How to recall dreams

Theories abound as to why we dream, how we dream, and what meaning we can assign to our dreams. Many people believe that dreams can provide insights into our lives and feelings, but the trouble is, they're notoriously difficult to remember. With conscious effort, you can remember more of your dreams and recall them in greater detail.

Method - 1  :: The Morning After

1

Concentrate on recalling your dream as soon as you wake up. Typically you can remember only the last dream you had before waking. Don’t move and don’t do anything. Stay in the same position as the one in which you awoke and try to remember as much about your dream as possible before you think about                       anything else. Think it through from start to finish.

• While you're remembering, focus your gaze on the first object you see as you open your eyes. Look at the object; focus on it. That object will most often take the vague recollection of your dream to a place mark in memory where it is easier to recall details. A doorknob, a light bulb, or a nail in the wall, for example, will help you to settle into memories of what you had experienced while sleeping.

2 Record your dream in your dream journal.

Jot down as much as possible about your dream, starting with a basic sketch that includes such things as the location of the dream, the basic plot, the characters, the overall emotion of the dream (i.e. were you scared or happy in the dream?), and any prominent images you can recall.

If you can remember any dialogue, you may want to write it down first, as words in dreams are easily forgotten. Record everything you can, even if you can only remember one image. As you get the basics down, more of the dream may come to you.

If you can’t remember anything about your dream, write down the first thing that comes into your mind upon waking. It may be related to the dream in some way, and it might trigger recollections. Also write down how you’re feeling when you wake up. The emotions you experience in a dream typically remain, at least for a brief period, when you awake, so if you wake up anxious or elated, ask yourself why.

3 Increase the number of dreams you can remember by waking up more often in the night.

 We have several REM cycles in the night, and they get longer and longer toward morning. If you only record the last dream you had before you get up in the morning, there are more dreams you might not be remembering. It’s always tempting to go right back to sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night, but take the opportunity to remember what you were dreaming before you do—in all likelihood you will not remember it in the morning.

Since you usually only remember the last dream you had, you can remember more dreams by waking up several times during the night. We go through a complete sleep cycle approximately every 90 minutes, so you may find it productive to set your alarm to wake you at some multiple of 90 minutes (such as 4.5, 6, or 7.5 hours) after you expect to go to sleep. Dreams in the later half of the night are typically longer than those you dream soon after going to sleep, so you probably want to wait until at least the 4.5 hour mark to intentionally wake yourself.

This is only recommended for people who get adequate sleep and who can fall back asleep easily. Otherwise, skip this step.

4. Plan to get a good night's sleep.

We have more facility to remember the dreams which occur when our bodies are in the sleeping stage known as REM, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement.[4] The body is at rest, but the mind is active with dreams. If you don't get enough sleep at night, or your sleep is interrupted a lot, you get less REM sleep, and fewer dreams. Try going to bed every night at the same time, and waking up at the same time every morning, to make sure you're getting the right kind of rest.

Most people need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night to achieve the right amount of rest. People who sleep less than six hours have a hard time remembering dreams, because longer, more vivid dreams take place later in the sleeping cycle.

Create a restful sleeping environment. Eliminate noises and distractions that might be preventing you from falling into a deeper sleep. Wear earplugs if necessary, and make sure you have heavy curtains that block out light from outside.

Tips

• Certain foods such as almonds and cherries help make dreams more vivid. The more vivid your dreams are the more likely your recall will be.
• When you're dreaming, you are in an entirely different set of mind. Try lucid dreaming. When you are in this set of mind and you are lucid dreaming, sometimes you have the ability to recall your past dreams. Think of it like if you had a part of your brain that stores dreams that you have, and you can only access it by dreaming.
• Some songs actually make the dream stick in your head for a little while longer. Try listening to some music before you sleep.
• When recording the dream, it may be easier to remember if you write (or speak) it in present tense (i.e. "I am going to" instead of "I went to").
• As an alternative, you can also use a small flashlight solely for recording dreams at night. Cover the lens with three layers of masking tape so you can still easily see your journal at night, but it's not so bright that it makes you want to close your eyes.
• Better yet, don't use any light at all, as it can make it harder to remember your dreams. Just have your pen and paper where you can reach them easily, and you won't even have to open your eyes (be careful not to fall back asleep though). With practice you'll get better at writing without seeing the paper.
• Record exactly what happened without necessarily trying to make sense of it yourself, either. For example, if your dream starts inside a house and you then find yourself in a forest, avoid the temptation to assume you walked out of the house. Dreams that are foreign to everyday experience could be lost by trying to apply waking logic to the events.
• When recording dreams, remember that the recording is personal. Don't write it to make sense for others because you may find yourself altering things to make it easier for outsiders to understand. Always write what you believe to be true, not what would make sense.
• If you have the same dream the next day, or next week, jot that down also. A dream that repeats itself is important. It might have a special meaning.
• If you are someone who talks in your sleep you can film yourself using a video camera or your cell phone. Play it after writing down what you remember. This may trigger memories of dreams you had and cannot remember when you first awake.
• After you've remembered most of your dream, try to put it into the right order. This will help, because it's easier to memorize things if you know what happened first, and always write that down first.
• Take a vitamin B6 pill before bed. It will make your dreams more vivid.
• If you have a computer or mobile device nearby, try logging onto a dream publishing website that you can use to log your dreams and keep a record of them.
• If you somewhat remember a dream that you don't like and you have it over and over again, you might want to see a therapist or a mentalist.
• Record dreams that you've had in the past. This might help you recover some lost dreams or dreams that you are missing portions of.

Warnings

• If you have trouble sleeping or difficulty getting enough sleep, don’t try to record dreams in the middle of the night. Just go back to sleep.
• Be careful about interpreting dreams. The interpretation of dreams is not science, so don’t jump to conclusions, and don’t place too much importance on a dream. For example, a dream about death does not mean that someone will die, or that something bad will happen.
• Do not try to remember a frightening dream, because it might frighten you for a long period of time.

Liberating the mind 

I hope that you have enjoyed this tutorial program as much as I have enjoyed sharing

my knowledge and experiences with you. But before I let you sign off just yet, let me
remind you of a wonderful secret that underlies the practice of lucid dreaming.
Your ability to control and manipulate dreams seems natural within the context of lucid dreaming: the dreamworld is a product of your own dreaming mind, right?

Thank you for visiting my Blog. I would love to have you as a student in one of our lucid dreaming workshops.

Sweet dreams..!