Dream Journal continuity question

[narfellus]

So i've been keeping a dream journal when i can, meaning when i remember a dream i TRY to get up and jot down the quickly fading memories. My question is: do people's dreams who do this often and successfully, and who OBE and LD, do your dreams have reoccuring themes that you pick up on? My dreams are usually short, disconnected clips that make little sense. Do you find your Higher Selves provide symbolic links through your dream-self? My own understanding of dreams is still pretty minimal. Thank God for places like this where it can be discussed.

[Rastus]

With effort I can tell certain things about my dreams.

1)  Whether I stayed 'In' in went 'Out'.  That is whether my dream involved things astral or was just my brains screensaver.

2)  'Where' my dream took place.  That may not sound like much, but certain locations have symbolic meaning for me.  Dreaming of where I grew up is always a teaching dream.

3)  Shifts in reality.  I have dreams that should force me lucid, but don't.  Not anymore.  My dreams are much like being in the Astral, I fly, do energy work, 'magick', teleport, alter reality, whatever.  But I don't go Lucid, I don't fall out of the dream.

4)  Dream sequences.  I tend to dream in a particular order.  And in a regualr pattern.  That means certain dreams (the last 2 of the evening) are usually much more vivid.

5)  Energy usage.  Some dreams I wake up full of energy, and some I wake up with none.  Why?  I always note how I felt energetically immediately upon waking up.  It helps me know if I was 'in' or 'Out'.

6) Meditation.  I meditate before sleep.  I try and note what I felt in meditation to see if it relates to my dreams.  I KNOW what I watched or read that evening affects my dreams.  If I'm not carefull, I dream the movie I watched.  Needless to say I would never play Doom3 before Bed, think about it.  Why is that bad, besides the obvious bad dreams?  Becasue I would project those sensations and emotions to everyone in the house and probably surrounding houses.  It's happened before, so now I have to watch myself.

[wisp]

Hi narfellus,

do people's dreams who do this often and successfully, and who OBE and LD, do your dreams have reoccuring themes that you pick up on?

I don't obe much (intentially), I lucid dream quite a bit. Variety seems to be a theme for me. It's like I get a sampling of all kinds of dream and obe experiences. No trends for me what so ever!

My dreams are usually short, disconnected clips that make little sense.

Mine too. I remember a lot while in the dream (when I know I'm dreaming and know I'm waking up).Sometime during the waking up time, I have something that makes me forget just before I'm fully awake. I'm left with bits and pieces of information. And it's not enough to be useful or informative. This is a big struggle for me. It's as if it's something beyond my control.

Do you find your Higher Selves provide symbolic links through your dream-self?

No. So far, I seem to grab a symbol for something to hold onto memory-wise. The meaning of the symbol is different than the original dream thought. This is extremely frustrating but I do it anyway. It's like a stong vault closes upon awakening. A symbol is better than nothing in my opinion. If I don't do something, I'm afraid the dream memory will become more vague.

I'm aware of a higher self in most dreams. There is a screen or filter that separates me some way from the higher self and/or spirit guide. The illusive ability of these other dream beings amaze me. I have to wonder if these other beings guide or control what I experience and remember in my dreams.

[Sampson]

Hi,
To answer your questions, I do have a quite lot of RTZ projections and experiences and quite a few dreams which have an exceptionally high level of lucidity. My regular dreams are usually lucid if the following is a definition of lucidity:

"Having, showing, or characterized by an ability to think clearly and rationally" Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

As for projection into the astral planes, and I guess I could be going out on a limb here so please anyone let me know if any of you have a different outlook. My current view is that everybody visits the astral planes every night, not everybody may be conscious of it happening but I feel we do it in the form of dreaming. I also feel that this can also be achieved through other deeply relaxed states such as meditation and to a certain extent trances or deep daydreaming and revere.

One reason why I think this is so is as follows, I have often seen it written and said that the astral planes are a thought sensitive environment, a place where a persons thoughts can create and manifest objects or have an immediate effect on the environment about them. Just recently I have been having some dreams where I have thought an object into existence in order to solve or overcome a problem.

I may end up proving myself wrong about this theory, at the moment the main difference I see between any of these states is a question of consciousness or awareness, but don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to belittle the experience, far from it, many of the experiences in my dreams have been very spontanious and quite independent from my own personal train of thought.

