How to Remember my Dreams
If you think you don't dream, or struggle to remember your dreams, try out some of these methods. Dream remembering is a practice: the more you work with your dreams, the more you will recall them.
I have recently started to dream again after what has felt like a long time. I say dream again, but really I was always dreaming, just not remembering my dreams. It has been a reminder of how the process of dream recall works, so I thought I’d share my insights.
After my daughter was born it felt like all my energy was being poured into everyday tasks. Recording my dreams felt like an afterthought when the goal was catching up on lost sleep. As my attention was redirected towards the external world, I lost my connection to the internal. Then a couple of months ago I had a dream that recaptured my attention. It was vivid enough that the feelings stayed with me upon waking and followed me through my day. I explored the dream using the Waking Dream technique and was left with a powerful image to meditate on. I committed to revisiting that image every day for 21 days, or 3 weeks, enough time to engrain a habit. What happened? I started to dream again.
We all know what it is to lose connection to our dreams. But this experience has been a powerful reminder that dreams come when we invite them in. A couple of years ago, I became interested in how people historically engaged with their dreams. I started looking at ancient methods such as dream incubation, practiced by ancient Egyptians as early as 3000 BCE. They would sleep in special temples dedicated to dreaming, believing that gods would send messages or healing through dreams. A similar practice took place in Ancient Greece and Rome, where people would visit dream oracles at Asclepeions, healing temples dedicated to the god of medicine (Asclepius). In both cultures, an important part of inviting in healing dreams was intentionality: preparation involved purification rituals, including fasting, bathing and prayer. The dreams would then be interpreted by priests.
The practice of intentional dreaming might be seen as a modern equivalent. The idea has been explored by many contemporary theorists, but came to me by way of Patricia Garfield. She speaks about enhancing dream recall by setting specific intentions before sleep, practicing awareness during waking hours, and actively engaging with dream symbols. This is how I found my way back to dreaming in postpartum.
Her idea of creative dreaming was always particularly exciting to me: in the same way you can shape what your day looks by creating goals, you can shape how your dreams unfold by setting intentions before sleep. What I found is that I could ask for guidance around specific subjects simply by asking the right questions upon falling asleep. An unintended consequence? I also started remembering my dreams with greater ease.
What I have found since re-establishing a regular dreamwork practice is that I’m more self-aware and in touch with my feelings. There are times in life that require more ‘doing’ and leave less time for reflection. Taking time to engage with my dreams offers a valuable pause, providing perspective amidst the rush of daily life. This practice allows me to make better decisions, sharpens my intuition, and gives me insight into my relationships.
Here are 5 techniques to try:
Dream Intention Setting: Before sleep, firmly state your intention to remember your dreams. Repeat a phrase like ‘I will remember my dreams clearly and easily’ several times. Visualise yourself waking up and immediately recalling vivid dream details.
Creative Problem Solving: Identify a problem you're facing. Before sleep, ask for guidance from the dream about this specific issue. Visualise yourself working on this problem in a dream. Imagine various creative solutions emerging. Upon waking, immediately record any insights or ideas from your dreams.
Progressive Remembering: Upon waking, remain still with your eyes closed. Start with the last image or feeling from your dream and slowly work backwards, allowing each memory to lead to the next. This reverse chronology can uncover dream details you might otherwise miss.
Emotion Mapping: Throughout the day, pay attention to your emotions. Before sleep, remind yourself of a strong feeling from the day and imagine carrying it into your dreams. Upon waking, look for how this feeling manifested in your dreams.
Symbol Amplification: Choose a significant symbol from a recent dream. If you haven’t recently dreamt, bring to mind any symbol that is meaningful to you. Before sleep, focus on this symbol, imagining it growing larger and more vivid. Allow associations and emotions related to this symbol to surface.
Give these exercises a go and leave a comment with your experience! You can also book a dream therapy session with me.