http://www.alexchiu.com ) Yeah, I know, it sounds ridiculous :D (especially when one looks at his site and finds "Achieveimmortality.com - In business since 1996) But, anyway, I've decided to give it a try - I've been spending money on stranger things during my research. Alex's web page contains lots of testimonials with many statements, most of which I can't in any way confirm.
I can confirm only a couple of them, but none are MAJOR, but...returning to dreams.
It only took two or three nights sleeping with those rings on my little fingers to notice rather strong boost in dreams intensity. At first, I had some nightmares, but when I dealt with them, I've never had any serious problems afterwards. Sure, some not entirely comfortable scenarios appear from time to time, but nothing really distressing like at the beginning. Weird stuff :)
 
I agree with EsoQuest about remembering. For me, maybe I am weird... but I remember luxury of details, colors, textures, even tastes and smells... maybe in my culture (latinamerican) we placed lot of importance in dreams. My parents were always talking about what dreams they had, what the saw, they tried to describe it. I guess you could say that part of it's learned. But just like singing, I tell my students, everyone can do it. The question is how gifted one is. About dreaming, I just happen to keep a pad, and a pencil next to my bed. If a dream seems important, or disturbing, or odd, out of the ordinary, i just write down the outline of what I saw(experienced) in the dream, and then I go to the ocmputer and everything out with as much detail as possible. Like Cyre says, everyone is different, you need to find out what works for you.

Good luck,
 
I have great difficulty remembering dreams as well. Usually I can only remember the major story points and how I felt in certain situations. I cannot remember environmental details well at all. For example, I could remember that I was in a convenience store but would not have any details of what the interior looked like or what other people in the store were doing.

Lately I have been trying to write down what I can remember as soon as I wake up, but by the time I find the notebook and start to write...the details have already faded somewhat. I'm going to try keeping a notebook next to the bed so as to not move too much before writing.

The suggestions in the thread sound quite useful. I'll give them a try and see if I get better results. :)
 
What if the dreams we're having use feelings and senses that our present bodies have no way of putting it into memory. Almost on the same wave of how we can't remember our past lives in an awake and conscious state because there is no physical memory of it in our brain (unless you recall it using a method thus putting it into your present bodies memory). So say you were dreaming about doing something on a higher (or lower) density, when you awake you're going to have a general feel of how the dream went (was it a good dream or a nightmare) but all the details will be lost through translation back to 3rd density.
I know that I do dream, even if i can't remember most of them, because when I wake up there's a general feeling of 'good' in my mind. Sleep is the one escape for me from this 'prison' we call home, and I do enjoy my dreams even if I can't tell you what happens in most of them :P
Anyways to share more about myself I will tell you about the rare dreams I can remember. Sometimes I dream that I'm a kid again with full environments and I just play with friends, but other dreams I can vaguely remember are much more passionate. I dream that I'm having a 1 on 1 duel with another 'being', there is no environment it's almost like fighting in space and they last for a very long time. I'm not sure if the opponents are real or just things I make up but I've never lost a duel.

This is just a theory I have and I hope it helps explain why some dreams are forgotten.
-Luke
 
