Journal Technique

[sacriface]

I also record interesting dreams. Here's the kicker: It takes me roughly one hour per handwritten page (very roughly 370 words as it's a large journal.) What about you guys? I usually feel the need to write at least one page, sometimes up to three or more, so it's time consuming, and not practical to do every day. I think it's partly perfectionism issues when writing and describing things, but also I've always been naturally slow at writing, although I enjoy it.
I also like to record my dreams sometimes and analyze them, which has the same problem of time/energy spent.
Maybe part of what's needed is an Aim to help prioritize what should be recorded? And then not being afraid to toss grammar out the window if necessary for efficiency? I'm not sure.

That's also what I have been doing, and to honest, as my journalling started, the volume of what I write (as I keep my daily entries as concise as possible) the dream descriptions have taken it over in terms of volume, by far!
That's something I found very interesting in terms of my initial avoidance of having headings, to see what comes up
And there came motifs running throughout the dreams that without journalling I wouldn't be aware of.

Tossed the grammar out the window as well :) I sometimes make up some words that seem to fit some situations better.
Even considered developing my own alphabet, to be able to write everything without a concern that it will ever end up in someone else's hands. I'm a rather slow reader and writer as well, so I use images-drawings to aid some descriptions.

One might have an issue to repair, but another doesn't need it. I think that the technique can be very flexible(content, intentions), what is more necessary to keep is just the weekly, then monthly and yearly track. It is very easy to see what is fixed within or what is going to be fixed, or if the solutions worked for previous issues etc.

I started the journalling with a primary issue I wanted to work to with: the expression of negative emotions. And aimed at recording every one of these from the beggining of the journal, knowing that this process in itself will have some effect upon that, and so it does, though of course it isn't a full remedy in itself.

The variety if techniques and approaches emerging is truly curious in my opinion!

 

[happyliza]

I must admit that I wanted to create a format - yes maybe a table - so that it kept things simple and to the point for me so that I didn't end up writing copious amount of pages. Unless of course there were specific issues or Redirect or recapitulation items.

For me i needed to keep it KISS - Keep it simple stupid.
This way there is not loads to write up at the end of each day when I will most probably be tired, skip it or not be consistent. So it had to be quick but still though provoking. I have books everywhere where I started making notes but always 'gave up' preferring to study or read more than working on Being - which is a total imbalance!

Furthermore I had to keep my aim in mind as well as self remembering (and whatever part of the system that I was working on in particular). So as our aim has to be uppermost in our mind at all times, that was top heading. Then was the particular 'task' I was concentrating on - studying then observing etc.

As my knowledge and understanding expanded re the System then obviously there would be more 'items' to work on together with the Self Remembering. eg External Considering, Buffers, Imagination - if you see what I mean.

I feel that the more complicated you make your journalling the more of a 'system' it becomes in itself thus taking valuable time off observation or learning. As realistically the learning is 'in the moment',not the time spent recording it.

I agree we need records to see progress, repeating patterns, lack of will power, examples and analogies we notice to better understand the techniques Gurdjieff is teaching us, some of which do not have definitions per se. Recording also helps us better understand or realize mistakes we are making. Plus gaps in our knowledge/understanding that need to be raised in the 'school'.

Dreams I think would need to be recorded, at best, at the moment of waking so IF i had dreams - I don't remember many - it is best to keep a small notepad by your bed. Recurrent patterns or analysis could be then added to the journal?

Catching things at the time is good, as per negative emotions etc. So keeping the journal on me all the time may be a better idea.

Practically, as it is my bag is never big enough - really I need a rucksack for all the things I carry around with me on a daily basis!
Diary, Book, note/workbook (A4 size), baccy, mobiles, purse, pens etc and dog on lead! But that is a topic for a totally new thread I am sure! Either way I know that the weight leads to shoulder problems too!

But also this makes sure that I always have something practical to do, wherever I am - Something I have practiced for many many years now - good time management!

 

[HowToBe]

Tossed the grammar out the window as well :) I sometimes make up some words that seem to fit some situations better.
Even considered developing my own alphabet, to be able to write everything without a concern that it will ever end up in someone else's hands. I'm a rather slow reader and writer as well, so I use images-drawings to aid some descriptions.

One might have an issue to repair, but another doesn't need it. I think that the technique can be very flexible(content, intentions), what is more necessary to keep is just the weekly, then monthly and yearly track. It is very easy to see what is fixed within or what is going to be fixed, or if the solutions worked for previous issues etc.

I started the journalling with a primary issue I wanted to work to with: the expression of negative emotions. And aimed at recording every one of these from the beggining of the journal, knowing that this process in itself will have some effect upon that, and so it does, though of course it isn't a full remedy in itself.

The variety if techniques and approaches emerging is truly curious in my opinion!

Dreams I think would need to be recorded, at best, at the moment of waking so IF i had dreams - I don't remember many - it is best to keep a small notepad by your bed. Recurrent patterns or analysis could be then added to the journal?