For example a guiding presence will often show me how to do something or solve a problem in a way that I would never have thought of. I always find this a very surprising and shocking revelation that there is another character in my dream with a completely separate consciousness to me who has ideas of their own, this is quite unlike receiving direction or guidance from a higher part of myself.

There are always recurring themes in my dreams, off the top of my head a few of the categories of dream that come to mind are, Numinous dreams, Watch & Learn or Teaching dreams, Guided dreams, Confrontation dreams, Healing dreams, Pleasure or Recreational dreams, Reminder dreams, Problem solving dreams, Repetitive or Cycle dreams, the list goes on and on.

Many of the dreams themes overlap too, for example a Confrontation dream (Nightmare) where one is given the opportunity to overcome a dream element that is a manifestation of a personal trauma, worry or problem can easily turn into a healing dream if one manages to resolve the problem or defeat the manifestation.

I have been keeping a dream journal for quite sometime now and have learnt to remember quite a few of my dreams in high detail every night, for me it's a real passion and a big part of my life. Another record I keep and would recommend keeping is a personal symbols dictionary, this can prove invaluable in learning to understand the meaning of ones dreams.

One of the best and simplest ways to recall your dreams if you don't have much in the way of details to go by is to ask yourself questions. For example, if the only thing I could remember from my dream was that I was stood in field, I would start by asking myself things such as, Is it day or night? Is the field flat or sloped, Is there any sound in the field? Can I see the horizon from where I am?  Is the grass in the field long or short? Etc etc.

Before long you will have recalled considerable information about the dream scene, what usually happens is that as you pull at these loose details the whole memory will spring up and flood back in full, (I like to compare this to the mythological story of how Theseus used a ball of string to find his way back out of the Minotaurs labyrinth) this is especially so after one has been recording dreams for a month or two.

Cheers

S

[muppetgeoff]

I find my dreams are very real, and complex.

Usually preying on my fears, or emphasising aspects of my waking day. (usually me rising above the negative)

I often find myself thinking more about my dreams that what's going on in my 'reality'

Escapism in the extreme I suspect

My dreams often have more story, more reality, and more tangible drama than my 'waking state' does.

I excrement thee not.

Kindest regards,

Geoff

[narfellus]

If I'm not carefull, I dream the movie I watched.  Needless to say I would never play Doom3 before Bed, think about it.  Why is that bad, besides the obvious bad dreams?  Becasue I would project those sensations and emotions to everyone in the house and probably surrounding houses.  It's happened before, so now I have to watch myself.

Now that is common with me. If a film or game (and i've played Doom3, it's pretty scary) made a particular impact, i'll dream about it. Never thought about it having repercussions on nearby dreamers. Then, again, my dreams aren't as vivid as yours, nor is my energy level as high.

[narfellus]

I remember a lot while in the dream (when I know I'm dreaming and know I'm waking up).Sometime during the waking up time, I have something that makes me forget just before I'm fully awake. I'm left with bits and pieces of information. And it's not enough to be useful or informative. This is a big struggle for me. It's as if it's something beyond my control.

This happens with me too. I have good details in the dream, but right at the clip end, between sleepfullness and waking, i lose oodles of details. Plus, i'm groggy at 2 or 3 or 5am, scrambling for my glasses, a pen, flashlight and notebook. I think i remember Robert Bruce saying it just takes practice and repetition to recall better.

No. So far, I seem to grab a symbol for something to hold onto memory-wise. The meaning of the symbol is different than the original dream thought. This is extremely frustrating but I do it anyway. It's like a stong vault closes upon awakening. A symbol is better than nothing in my opinion. If I don't do something, I'm afraid the dream memory will become more vague.

I'm aware of a higher self in most dreams. There is a screen or filter that separates me some way from the higher self and/or spirit guide. The illusive ability of these other dream beings amaze me. I have to wonder if these other beings guide or control what I experience and remember in my dreams.

