People are amazed that I can clearly remember the details of my most intriguing dreams even years after I had them. It’s actually a skill I developed in my teenage years that has really served me well. I want to share the technique with you so that you can do it too.
The benefits of being able to clearly recall the details of your dreams
- It makes it easier to analyze your dreams.
- You don’t have to keep a dream journal anymore.
- If the information in the dream was useful, you can actually use it if you can recall it. (Like when I studied for my Creb’s cycle test in Biology.)
- You begin to see patterns, which allows you to discern and categorize the types of dream experiences you’re having, which in turn will give you a glimpse into the unknown.
It’s also a skill needed for mastering the art of lucid dreaming. Learn more about that in my ultimate guide!
First of all, I cannot recall every dream I’ve ever had. No reason to go that far. But when I’m having a great dream with a strong message, I don’t want to forget it. Because I’ve been working for years at mastering lucid dreaming and maintaining my awareness during a dream, I’ve developed skills for remembering them.
First, I have the dream. If it was a lucid dream, great, I’m halfway there. You automatically have higher recall of details if you had a lucid vs. a non-lucid dream. But if the dream was not a lucid one, then as I am transitioning from that dream to the next stage of sleep I make a mental note that the dream I just had was important to me and I want to remember it. This happens on a near-subconscious level.
Creating a Dream in a Dream Technique
Next, I create a dream (programming a dream is an advanced skill) where I am telling another dream character what I just dreamed. This has the effect of making a more indelible impression on my memory of the dream content. Now I’ve not only dreamed the content, I’ve verbally discussed the details of the dream in my second dream. If I don’t feel that’s enough to make me remember, I program a third dream where I dream I wake up and remark to myself what an interesting dream I just had and think about the dream in my mind. Then I really do wake up.
If that sounds like a lot of work or a lot of trouble, it’s really not. It’s very easy for me to do this. I generally do this only for dreams where I feel I’ve received a spiritual message or that are particularly interesting to me (like my dates with Brad, Keanu, or Angelina) 😉
Telling Someone Else About Your Dream
In the morning, if the dream was especially important, I will tell Steve what I dreamed. And then it becomes as real to my memory as if it had really happened while I was awake. Speaking your dream out loud is a great way to remember it, because not only are you remembering your dream, you are also remembering what you heard yourself say about the dream. I think the input goes to multiple parts of the brain. Like reading about something and also hearing a professor speak about it. Multiple modalities and all that.
I really encourage you to work on remembering your dreams. Spending all night doing something just so that you forget in the morning seems like a waste of a night. Why have dreams at all if you’re not going to remember them? When you start recalling your dreams, you will have more vivid dreams. You may also slip into that realm where you discover a little bit more about what dreams really are. That information I will save for another blog entry. But suffice it to say, if you can’t remember your dreams, you’re missing a third of your life experiences.
Start out by recording your dreams in a dream journal. Next, work on having lucid dreams. Next, work on recalling your dreams by discussing them with friends or family. Start looking for patterns. Then work on programming dream content.
In no time you’ll be remembering your dreams clearly and easily, even years later. Once you can recall your dreams clearly and see the patterns, a whole new world will open up to you.
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