Importance of a Dream Journal???

[Reemy]

My dream journal is absolutely critical.  It helps in more ways than I can probably cover in this post.  

First, it really does improve dream recall.  When you tell your self that your dreams are important enough to be written down every day, your mind seems more willing to hold onto the dreams.  I probably had 10% or less dream recall before journaling.  Now I would say it's at least 90%.  I have several dreams to record almost every morning--sometimes 5 or 6 pages worth.

Secondly, I think if one is serious about dream activity, lucid dreaming, OBEs, etc. then writing it down just makes sense.  I know I'd never be able to remember all of the subtleties of those experiences otherwise.  It makes it easier to go back and see important patterns as well.  I can see improvement and setbacks early on.  It makes it easy to notice if a new technique that I'm employing is really making a difference.  I would have never noticed some really important, but subtle, dream patterns if it had not been for my journal.

Also, I think journaling helps program our subconscious.  We're reinforcing the dream imagery by writing it down.  If you're interested in lucid dreaming that's important--especially if you use dream signs as a trigger for lucidity.  I've had many more lucid dreams since starting my journal.

For me it's not just the journal.  I have my journal, and eventually all my dreams, OBEs, and even important meditation notes are transcribed there, but I don't start by writing it all there.  By my bed there is a note pad and pen, sometimes I reach for that and start writing while I'm still half asleep--it's barely legible, but I just need to get some quick notes out before I lose the images.  I also keep a tape recorder by the bed.  If I can't bring myself to write, that's the best--that's also good because I can use it while still lying in bed with my eyes closed--and that's the best state for dream recall.  If a dream is really vivid and lengthy I may go to the computer to type it out.  I can type faster than I can write so it helps sometimes.  Eventually all of those sources get copied over to my journal later.

I can't recommend it enough.  Admittedly I'm obsessed with my dream journal but, honestly, it's just so extremely valuable to me and a really important part of the progress I've made.  

Namaste,
Reemy

[Dream Cadet]

cairnsb,

Reemy pretty much hit the nail on the head as far as how important a journal is (Great post Reemy).  I have to say that I let my journal slip every now and then and leave gaps here and there.  However, one thing is very clear. When I start entering my experiences in my journal again, I get to the point after a few days that I am writing for over an hour and logging up to 5 dreams. When I stop for several days, I actually have nights where I don't remember a single dream.  

D.C.

[Reemy]

cairnsb wrote:

quote:this is probably the dumbest question asked on these boards, if so forgive me []

cairnsb, I meant to say this in my first post: It's not a dumb question at all!  I think a lot of people wonder if there's a point to doing it and if it's worth the effort.

Dream Cadet wrote:

quote:When I stop for several days, I actually have nights where I don't remember a single dream.

I've had the same thing happen.  If I'm feeling ill or even just particularly distrated I might let my journaling slide and in no time I start waking up sort of blank and stuggle to remember my dreams.  I think that's a great point that you brought up--it shows how much of an impact the journal can have.

[Michael_E]

Dream journals are good for catagorizing your dreams as well. Categorizing is very good for increasing the chances of you having future lucid dreams in that: you can select portions of the dreams you have written down that stand out as dream behavior or dream settings/themes; after a good collection of dreams you can take notice of those particular kinds of dream behavior that are repeated or that are typical for you. For example i often dream of objects that are out of place and being at places that are unfamiliar. so, now i know what to look for or target when thinking about being lucid or doing reality checks when awake and asleep.

[Manix]

"I've had the same thing happen. If I'm feeling ill or even just particularly distrated I might let my journaling slide and in no time I start waking up sort of blank and stuggle to remember my dreams. I think that's a great point that you brought up--it shows how much of an impact the journal can have."

I've been setting up an easier way for me to record dreams during the night (needed to do something, was remembering up 9 a night). As a result my sleep pattern as well as what I recall has been severly impacted. I still seem to wake up the same number of times, but I recall much less and am more exhusted upon awakening. I still remember two long dreams from the morning hours regardless, usually with fairly good detail, but all the preceding events are diminished. I can't rmember hardly any of the false awakenings I'm acustomed to have 1-3 of. And all of the short dreams that take place between the time I fall asleep to about 4 in the morning are deminished to single scene memorys. I can't remember anything about the dream even though I know something more happened. I hope I get this sorted out soon. I can still remember at least 5 events a night but I was getting used to 9! 2 days of slacking has ruined me! No, I'm kidding, I'm not ruined, just having trouble breaking in the new recording methods...<yawns> Back to bed...