I've not been able to grab what i would call "symbols" I don't even know if i could identify one if it hit me in the head! Last week I took a nap when i got home from work at 5pm. At 5:15 i jerked awake from a dream where a small female ballon-demon, like a Macy's Day Parade, slowly bounced through a doorway and tried to strangle me. I yelped "Oh, Sh*t!", woke, and immediately resolved to re-enter the dream and call on Archangel Michael to borrow his sword and slice that thing in half. It didn't particular scare me, mostly surprised me. But what kind of symbolism would be in a weird little clip of a dream like that? (but i couldn't go back in, something else came up)

[narfellus]

My current view is that everybody visits the astral planes every night, not everybody may be conscious of it happening but I feel we do it in the form of dreaming. I also feel that this can also be achieved through other deeply relaxed states such as meditation and to a certain extent trances or deep daydreaming and revere.

hi, thanks for the remarks, Sampson. I agree with this bit too, we all visit the astral every night, and to say "Aw, it was just a dream," is a vast misconception of what is really happening.

One reason why I think this is so is as follows, I have often seen it written and said that the astral planes are a thought sensitive environment, a place where a persons thoughts can create and manifest objects or have an immediate effect on the environment about them. Just recently I have been having some dreams where I have thought an object into existence in order to solve or overcome a problem.

Now that is a worthy goal to have, for me anyway. To reach a point where i can manifest what i want when i need it. That's what I WANTED to do against that balloon demon, to call upon a golden sword, but i couldn't get back.

For example a guiding presence will often show me how to do something or solve a problem in a way that I would never have thought of. I always find this a very surprising and shocking revelation that there is another character in my dream with a completely separate consciousness to me who has ideas of their own, this is quite unlike receiving direction or guidance from a higher part of myself.

I've never had any experience like this. Sounds fascinating though.

There are always recurring themes in my dreams, off the top of my head a few of the categories of dream that come to mind are, Numinous dreams, Watch & Learn or Teaching dreams, Guided dreams, Confrontation dreams, Healing dreams, Pleasure or Recreational dreams, Reminder dreams, Problem solving dreams, Repetitive or Cycle dreams, the list goes on and on.

It sounds like you have quite extensive experience categorizing and remembering your dreams. That's great. I never even thought about that they could be grouped like that. Dreams for me have always been so insubstantial, random and meaningless.

Many of the dreams themes overlap too, for example a Confrontation dream (Nightmare) where one is given the opportunity to overcome a dream element that is a manifestation of a personal trauma, worry or problem can easily turn into a healing dream if one manages to resolve the problem or defeat the manifestation.

So my "balloon demon" could have been a worry of some kind. I found it interesting that it was so vivid for having only been dozing for a few minutes.

I have been keeping a dream journal for quite sometime now and have learnt to remember quite a few of my dreams in high detail every night, for me it's a real passion and a big part of my life. Another record I keep and would recommend keeping is a personal symbols dictionary, this can prove invaluable in learning to understand the meaning of ones dreams.

Do you have a technique for waking late at night? Or early? I'm often so groggy i really don't want to get up. But i'm learning to fight that impulse because there is so much to gain from recording the images. My goal is to lucid dream and see where it goes from there. By the way, how long have you been practicing dream recall?

[Sampson]

Now that is a worthy goal to have, for me anyway. To reach a point where i can manifest what i want when i need it. That's what I WANTED to do against that balloon demon, to call upon a golden sword, but i couldn't get back.

If I were in your situation and I felt or had suspicions that this balloon demon were a manifestation of a worry or personal trauma I would do the following.

Starting on a Monday, for every day of that week up until the Friday (when I know I can have a good sleep and lie in) I will incubate the thought that I wish to confront and challenge this manifestation, it will be a regular daily pattern that I will pursue in the form of visualisations, daydreams and thoughts.

I will focus on how I wish to confront or deal with the manifestation. I will plan it out as if it were an event that was approaching in the physical world that is quite unavoidable. As Friday night approaches I will ready and prepare myself, I will strengthen this train of thought with affirmations that when I dream this night I will confront the manifestation as I had previously intended.

This may not mean killing the manifestation outright, you may want to force the manifestation into submission, become the master of it, ask it what it's purpose is or what it represents.

By the way I've used the above dream technique to induce a leisure dream too, I visited a racing circuit where I had a choice selection of motorcycles at my disposal (my ego has a strong penchant for bikes!) I ended up having a great lucid dream!

