Dream Journal

[Beautiful_Dreamer]

I have found that it is impossible to keep a dream journal, ok well maybe not impossible but extremely difficult. As I sit and remember the dream it seems easy enough. One time I decided that I was going to write down my dream in a journal, and really bear down and keep track of them. I sat down one morning and started writing. I covered about 10 pages front and back and thought I was done. When I went over it all again, I kept remembering things I was missing. I would stick a number in the middle of a sentence, and then at the back of the story add more of what should have been in that place, kinda like a footnote. By the time I was done, well not done really, I just gave up, I had 23 Pages. 23! I had spent most of my day trying to write this all down. I even drew maps to the places and building that were in my dreams. I had 12 pages of maps in addition to my 23 pages of writing and descriptions (to be fair some maps took up more than one page). I think it is crazy, but every time I would remember one more tiny detail, ton of other things would come poring back like a landslide...Does this happen to anyone else? I'm going to have to hire a transcriptionist if I want to keep a dream journal....that and a lot of tape.......

[Hapa Honey]

Yes! It happens to me, too and is one reason why I stopped keeping a journal. I have more things to do in my life and I can't spend half the day writing down everything I dreamt.

[Golanv]

May I suggest something that has worked well for me? I have kept a notebook by my bed and written down dreams as I awoke from them without turning the light on. Once you get used to being able to reach out and get it, it seems to come naturally. Even better would be a hand held tape recorder; speak into it and go back to sleep. Makes for some pretty interesting stuff in the morning that would otherwise have been forgotten.
Sweet dreams. ~ Golanv

[day1ventura]

I know exactly what you mean, I can get carried away with it too. Here are a few things that have helped me. Keep in mind, I also view my journal as a personal thing, (for my eyes only, and my interpretation only). This helps keep me grounded and a lot less wordy. In of it's self, the mere act of writing, helps in recall of what I was experiencing at different points of the dream.

!. To journal upon waking (for me this is very important).

2. Free association of words and feelings.

3. Sometimes.... less is more.

I have never used a tape recorder; however, I Plan on checking it out.

I have noticed that when I request feedback on one of my dreams ,,,,, less is definitely not more.

It is my experience that the more info I receive concerning ones feelings while dreaming and upon waking, aids in my discernment of another's dream. even having present life situation expanded can be useful.

hope this helps
peace

[Laucashel]

Originally Posted by day1ventura

I know exactly what you mean, I can get carried away with it too. Here are a few things that have helped me. Keep in mind, I also view my journal as a personal thing, (for my eyes only, and my interpretation only). This helps keep me grounded and a lot less wordy. In of it's self, the mere act of writing, helps in recall of what I was experiencing at different points of the dream.

!. To journal upon waking (for me this is very important).

2. Free association of words and feelings.

3. Sometimes.... less is more.

I have never used a tape recorder; however, I Plan on checking it out.

I have noticed that when I request feedback on one of my dreams ,,,,, less is definitely not more.

It is my experience that the more info I receive concerning ones feelings while dreaming and upon waking, aids in my discernment of another's dream. even having present life situation expanded can be useful.

hope this helps
peace

2002 I got ill here in England of having head ache and my whole body was aching for two weeks. I pray everyday then I got better, then I kept dreaming night by night and I kept buying books about dreams. After 6 months when I read abook that advices having a dream diary then another book I read "The Inner Eye". After reading those books I started writing my dreams in my dream diary and it is always in my bedside. I also started writing poems if I couldn't sleep. One night I dreamed I was reciting first two lines of a poem/haiku then I woke up. I wrote my dream but my pen won't stop until I have written many haiku and poems. That day I wrote 15 haiku and three poems. I continued writing my dreams then to poems. After few months I dreamed again first two lines of a poem but I woke up late and I was in a hurry to catch up my train going to london that took me 1 hour 30 minutes. While I was in the train I remembered my dream "The roaring voice in the sky, The flashing light up high" I finished a poem before I arrive to London and the title is "The Storm". my first book "The Messages" miscellanous prose and poetry was published on December 2006 with 424 pages and available worlwide (Amazon and other online distributors/shops.

[JON]

May I suggest something that has worked well for me? I have kept a notebook by my bed and written down dreams as I awoke from them without turning the light on. Once you get used to being able to reach out and get it, it seems to come naturally.

That's exactly what I've done for the last 13 years! I write down everything I recall when I wake up. It doesn't matter if there's a jumble of ideas at first. Because I only write the dream up in my Journal once I've 'tidied up' spelling, grammar, etc. I rarely keep the original jotted notes. Unless the dream is very complex, or detailed. Or the jottings include sketches.

When full, each volume of the Journal is given a number, and the range of dates it covers. The jacket designs are all different, and I create them myself. The volumes [I use actual hardback notebooks] soon mount up though!

Cheers. Jon.

[christofos]

I started my dream journal three years ago now it has over 100 pages and let me tell you I am glad I did. I usually write something in it as soon as I wake up from my dream, I dont spend more than 10 minutes, and usually each entry is about page or long. Sometimes I draw sketches in it.

[JON]

I started my dream journal three years ago now it has over 100 pages and let me tell you I am glad I did. I usually write something in it as soon as I wake up from my dream. I don't spend more than 10 minutes, and usually each entry is about page or long. Sometimes I draw sketches in it.

Hi, christofos. To save space, I either try to write short entries, or make my writing smaller! I find neither easy, especially the latter.... Each entry is headed by the date. And, if the dream had several bits, I number [or letter] each part.

This is why - from the space [and reference] points of view - I find sketches so useful. I draw them on a separate piece of paper, and tape them in by the relevant entry. My 'Past Life' dreams [some are posted on the Forum] all have drawings. The 'Isobel' pictures are mainly of her house [inside and out] and its gardens. It saves writing copious amounts of text, and also, as people will have realised, my dreams are very visual.

Having been an academic, it's 'second nature' for me to research things. And these drawings help as a guide. Especially when trying to identify places or works of art. Although I'm not a very good artist myself....

Regards, Jon

[unclesirbobbyrobson]

Well you could try writing them down on a computer. I suppose a lot depends on how long your dreams are . I get a lot of shiort dreams. So they would be difficult to stretch the journal entry to more than one page.

But to me its not just important to write down the dreamits importanmt to try to understand it. People who have normal diaries can find their dreanms easily expklained. In my ppinion dream,s are often linked to the exact type of things that we write in diaries. They are journals of our immediate feelings. They tabulate annoyances and grievances which were important at the time. These are the things that trigger our dreams

A dream dictionary that explores the variety of meanings in a dream symbol

[Darkstar]

That would happen to me to. Not as bad as you though, my longest entry was 7 pages front and back, and I thought that was alot. But I would start writing down the dream, then remember something else and have to write it down in the margin or wherever there was space to. Thats the reason I stopped writing down my dreams as well. I think I am going to start writing down my dreams again, but maybe just quick notes on the dream, so if I do remember something else I will just make a quick note it, instead of writing down all the details. Though it would be better to write down all of the details.

-Sisonpyh