[AntiGravity]

Yes, I do find keeping a dream journal is very helpful. I try to write them down as best as possible each morning, as mentioned by other people, it does help in lucid dreaming as well as recall for OBEs. At least thats what Ive heard [] lol. I had a very very vivid dream this morning that took me a page to write, I wont go into detail, but it was about death (really weird eh?). Thought Id just put that there. Also NEW helps in dream recall, I did it last night and thats why I could remeber that. Anyway, yes, having a dreal journal is a good idea, it will help your memory, and many other things.
Hope Ive been able to help somehow.
Take care!

[Nay]

Yep, I absolutely agree with Reemy!

I've gone back and read some of my dreams that made no sense before, only to make perfect sense the second time around..[^]

Nay

[cairnsb]

Thanks for the feedback guys -

Now I just have to figure out where to put it (on encrypted database pr in a notbook) as I am sure you can understand that something you don't want other people reading []

[upstream]

I suggest drivecrypt (I email you the executable 3.02B and its crack if you interested...at that time it was extremely difficult to get, now it's become more and more popular).

from http://www.securstar.de/drivecrypt.html

How DriveCrypt`s On-the-fly Encryption Works

quote:As data is read from the hard disk, DRIVECRYPT automatically decrypts the data before it is loaded into memory. When data is written back to the hard disk, it is automatically re-encrypted. The encryption/ decryption process is completely transparent to the user or any application program -the data is caught "on the fly" as it transfers back and forth between the hard disk and memory. Consequently, users don't need to remember to decrypt or re-encrypt their data, or change the normal operation of the PC. In addition, only individual files are decrypted at any one time, not the whole hard disk.

So takes years to the FBI to dechiper your encripted containers and find your graduation pictures or any of your child, animal, etc. porno collection.

It can even encrypt your HDD at sector level!

Privacy is your right ! (albeit illusion).

[cairnsb]

Upstream
Thanks for the offer but I am a computer software engineer...I would write my own application and use a combination of BlowFlish / Tripple DES encyption that would take a few thousand years to decypt.

lol

[upstream]

Wow! Can I get one copy?

[cairnsb]

sure I will post it on my web site in the software section when I finish building it (might be a few days as the boss is having a melt down over somethings the sales staff did)

http://www.voidrealms.com

[HooVooLoo]

Hell yeah Cairnsb, let's hear (read) your dreams!  I am going no-holds-barred on mine at this point, because I simply no longer CARE.  I know that once we are done here, it is all going to be known anyways!  So why be embarrassed about your dreams!  

Dreams are fun!  Let's have some fun!  FUN!  Key-word!

[cairnsb]

the reason for hiding dreams is simple really...

What if you had a dream you cheated on your wife - she finds your journal, and of course gets all mad - even if you explain to her it was "just a dream"  - she will always have that in the back of her mind...and your relationship will suffer for it.

Another one...let say you have a dream you go to work and kill your boss - and then a coworker (or worse your boss) reads it because you take the journal to work with you to read or jot down notes on your lunch break...I think it is safe to say you would be looking for a new job.

Naw - my dreams are mine - and I want to keep them that way

[HooVooLoo]

Well, I do not have the problems of a wife or a boss, and so my dreams are your dreams.  I can give nothing else.

[cairnsb]

I understand and respect what you are saying...I just have a different opinion of the situation []

[cairnsb]

Hey everyone - this is probably the dumbest question asked on these boards, if so forgive me []

I read a lot of books / web sites / forums / new groups and one subject that always pops up is the dream journal.

For those of you that have no idea what i am talking about...

I dream journal is a book (or rather blank not pad) that you keep at your bed side, imediatly after you wake up, you grab it and got down any dreams you had.

This is supposed to help you in the long run my making you more aware of the dream state (lucid dreaming) and oobe (live and from memory).

I have never kept a dream journal myself, but I was wondering if any of you had?

Did it help?
Did it work?
What would you recomend?

Thanks in advance

[orian]

My dream journal is absolutely critical.  It helps in more ways than I can probably cover in this post. 

