Everyone dreams every night, on average of seven times a night. If they didn't they'd go mad. There are many people who profess not to dream, but in reality, they are simply not remembering their dreams. Those who do remember, can benefit from it in a number of ways.
Why Would I Want to Remember My Dreams?
- If you have had a traumatic time, for instance, a divorce, then dreams can act as a release
- If you have lost something or you don't know the answer to a perplexing problem, your dreams might give you helpful hints
- Dreams can provide inspiration for your work or relationship, for instance, by giving you an idea for a project
- Dreams can sometimes show you snippets of future events or even warn you of things, such as not leaving the oven on when you leave the house
- People who remember their dreams on a regular basis have heightened perception which can help them in their communications with others
- The psychic, or sixth sense, can be developed by taking notice of your dreams
- Some people believe that spirits of loved ones passed, can visit us in our dreams. Even if you don't personally believe this, having dreams of deceased relatives can be comforting during the grieving process
- Understanding your dreams can lead to a better understanding of yourself as a person, especially on a spiritual level.
How Can I Remember My Dreams?
You might think of yourself as psychic as a log, but dream recall is surprisingly easy when you get into the habit. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Before you go to sleep at night, tell yourself several times that when you wake up in the morning you will remember your dream. Don't worry if it doesn't work the first couple of nights - keep trying because eventually this technique does work
- Keep a notepad and pen by your bed. Dreams occur during REM sleep, when we have almost completed the sleep cycle, so you will have only just finished dreaming prior to waking. Most dream memories are lost within the first few minutes of waking up, so by writing them down immediately, you are sharpening your memory and powers of perception. The more regularly you write a dream journal, the easier it will be to recall your dreams
- A person who is relaxed is more likely to remember their dreams as stress blocks the sixth sense, so try not to drink coffee before bed, or watch violent movies
- Alcohol suppresses the REM stage of sleep so if you've had alcoholic drinks near to bed time, it can limit the amount of time you spend dreaming, and your ability to recall them.
Keeping a Journal
Initially you can start by writing down the images and symbols you see in your dream and then as you get more confident, have a go at interpreting what you think they mean. Psychologists and philosophers have written books which offer interpretations of various dream symbols that you can refer to, but these symbols can be very personal to the dreamer himself and shaped by his experiences and desires, so these books are only meant as a guide rather than an absolute science. You know yourself better than anybody else does.
Write any possible interpretations underneath your dream descriptions. This can help you with problem solving or brain storming. In the case of a pre-cognitive dream, you could also write the date that the incident happened in red pen. This way you will build up a record of those that are pre-cognitive. The more a person does this, the more often they have dreams of the future, and this can strengthen your intuition, for instance, in knowing someone's character or knowing when a friend is going to call you.
Inspiration from Dreams
Even if you don't wish to develop your sixth sense or study your dreams seriously, they are still good forms of inspiration for your every day life.
Many famous people took their inspiration from dreams, for instance, inventor Elias Howe invented the sewing machine after dreaming of one, Robert Schumann composed some of his music from dreams and the author of The Strange Case Of Dr.Jekyll And Mr Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson, got the plot idea for his book from a nightmare.
If you make dream journalling a part of your routine, who knows what good ideas you might come up with?
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