Theresa Cheung - The Dream Dictionary from A to Z [Revised edition]

Dreams, like life, are full of big and little stuff. Don’t sweat the ‘small stuff’.

Capturing Your Dreams: How to Recall

Dreams are illustrations…from the book your soul is writing about you.

– Marsha Norman

By far the biggest stumbling block to tapping into the inspiration and insight your dreams offer you is not remembering them.

If you don’t think you dream, think again. Everyone dreams. You simply aren’t recalling them. We all dream several dreams a night. Experts believe we each have 100,000 dreams over the course of our lives. So, you might be wondering why you can’t remember a single one.

The dreams you have when you are close to waking up are the ones you are most likely to remember, but with a little effort you can boost your dream recall. Remember, research has shown that dream recall is good for you emotionally and will improve your creativity. The following dream recall trips are extremely effective and will have you remembering your dreams in no time if you keep practicing them every day and night. In fact, the more attention you pay to your dreams by thinking about them, writing them down, working with them and reading and re-reading this book, the more likely you are to remember them. Like everything in life, where your attention goes is where things tend to manifest. Your dreaming mind responds the more attention you pay to your dreams.

Wake up earlier: Set your alarm clock 10 minutes earlier as this may interrupt a stage of REM sleep where dreams are more likely to happen.

Set the intention to dream: Before you go to bed set your intention to dream. Tell yourself several times when you close your eyes to sleep that you will remember your dreams when you wake up. Think about how much you would love to remember your dreams and how much fun it is to do so. You may also want to write down ‘I will remember my dreams when I wake up and I’m looking forward to it’ on a piece of paper before you go to sleep. Place that piece of paper next to your bed.

Visualize: One way to make sure you remember your dreams is to talk to yourself in a positive way. You may also want to try this simple visualization technique:

When you feel sleepy, turn off the lights and settle down in your favorite sleeping position. In a relaxed way, think about your dreams. Breathe in for a count of five, and out for a count of ten. Repeat this, and then breathe normally. Now imagine you have just woken in the morning and, as you slowly move back into consciousness, you reach for your pen and write down your dream. Bring your attention to the present again, and feel comfortable, warm, and sleepy. Tell yourself out loud so you can hear yourself speaking that in the morning you will remember your dreams.

Keep still: When you wake up in the morning (or in the night) remain in the position you woke up in, preferably with your eyes closed, as this will help you recall the dream. Any kind of movement will distract your mind. Keep as still as you can and try to remember your dreams. If you can’t recall anything let your mind wander for a while as the chances are dream images will form. Remember, on waking your awareness hasn’t shifted fully from dreams to daily awareness so use this twilight time to re-enter your dreams.

Write your dream down immediately on waking: As soon as dream images appear write them down or speak them into a voice recorder. Don’t be tempted to get up, brush your teeth, or get dressed and start your day first as this will distract your brain and your dreams will vanish from your memory.

Keep writing: If you can’t remember anything, write down: ‘I can’t remember anything now but I might later and I will write it down then.’ This sets the intention that you are ready to start remembering your dreams and if dream images appear in your day (and sometimes they do) you will record them.

Self-care: Be aware that medication, alcohol, too little sleep, anxiety, and stress overload can all block dream recall. If you are consistently not remembering your dreams, practicing relaxation, stress reduction, and self-care in your daily life will boost your chances of better dream quality and recall.

Diet: Studies have shown that supplementing your diet with vitamin B6, or ensuring you eat a diet sufficient in B6, will improve dream recall. Sources of B6 include eggs, sunflower seeds, tuna, dried fruit, and turkey.

Unplug: Avoid screen time for at least an hour before you go to bed.

New Age: An herbal cushion of mugwort mixed with sage and lavender and placed under your pillow or an azurite crystal beside your bed are alternative suggestions for better dream recall you may want to experiment with. Calea Z herbal tea is also believed to boost dream recall, but (as with any herbal remedies) consult your doctor first to ensure it is safe to take.

Live your dreams: Studies have shown that the more attention you pay to dreams and dreaming when you are awake, the better your dream recall. Your dreaming mind loves it when you incorporate elements of your dreams into your waking life. For example, if you were wearing red in your dream wear red during the day, or if someone you know was in your dream make a point of reaching out to them. When you do this your dreaming self will know you are taking it seriously and will reward you – as everyone likes to be taken seriously.

Capturing Your Dreams: How to Record

Keeping a notepad and pen beside your bed and recording your dreams immediately on waking is one of the best ways to help your dream-recall. Although some people prefer a voice recorder – and you may find talking through your dream easier to do – if you record your dreams in writing you give them greater authority. You also create permanent visual reminders that can help trigger creative associations.

Some dreams are so vivid you can’t forget them but many are so fleeting they can vanish without a trace, so it is crucial you capture them as soon as you can. Immediately on waking, write down your dream or dreams – even if this is in the middle of the night; don’t brush your teeth first or leave it until your alarm clock goes off. If you do that, you’ll probably forget all about it and will lose a valuable dream.

When you write down your dreams abandon any attempt to be logical: dreams don’t speak to you logically. Dreams are not linear or rational. They speak to you in a timeless language of emotions and personal symbols. As you write them down be sure to write everything in the present tense as this helps you step back into the dream as if it were happening again.

If you just don’t think you have time to write down your dreams in the morning because mornings are always so rushed, set your alarm five or ten minutes early and remind yourself of the wealth of creative insight and guidance you might be missing out on. To save time just jot down some key words and feelings from your dreams.

Later in the day, you can transfer the information to a dream diary – one specifically set aside for your dreams. In this diary note down the date of your dream, any people involved, the moods and feelings expressed, prominent colors, numbers, or shapes, the problems and conflicts encountered, prominent symbols or stories, information about the dream landscape, whether it was past, present, or future, and, finally, how the dream ended or the story of the dream. Refer to the Dream Types given previously to see if you can identify which type of dream you had.

With practice you will soon get the hang of remembering and writing down your dreams. Writing down your dreams will also help you see them from an outsider’s perspective and make it easier for you to connect dream symbols to your waking life. Read what you have written and see if you can figure out what your dreams are trying to tell you. Remember, it is the personal association your dream symbols trigger that matters the most. Your dream mind wants to bring to your awareness whatever is unconsciously holding you back, so constantly remind yourself of the importance of what you are doing.