First, it really does improve dream recall.  When you tell your self that your dreams are important enough to be written down every day, your mind seems more willing to hold onto the dreams.  I probably had 10% or less dream recall before journaling.  Now I would say it's at least 90%.  I have several dreams to record almost every morning--sometimes 5 or 6 pages worth.

Secondly, I think if one is serious about dream activity, lucid dreaming, OBEs, etc. then writing it down just makes sense.  I know I'd never be able to remember all of the subtleties of those experiences otherwise.  It makes it easier to go back and see important patterns as well.  I can see improvement and setbacks early on.  It makes it easy to notice if a new technique that I'm employing is really making a difference.  I would have never noticed some really important, but subtle, dream patterns if it had not been for my journal.

Also, I think journaling helps program our subconscious.  We're reinforcing the dream imagery by writing it down.  If you're interested in lucid dreaming that's important--especially if you use dream signs as a trigger for lucidity.  I've had many more lucid dreams since starting my journal.

For me it's not just the journal.  I have my journal, and eventually all my dreams, OBEs, and even important meditation notes are transcribed there, but I don't start by writing it all there.  By my bed there is a note pad and pen, sometimes I reach for that and start writing while I'm still half asleep--it's barely legible, but I just need to get some quick notes out before I lose the images.  I also keep a tape recorder by the bed.  If I can't bring myself to write, that's the best--that's also good because I can use it while still lying in bed with my eyes closed--and that's the best state for dream recall.  If a dream is really vivid and lengthy I may go to the computer to type it out.  I can type faster than I can write so it helps sometimes.  Eventually all of those sources get copied over to my journal later.

I can't recommend it enough.  Admittedly I'm obsessed with my dream journal but, honestly, it's just so extremely valuable to me and a really important part of the progress I've made. 

Namaste,
Reemy

Sorry for reviving am old thread, but regarding dream journals helping you to recall lucid dreams, I thought the whole point of a lucid dream was that it was lucid and experienced while you are dreaming it, and not just a vague memory that you write in a journal.

[Xanth]

Sorry for reviving am old thread, but regarding dream journals helping you to recall lucid dreams, I thought the whole point of a lucid dream was that it was lucid and experienced while you are dreaming it, and not just a vague memory that you write in a journal.

They can still be incredibly hard to recall after awaking.  A dream journal sets your mind into the correct state to bring those memories back fully and completely.  For example, if I wake up and don't immediately try to recall what I just experienced while non-physical, then I'm probably gonna forget it over the next few minutes.  What makes it harder to recall these things is if you wake up due to an alarm - or at least for me, it's much easier to retain my memories if I woke up naturally.

But yeah, a journal simply sets your mind into the correct receptive state for remembering them easier - it's not fool proof though, that's for sure.   

[orian]

The thing is though, that if you can only experience a lucid dream after the fact, so to speak, and not while it is happening, what is the point of it? For example, in the waking fully conscious state, we don't need to be aware that it is going on by writing a journal the next morning. We know it fully and while we are experiencing it.

The thrill of lucid dreaming should surely be the immediate experience of it and not a later interpretation of it from vague memories of the event.

If this is all that can be expected of lucid dreaming, maybe all the time and effort needed to do it is not worth it.

Anyway, no offence intended to those who do it.

[Xanth]

The thing is though, that if you can only experience a lucid dream after the fact, so to speak, and not while it is happening, what is the point of it? For example, in the waking fully conscious state, we don't need to be aware that it is going on by writing a journal the next morning. We know it fully and while we are experiencing it.

You're not experiencing it after the fact, you're just remembering what you just did.  If you don't have that full astral awareness during your experience, then you can expect it to be a bit harder to fully remember those experiences, but that doesn't mean you didn't have them.  I have epic dream awareness experiences every single night, but I don't fully remember them upon waking.  Whereby if I have an astral awareness experience at night, I remember it upon waking.

You wouldn't even have anything to remember if you didn't have even a base level of awareness, or as I call it a "dream awareness".

The thrill of lucid dreaming should surely be the immediate experience of it and not a later interpretation of it from vague memories of the event.

If this is all that can be expected of lucid dreaming, maybe all the time and effort needed to do it is not worth it.

Anyway, no offence intended to those who do it.

It's all good.  No offense taken, it's entirely up to you what you choose to do with your life.