I keep a large journal by my bed. I have dreams fairly often, and when I start recording them, I have even more. But, just this week I've started using what I think is a better way for me. In a journal or notepad I can't add go back to an old dream and add new analysis once I've moved on, OR I must leave empty space for that purpose which I may never use. So now for dreams I'm using a 3-ring binder with notebook paper, separate from my journal. Now I can always insert more pages if I want to do more analysis, or finish recording the dream a few days later! Very cool. I just have to make sure to start each new dream on its own page so I can always insert pages between dreams. I will use the same technique for research when I start looking into my geneology, and when I'm finally ready to begin recapitulation. That way I can go back and insert things as I remember/learn them.

Oh, I just remembered! Gayle Delaney actually recommends a program very similar to edgitarra's for dreams! I think she calls it "dream review". I'll try to look it up and post about it later.

Edit: quotes

 

[edgitarra]

Jack Kerouac wrote a book called "The Book of Dreams", and it contains a series of dreams he had. He said that his technique of writing the dreams is that just after he wakes up, he starts writing what he dreamed of, because dreams can be forgotten very fast. So as soon he woke up he just put on paper what happened during sleep. We have an expression in romanian that "if you want to remember your dreams, don't look at the sky in the morning". Apparently, this is a very strange thing because it works. The moment I woke up and looked at the sky most of the details of my dreams vanished. What remained were the key events.

 

[happyliza]

It is true about actually NOT opening your eyes. In training I had on this a while ago we were advised to recall the dream immediately on waking, in as much detail as possible BEFORE opening our eyes. And then if possible to record it on a voice recorder. OK if you have plenty of time in the morning!

I agree with the idea of a ring binder. I hit upon this whilst doing the study from the 4th Way as I too wanted to be able to insert pages. So I buy a student notepad and then transfer pages to a ring binder. A bit like cut and paste lol. Saves time and easier to reference.

 

[sacriface]

I must admit that I wanted to create a format - yes maybe a table - so that it kept things simple and to the point for me so that I didn't end up writing copious amount of pages. Unless of course there were specific issues or Redirect or recapitulation items.

Furthermore I had to keep my aim in mind as well as self remembering (and whatever part of the system that I was working on in particular). So as our aim has to be uppermost in our mind at all times, that was top heading. Then was the particular 'task' I was concentrating on - studying then observing etc.

As my knowledge and understanding expanded re the System then obviously there would be more 'items' to work on together with the Self Remembering. eg External Considering, Buffers, Imagination - if you see what I mean.

That made me think of my possible lack of competence in journalling.
I have started it with a more or less definite aim(negative emotions), then let it get taken over by dream descriptions.
While the latter may deserve it's own share in my conscious attention, letting the journalling to go off in another direction altogether is a lack of discipline in regards to the set out aim.

And probably, as I stick to the journal in a defined manner, the divisions offered above will also be helpful as it develops.
Thank you for sharing!

 

[trendsetter37]

Ahh I too think this is a great idea edgitarra. I started journaling my dreams a couple of years ago using google drive (cloud based word processor). The benefits for myself have been that I can run a search for a certain topic or idea and pull up different accounts or dreams with the same emotions, or setting. Very revealing!

But doing this at that end of everyday seems like it would be useful as well when trying to identify patterns and such. I like the outline structure as well. I think it could be quite interesting in seeing if there are any behaviors, events, or thoughts that are recurring in a loop.

I think this thread is kick in the pants I needed to start observing and writing down my daily impressions and emotions from a waking perspective. Thanks for sharing!

 

[HowToBe]

An added bonus is that time spent on this journaling (especially if before bed) might help guide your dreams/sleep processes in useful directions.

 

[monotonic]

I had an idea that we could create a similar journaling structure to use in a community setting so that a similar overview would be available of the community as a whole. It sounds awkward, but I think the effective organization of information as HowToBe describes, applied in a community setting would be no less revealing than it is to an individual.

 

[davey72]

Speaking of recording dreams, i have often seen it mentioned to look how Ark has done it, but i have never been able to figure out where this has been recorded. Does anyone know?

 

[SadEyes]

Like some of the others here, I find myself writing in my journal mostly when pressing issues weigh on my mind. I've noticed that I have these ups and downs in my writing, and each time I look back at a previous entry; I feel like I'm reading the words of a child

I have been thinking about drawing in my journal the ways in which I feel certain emotions. For example; when my body is irritated on all levels, it often feels as if there is a solid, heavy board that is weighing down my brow area; a picture of a man with a board stapled to his forehead comes to mind as an example. I'm fairly new to the emotion realm actually. Until the past 7 months, I didn't even realize that you could be conscious of your emotional state, and that it wasn't always "felt" in your face. I'm still trying to find a good way to explore this but on paper.

 

[HowToBe]

Speaking of recording dreams, i have often seen it mentioned to look how Ark has done it, but i have never been able to figure out where this has been recorded. Does anyone know?