So my "balloon demon" could have been a worry of some kind. I found it interesting that it was so vivid for having only been dozing for a few minutes.

It could have been, how did you feel when you saw it? Did you associate it with anything at the time? It could be that the balloon has no meaning visually to you but the real issue is hidden or masked behind it.

I have often found that these personal issues although disguised still give off a vibration or feeling as to what is really lurking below the surface, a kind of wolf in sheep's clothing.

My problems and worries are often portrayed as parasites, it's a clear symbol that represents many things for me such as fear, loathing, repulsion and despair to name a few. Also a parasite is something that feeds off of another living thing, they usually have some way of attaching themselves to their host, many of these attributes share a common ground with personal worries, problems and thoughts.

My interpretation of the balloon if I identified it as a personal demon, may be something along the lines of an issue/s or problem/s that are evasive, difficult to grasp or out of my reach.

Do you have a technique for waking late at night? Or early? I'm often so groggy i really don't want to get up.

I often become restless after the end of a dream/REM cycle, I have read that this happens to everyone to a degree but most people immediately fall back to sleep again.

I take this opportunity to get up, a bit reluctantly at the time I might add! But the desire to remember my dreams is easily enough to get me to do this. I go to the bathroom and jot down as much detail as possible to which I continue to add throughout the day as more detail returns to me.

I find that my sleep doesn't suffer from this as long I go back to bed afterwards and get the full amount of sleep that I feel I need.

By the way, how long have you been practicing dream recall?

I've been able to recall my dreams ever since I was small, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, I didn't start writing them down until later on though. I can still remember many of the dreams that I never wrote down, even ones from a very young age that made a strong and lasting impression just as if they were a memory of a real event in the physical world.

Cheers

S

[narfellus]

I've been able to recall my dreams ever since I was small, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, I didn't start writing them down until later on though. I can still remember many of the dreams that I never wrote down, even ones from a very young age that made a strong and lasting impression just as if they were a memory of a real event in the physical world.

Fascinating. It's like you were BORN to remember your dreams, and in turn maybe direct other people into remembering theirs. Maybe one day you can write a book   Thanks for the advice, i will certainly use it.

[Astral-Jas]

Oh I have been remembering my dreams for a long time also. I remember a dream that I had when I was about 5. I was in a car with my mom and suddenly she was sucked out her window! Man was I scared! I have started a dream journal about 4 months ago and it realy does help! Little tip- I noticed If you go to bed early you will end up dreaming more. For me this works, If I got to bed at 8 pm or 9pm then it works well. I wake around 6 or 7 am.

[galacticsurfer]

I find when I am really reading seriously a lot or going to bed late and getting up early and in general not being completely relaxed I don't remember as many dreams. It actually takes a lot of effort to relax to notice dreams. At first when I started a journal that was easy because I was really interested then I got bored with the whole thing and not getting as much sleep so it dropped off. Waking up 4 or 5 times takes away some sleep time 1/2 hour or more toal so an extra hour in bed might be called for which means losing time with family or watching movies or reading late. Of course for seeing the crazy private movies in your head it can be worth it.

I get theme nights. I was listening to some music I used to listen to in college and then I had several dreams in the same night where university was a theme although they were otherwise not directly connected. It just seems to be whatever is on my mind dominates the dreams for a night.

LDs come out of constant journaling. For example the other night I dreamt something that was completely illogical or impossible and was probably about to go lucid due to this but I woke up then and was sitting on my bed writing down the dream but that was a dream too(dream voices in my head, radio turning on by itself) and then I really woke up. The more you are conscious of dreams the more likely you are to notice you are dreaming but it requires constant work.

[Adkha]

About the short clip dreams of you. It could be that it are short clips in you mind but actually longer dreams as you think. When I forget to recall my dreams immediatly after I wake up, I only remember short clips that doesn't seem to make sense.

And yes I also have some continuity in my dreams

I have a reoccuring person who's a friend of my in reall but really close and when he occurs in my dreams there are always weird things going on.

And I often dream about robbing a bank.

The dreams that most of the times turn into lucid dreams are:
- nightmares (I have them rarely)
- dreams where I can fly or other in reality impossible things
- wet dreams, but with most of them I loose my lucidity because I can not focus and just want to have sex.