I am always interested in dream magic, astral travel, etc. But i haven’t had a dream that i could remember in many years. I have tried a number of things to help with dream recall.
Have any of you had any success in being able to recall your dreams? Do you have any suggestions as to what I could try?
Try a small amount of an alcoholic drink before bed?
Something that hasn’t worked for me but I’ve read about several times is to meditate, visualize what you want to dream about, and then lay down and go to sleep. No need to think about it after the meditation is done.
Edit: Hmmm. I think I was half asleep and maybe dreamed my answer. I did not answer your real question of dream recall. The answer I gave is not good either since there are dozens of sleep spells.
I blame my lack of sleep. I dreamed about the mistake last night (really!) I don’t think meditation will bring back what dreams were but I would try it. Then I would go with what the rest of the people are saying.
Just want to say that you’re not alone! An inability to remember dreams/improving dream recall is a popular point in dream discussions around here. Depending on a few factors, my recall ranges from remembering multiple dream sequences to not even remembering when or how I went to bed the night before
Yes! Here are a few methods you might try:
I hope you can find some recall methods that work for you. Blessed be (and sweet dreams!)
Remembering dreams can be very difficult, especially for some people.
I’ve found I have a very short window right after waking up (30 minutes or less) in which I can dictate my dream to my Dream Journal app. If I wait too long, no matter how vivid the dream, it will be lost.
Very true. My SO and I often discuss our dreams - usually after we get up and over coffee. I am too much of a zombie to record something just after I get up so a journal doesn’t work for me. If we don’t discuss it, it fades quickly. So I am thinking that somehow restating your dreams shortly after waking is important and if a journal works, do it.
I think that’s why voice dictation works well for me. I don’t have to get up and find pen and paper. I use my phone, open the Dream Journal app, hit the voice dictation button and talk. It’s not pretty or grammatically correct but it helps me get the details, overall feel, and flow down with the least amount of effort (for me). It’s funny that by recording the dream, I’m more likely to remember the details later the same day and even sometimes the following day.
I think however you learn best - digitally, physically, verbally is important. While I learn best by writing, the impediment to finding a pen, glasses, light, and journal is enough for me to not record the dream (if that makes sense )
Dream recall to hit this from the other end can also happen via re-dreaming the same dream, this can happen naturally or you can trigger it by just noting one feature or keyword, like say ants. Then remind yourself of those ants before you go to sleep and you can re-dream it.
The downside is, then you remember the darn dream too well and it dusrupts your day, sometimes week whilst you try and figure out what it means. I’m going through this now as we speak and to be honest I just want to sleep
These are all very good ideas. I have tried a lot of these, but not all. I have used mugwort but not with any of the other herbs.
Also when i was in my teens and early twenties I remembered every dream too well. For years if i dreamed of any person i was very close to I knew something terrible was about to happen to them. I had lost 2 friends already. One night i dreamed that one of my best friends had gotten into a car with hus friend who had been drinking. In the dream the car hit a tree and my friend didn’t make it. I woke in the middle of the night in a panic and called him crying telling him not to get in a car with the other guy. A couple nights later that guy did hit a tree and the passenger side was completely crushed.
Fast forward a few years and I had a strange dream about my Dad (he also had dreams like these). And about a week later i lost him too. At that point i definitely did not want to have anymore dreams.
I’m fairly certain i blocked myself from dreaming or at least remembering the dreams.
I probably should have added that in the first place… So i don’t know if that means that it might be something i can unblock or not. I’ve listened to so many meditations that are supposed to help with dream recall, herbs in different ways, affirmations and petitions, etc.
I have not been able to lucid dream or astral travel either and I’ve been trying for years.
Others may have different opinions on this, but I’d say that if it was something your will had the ability to block, then your will also has the ability to unblock it. It may take trial and error along with patience to figure out what that process entails. It sounds like you’re off to a good start, though! Keep trying and, most importantly, hold onto your intention - I have faith that you’ll be able to work through the blockage and get your dreams back if that’s what you desire
I looked at your post the first time but obviously didn’t absorb it. Have you ever been introduced to something, zoned it out, and then found a reference somewhere else and think you discovered something?
I was reading a book that Megan told us about (River Magic by M.A. Phillips) and she mentioned Mugwort as a great dream enhancer. Cool. I thought. I’ll tell @CasLyn! Glad I scanned the replies.
I feel that completely At the same time, even when our conscious minds are taking a nap, perhaps our subconscious minds are still taking notes - helping us to pick up on it the second time!
Still, it was nice of you to think of them!
Speaking of - any updates, @CasLyn? Have you found any methods to help with your dream recall? Hope it’s going well!
It was nice that you thought about me! And yes, I tried mugwort again for a couple of nights. I added some mugwort into some peach tea (which tasted amazing btw) and the 2nd night I actually remembered a few seconds of a very colorful, very vivid dream. But just a glimpse. And I’m almost out of mugwort! Then I’ll try it again.
A little. Actually with mugwort tea. Remembered a few seconds of something very colorful. But now I’m out of mugwort. So I’ll have to get more as soon as I can! Thanks for asking!
Progress is progress - that sounds like a big step forward! I’m happy for you, CasLyn. I hope you can get some more mugwort and that your ability to recall dreams continues to improve. Good luck and blessed be!