How to remember my dreams

funkey_monkey

Hi,

I am attending counselling and my counsellor asked me about my dreams. I genuinely don't really remeber my dreams and she seemed surprised/suspicious of me for my answer.

Do I dream every night and if so how can I remember what I was dreaming about?


Thanks.

Micky Dolenz

This could be a slow process so be prepared to be patient.

You do dream, everyone does. You can train your mind to remember. Get plenty of sleep and keep a notepad and pen by your bed. It will help if you go to bed at the same time and awake at the same time. Before sleep picture yourself remembering a dream. Dont dwindle in bed, as soon as you wake up, get up. Grab your note pad even if you've nothing to recall. Keep doing this every morning.

Read here too. http://www.lucidity.com/NL11.DreamRecall.html

Good luck.

joollyparo

Just like @micky stated, it all about keeping a note near for instant note taking upon waking up.

DarkoT

I know that scientifically we dream every day, but we only remember the dreams that leave a heavy mark on us.

dogmatix

Like the OP, I would rarely if ever remember my dreams on awakening. About 20 years ago I read about a particular technique to enable me to 'capture' my dreams on awakening. As I drifted off to sleep I would repeat a mantra over and over: "I will remember my dreams". After about 2 weeks I was remembering my dreams on awakening. A note pad and pen beside the bed to capture all the details is a must too (the fresher the better).

It's only temporary though - stopping the 'mantra' and you will soon return to a non-remembered-dream sleep.

gsi300024v

I doubt there suspicious this might be more in your mind then theirs, you could talk about you thinking their suspicious next time you're there, I doubt they are, possibly you don't want to discuss what's in your dreams and that's why you don't remember or possibly you just do not remember.

howyegettinon1

I always found it strange that people don't remember dreams, I have at least 3-4 every night, they kind of get overwritten if you like through out the night, the very last dream would be the most vivid one and only remembering parts or earlier dreams.

Keeping a diary would be the best way to remember them, even if you wake up in the middle of the night and write a quick line or two and go back asleep.

Maybe its only me but try sleeping on you back, works for me sometimes as I always sleep on my side or kind of face down, but when I try to sleep flat on my back the dreams seem to be more vivid and real.

kupus

Sorry for going ot but what is the point of remembering dreams. I don't remember mine barr a couple a year.

howyegettinon1

kupus wrote: »

Sorry for going ot but what is the point of remembering dreams. I don't remember mine barr a couple a year.

I think they are great entertainment, like having a giant movie collection in your head and getting it to watch it in your absolute free time that would otherwise just go to waste.

gsi300024v

howyegettinon1 wrote: »

I always found it strange that people don't remember dreams, I have at least 3-4 every night, they kind of get overwritten if you like through out the night, the very last dream would be the most vivid one and only remembering parts or earlier dreams.

Keeping a diary would be the best way to remember them, even if you wake up in the middle of the night and write a quick line or two and go back asleep.

Maybe its only me but try sleeping on you back, works for me sometimes as I always sleep on my side or kind of face down, but when I try to sleep flat on my back the dreams seem to be more vivid and real.

Do you think if you actively write down the dreams and try remember them you get better at remembering them? My Gf likes to ask me what I dreamt about so I tell her, she doesn't remember her dreams so much but likes to hear mine, so I wonder does that help me to remember them?

howyegettinon1

gsi300024v wrote: »

Do you think if you actively write down the dreams and try remember them you get better at remembering them? My Gf likes to ask me what I dreamt about so I tell her, she doesn't remember her dreams so much but likes to hear mine, so I wonder does that help me to remember them?

It might help to remember them over a longer period of time, as in a week or two.
I don't tell any one about my dreams but if I do talk about a dream I might remember what it was after a week or two. But I couldn't tell you what dreams I had last week, unless it was a really good dream it would be fairly hard to remember what it was about by lunch time.