Dream Journals?

I'm curious as to how many people on ATS keep dream journals? If you do, I'm interested to know how long you've been keeping it? Have you gone back and looked through them to look for patterns or determined meanings from multiple dreams?

I'm asking because I just started my own dream journal not too long ago. My dreams tend to be one of two types. Either they're straight forward and easy for me to figure out or completely non-sensical, bordering on very bizzare. I'm trying to determine what my non-sensical dreams may be trying to tell me if anything. So I'm wondering if there are bits and pieces spread amongst them like a puzzle that needs to be put together. And if so how to determine which parts are more significant and should be focused on?

For instance, should I focus more on actions, places, things that are said, people involved, etc.

Any constructive thoughts would be appreciated. If you're not comfortable discussing it in the thread, feel free to U2U me.

[Edited on 27-5-2004 by zakk]

I kept a dream journal for about 10 years. And off and on before and after. I never did look into much meaning on them, but if you search threads, there is a lot of info posted on dreams here. A lot of useful links too. Dream journals are great.

I've always wanted to keep a dream journal, but there's one problem. I don't dream! At least I hardly EVER wake up remembering a dream. Maybe once a year. Anyone have any suggestions? I've heard there are things you can do to stimulate dreams but have never been successful.

I have never kept a dream journal before. I sometimes lucid dream but other times I do not. At least I didn't think I did until someone made me start wondering if doing superhuman feats in a dream involved some sort of lucidity. I remember picking up my car as if it was as simple as picking up a block of wood and then moving it to another location and setting it back down. This didn't seem unusual in my dream and I didn't think I was lucid dreaming. Would you call this weird?

I do have some normal dreams but they aren't as fun to talk about.

I'm not sure if a dream journal would be good to keep in all cases. I certainly wouldn't want to document evil dreams I've had. Someone might read it one day and think I really wanted to do those evil things in my dreams. If you don't write it down, no one will know about it.

Originally posted by JabbaOnTheDais
I've always wanted to keep a dream journal, but there's one problem. I don't dream! At least I hardly EVER wake up remembering a dream.

Thats one reason to keep a dream journal, it will help you to remember your dreams. Keep a pen and paper next to your bed, and as soon as you wake up, write anything you remember, if you don't remember anything, write that you dont remember. Parts of your dreams will start to come back in flashes, until eventually, you will start to remember when you wake up.

I think a dream journal is a good idea, but I have been to lazy to keep one.

I've heard there are things you can do to stimulate dreams but have never been successful.

You always have dreams at night, you just can't remember them.
Try going to sleep on a schedule, thinking about dreaming before you fall asleep, suplimenting with melatonin or taking vitamin b-16. Melatonin is especially good because you are in a deeper and longer REM sleep.

I only recently started keeping a dream journal. I wish I had done it much earlier.

Sometimes they are the source of deja vu when an event actually happens & it was dreamt about before.

I've kept a dream journal for 10 years & it has been great for all sorts of reasons: to trace how I've evolved over the years, to record things that may come back later in "real life" as deja vu experiences, and simply because it's really interesting. Pretty soon you get a whole book filled with fantastic scenarios and striking images that would have been lost to the ether had you not wrote them down.

I find that the bizarre dreams that at first look like they make no sense may have really important information for you, but you have to decypher the meaning. Google "dream interpretation" and you will find websites that will teach you how to do that.

I find a good trick to remember your dreams is to drink a lot of water before going to bed. In the middle of the night (when dreams can get particularly interesting) your body will automatically wake you up to go to the bathroom. You will also find that your dreams are fresh in your mind--write them down as fast as you can.