Dreams can guide us, present solutions to complex problems, and offer us wise guidance that persists even after therapy has ended.
Dream healing has been in practice for hundreds of years: in the ancient world, many cultures built elaborate temple complexes dedicated to their healer gods – Imhotep in Egypt and Asklepios in Greece for example.
For some, beginning to document dreams for exploration in therapy can be an arduous task. Common issues include forgetting to document dreams, falling back asleep, and not remembering dreams at all.
It’s important to remember that we all dream, and to open the gates of our dreamworlds is to invite remembering.
This can take some practice, we’ll start out with a few tips for remembering and recording dreams:
- Dedicate a special journal or diary for dream recording. This can help you remember to utilize it during the sleep/wake process.
- If a dream journal doesn’t sound appealing or fails to work, try using your phone to record your dreams when you wake up from the dream.
- Cut out substances: using marijuana, alcohol, or other sleep meds can interfere with dream recall.
- Try supplements: Research has found that taking 100 to 200mg of vitamin B6 before bedtime can dramatically improve dream recall. Please consult a doctor before taking supplements.
- Consider going to bed around the same time every night; this can help create ideal sleep conditions.
- Repeat a brief affirmation before falling asleep such as: “ I easily recall my dreams in vivid detail upon awakening.”
- Make it a habit that the first thing you do upon waking is to reach for your dream journal. If you don’t remember a full dream, write down the pieces that you can recall.
- While writing down your dreams enter the atmospherics of the dream and note how you felt with regards to each image or symbol. Recognizing emotions while reflecting on your dream states is very important in dream interpretation.
Questions? Feel free to ask for help troubleshooting in our sessions or reach out via email.