Casting the Net of Dream Recollection: 10 Strategies to Remember Your Dreams
When clients start therapy, I always encourage them to bring their dreams into our sessions. Dreams have incredible potential to enrich any healing process, as they act as a guide on our journeys of growth. Dreams are highly symbolic, metaphorical, and intentionally crafted. The more we can remember from a dream, the more insight we can learn from it. This is a challenge for many people who remember very little or nothing at all. Dreams are like fish that can easily slip through your hands if you don’t catch them the right away. In this blog post, I will explore strategies to help you remember your dreams so you can make the most out of the mystical and valuable gift we get each night from our dream maker.
1. Keep a Dream Journal: Find Your Fishing Rod
Grabbing your fishing rod (writing in a dream journal) right when you wake up is essential to catching your dreams. For some, a notebook and a pen works best. Special pens with a light at the tip exist, which makes writing in the dark easier. Others find typing on a computer can be done more quickly and legibly (avoid checking your e-mail before writing down the dream!). For others still, making a voice recording of the dream by voice is ideal. For this you can use the voice memo app on your phone (tip: put your phone on airplane mode so you aren’t sucked into texts). Experiment with what fishing rod works best for you.
2. Consistency: Use Your Fishing Rod Every Day
Writing down your dreams takes mental effort. It’s tempting to get a few extra minutes of sleep or get a head start on your day, especially when you can’t remember much or what you remember is fragmented. It’s important to write in your dream journal daily. You will see that the more you do it, the more you will catch or remember. Even if you can’t remember anything - write that down. If you wake up with a vague feeling - write that down. If the dream doesn’t make sense - write down what you remember. You may begin to surprise yourself as you start with a vague memory and end with a detailed dream.
3. Set an Intention: Lay the Bait
As you are going to sleep, set an intention to remember your dreams. The best way to do this is to proactively thank your dreammaker for this evening’s dream and promise them that you will record it in the morning.
If you want to take this a step further, during the day write a heartfelt letter to your dreammaker, thanking them for the dreams they have given and will continue to provide. Promise that you will record the dream in the morning, and share with them a little about why remembering dreams is so important to your personal growth and healing.
“Dreams are like the old stories where wolves are seekers, wise guides, and earth warriors.”
4. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene: Fish in Healthy Waters
Having a good night’s sleep helps with dream recollection. This includes: going to sleep at a consistent time; limiting your alcohol and drug intake; limiting your caffeine intake, especially late in the day, and; limiting screen times before bed. Practice good sleep hygiene with a harm reduction approach: it’s okay to not do everything, just do the best you can.
5. Wake Up Early: The Early Bird Catches the Worm
Waking up 20 to 30 minutes early gives you time to record all of the details of the dream, and potentially wakes you out of REM sleep so that the dream doesn’t have time to fade away.
Advanced Strategies for Dream Fishing
For most people, the previous five strategies will eventually help you remember your dreams. Some people may need to try more advanced strategies:
6. Drink Extra Water Before Bed: Use Extra Bait
Drinking extra water may wake you from the middle of a dream with the need to use the bathroom. Before going back to sleep, write down everything you remember.
7. Set an Alarm: Use Even More Bait
Studies have shown that 80% of people who wake up from REM sleep remember their dreams. Setting an alarm for various times in the night can help you wake up from REM sleep.
8. Take Supplements: Give Your Bait a Boost
New research has found that Vitamin B6 helps people remember dreams. Before taking any supplements, be sure to talk to your doctor.
9. Napping: Fish During the Day
Some people find that they remember their dreams better after a nap. Try this out and see if fishing during the day is better for your recall.
10. Meditation and Visualization: Fine Tune Your Fishing Skills
Practicing meditation and visualization before bed can help improve your ability to remember your dreams. As you relax, imagine yourself experiencing vivid and memorable dreams, and visualize waking up and recording them in detail. This can help train your mind to better remember dreams.
Reeling in Wisdom: The Rewards of Dreams
Going on the journey of dream recollection can be a very rewarding and enlightening adventure. Using these strategies, you can cast your net far and wide to reel in the wisdom of your dreams. Be patient with yourself. Learning to remember your dreams can take time and dedication. As you become more in tune with your dream world, you will discover that the effort was worth it, as you unlock the mysteries and magic hidden within the ocean of your unconscious mind.