The eyes.
On awakening, one opens one's eyes.
DON'T.
Stay there. Calm down. Do not open your eyes. Breath and don't "go out" into awaken state.
One "goes out" from sleeping state by opening the eyes. I have feel how, when I open my eyes, literally "the world flows in" into me. And it brings all wordly stuff: Colors, light, objects (walls, wardrobe, the things in your bedroom), for not to mention problems, worries, responsabilities, etc.
Keep your eyes closed. Stay "in". The oniric experience will not be cut-off in a sudden manner and you will have precious seconds to arm the figures of the dream. When youre ready, open your eyes and run to the notepad and write it all down.
There is a problem here (for me at least): The alarm clock. Fortynatelly you do not need an alarm clock and your body naturally awakes. Thats cool, more chance to "catch your self" awakening, and so, to remain with your eyes closed, fighting the habbit to open them (even only a bit). More chance to conciently concentrate on the oniric events -while being "awake" but "pretending", if you want, to be sleeping still.
To defeat my alarm, I did excercises (which ultimatelly defeat the whole purpose to have an alarm clock -but there are circumstances, the which you know: Ok NOW I can skip the alarm, or OK I most wake-up now, etc): I would switch the alarm on, and stay there, staring at it, controlling the reaction of to get to quiet that annoying sound.
This so I could be able to, while sleeping, hear the alarm, ignore it and keep my eyes closed to rescue or arm the dream(s). As the alarm would still be sounding, I would reach a point where I think I can now move-on and open my eyes (yes, the world pours into me), and I go straight to writting the findings I was able to rescue and then I switch off the alarm.
hehe this sounds and looks a bit nuts: Ignore that. Also I found it excellent to "stalk" my self, in the sence of being able to rescue information while ALARMS ARE SOUNDING ALL OVER THE PLACE demanding my attention. I find it a bit hilarious, me holding a "secret fight" and excercising control while the world is banging me away.
Althoug it takes time and a bit of understanding what are you doign and why, to stare at the alarm clock without recting can be achieved and this is very useful when the alarms starts to awake you: The thing is not to move and not to open your eyes and stay calm, fighting for some seconds (!) to grasp a chance to achieve your goal.
It does looks and it does feels rediculous: Ignore that. Or laugh about your self. Just dont let it stop you.
Just keep your eyes closed long enough as for you to react about 1.- you were sleeping, 2.- you are already awake and 3.- the dream is going and you are to see it to "point" and trap some oniric material.
Write it down immediatelly.
All this while the alarm crys-out-loud! :)
 
Cricket said:
The eyes.
On awakening, one opens one's eyes.
DON'T.
Stay there. Calm down. Do not open your eyes. Breath and don't "go out" into awaken state.
One "goes out" from sleeping state by opening the eyes. I have feel how, when I open my eyes, literally "the world flows in" into me. And it brings all wordly stuff: Colors, light, objects (walls, wardrobe, the things in your bedroom), for not to mention problems, worries, responsabilities, etc.
Click to expand...
yep, that's the one. I tried that and it did seem to make quite a difference to my awareness/presence. I was in a kind of 'intermediate' state which I could use as a kind of bridge to bring forward dream-memories into waking-state memories. Then once I'd translated things into 'waking-state' memories then I could open my eyes, and remember enough detail to write down.
 
Cricket said:
The eyes.
On awakening, one opens one's eyes.
DON'T.
Stay there. Calm down. Do not open your eyes. Breath and don't "go out" into awaken state.
One "goes out" from sleeping state by opening the eyes. I have feel how, when I open my eyes, literally "the world flows in" into me. And it brings all wordly stuff: Colors, light, objects (walls, wardrobe, the things in your bedroom), for not to mention problems, worries, responsabilities, etc.
Keep your eyes closed. Stay "in". The oniric experience will not be cut-off in a sudden manner and you will have precious seconds to arm the figures of the dream. When youre ready, open your eyes and run to the notepad and write it all down.
Click to expand...
Indeed, keep the eyes closed . The following works well for me: If you can - I know this is not a given for every one - write with your eyes closed while laying still . I you have never done this it might require a bit of training. Try not to focus on the writing but on the dream and describe it to yourself in thought, and have the words flow out in an automatic way. Sleeping in a dark room helps me stay in this mode for quite some time. Throw in some silicone earplugs if you are auditory sensitive so you don't get distracted.

Cricket said:
There is a problem here (for me at least): The alarm clock. Fortynatelly you do not need an alarm clock and your body naturally awakes.
Click to expand...
I have had pretty good success telling my body when to wake up (provided some of the "lazy" I's can be shut out in the mind ;-) You basically talk to your body before you go to bed and set a time (hours and minutes) when you need to be up. One of the cool things about doing this a for a while is that I know what time it is before I wake up completely.

Dominique.
 
Before going to bed, I always think about the time I want to wake up... I have an alarm clock, but I always wake up about 5 mins before the alarm clock goes off. I visualize the actual time I want up... I also before wake up, or as I am about, sense it's about time to get up. Ths gives me time to think about the dream I just had, and maybe this is why I can usually describe them to ultimate detail.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Trending content

Back
Top Bottom