Yes, please! I've also seen reference to some of his journal excerpts being posted as an example that some found helpful, but I was unable to find where they were posted. The successful use of dreams for self-growth is something that really interests me.

Like some of the others here, I find myself writing in my journal mostly when pressing issues weigh on my mind. I've noticed that I have these ups and downs in my writing, and each time I look back at a previous entry; I feel like I'm reading the words of a child

That's familiar; I've had a similar experience. Why do "I" now feel so much smarter than the "I" recorded in the pages? One possibility is actual growth, but the possibility that seems to demand considering is this: Maybe the perception of our past writings is the more accurate one, as in the present we always tend to overestimate ourselves? Everything we write right now has to seem important to us, but in retrospect it's clear that we are not necessarily that brilliant, especially upon reviewing the hard evidence! :)

 

[edgitarra]

I also think that when writing something that is on someone's mind or feeling through metaphores or expressions that can be very helpful. It is because it can create a valuable image of what happened and how one felt.

For example, this is a phrase I wrote(not exactly in the same way but this is how i recall it) when I had a period of falling:

"I feel like there is a shadow that is following me everywhere I go, and it is my "own" shadow; it tries to drag me down whenever I want to go more on the ladder of learning, to keep reminding me that the real I is powerless and I should accept my helplessness. Somehow I cannot live without this other part which is the dark face of God and it manifests through its own grandiosity and beauty. I cannot only hope that one day my wish will be strong enough to set a boundary, a limit to the dominative intention of this shadow. My wish to balance myself. Until then, I will only be like a boat in the middle of the ocean, trying to find its way back home."

It sounds a little bit artistic but when re-reading I enter in a state of remembering what I was feeling, experiencing again everything.(just like watching a movie and living in the main character)

 

[luke wilson]

It is true about actually NOT opening your eyes. In training I had on this a while ago we were advised to recall the dream immediately on waking, in as much detail as possible BEFORE opening our eyes. And then if possible to record it on a voice recorder. OK if you have plenty of time in the morning!

I agree with the idea of a ring binder. I hit upon this whilst doing the study from the 4th Way as I too wanted to be able to insert pages. So I buy a student notepad and then transfer pages to a ring binder. A bit like cut and paste lol. Saves time and easier to reference.

A couple of years ago, I tried this for about a month then I gave up. I would spend about half hr to an hr in the morning just writing my dreams down. On review, something was missing from what was set on paper compared to what was in the dream. Plus I noticed on paper it didn't seem to hold as much meaning as it did whilst I was dreaming it. I guess I just came to learn not to put to much emphasis on the dreams.

Regarding journaling in general, it is something I have always wanted to do but haven't attempted mainly due to some irrational fears. E.G. I fear that by putting what I experience/think about on paper, then I essentially reveal myself to an external viewer and therefore I lose all that may be mysterious to me i.e. my thoughts and what my experiences mean to me. Plus I always envision someone finding my journal and reading it... and the expression on their faces. When you interact with people, it's always filtered, but if I were to journal and remove the filter then all of a sudden everything is revealed to the external observer.

 

[HowToBe]

It is true about actually NOT opening your eyes. In training I had on this a while ago we were advised to recall the dream immediately on waking, in as much detail as possible BEFORE opening our eyes. And then if possible to record it on a voice recorder. OK if you have plenty of time in the morning!

I agree with the idea of a ring binder. I hit upon this whilst doing the study from the 4th Way as I too wanted to be able to insert pages. So I buy a student notepad and then transfer pages to a ring binder. A bit like cut and paste lol. Saves time and easier to reference.

A couple of years ago, I tried this for about a month then I gave up. I would spend about half hr to an hr in the morning just writing my dreams down. On review, something was missing from what was set on paper compared to what was in the dream. Plus I noticed on paper it didn't seem to hold as much meaning as it did whilst I was dreaming it. I guess I just came to learn not to put to much emphasis on the dreams.

Regarding journaling in general, it is something I have always wanted to do but haven't attempted mainly due to some irrational fears. E.G. I fear that by putting what I experience/think about on paper, then I essentially reveal myself to an external viewer and therefore I lose all that may be mysterious to me i.e. my thoughts and what my experiences mean to me. Plus I always envision someone finding my journal and reading it... and the expression on their faces. When you interact with people, it's always filtered, but if I were to journal and remove the filter then all of a sudden everything is revealed to the external observer.

Yes, I've been losing a lot of time recently to recording dreams and journaling. I may have to up and "kill" my perfectionism by only writing annoyingly brief and unclear descriptions of everything. Something has to change.

Actually, to address both of your concerns (time and privacy) I've been considering learning some form of shorthand, like Gregg shorthand, or a handwriting system called "Handywrite" I read about (Gregg seems more sensible as it's tried-and-true). That would cut seriously down on the number of people who could read it (one in 1000 or less?), while also allowing one to write very quickly.