The Art of Recording and Remembering Dreams

Before tackling the idea of interpreting dreams, before deciding whether or not to use a dream dictionary, a dream must be remembered. This isn’t always an easy task, especially for someone who isn’t used to remembering their dreams.

Preparing to Remember Dreams

For the most part, people don’t remember their dreams because they’ve been ignoring them. Some believe that the "higher self" has ceased attempting to pass on the information to the conscious mind because the conscious mind isn’t accepting the data. In this situation, it's believed that the mind must be programmed and trained to remember dreams.

Meditation and affirmation are commonly regarded as some of the best methods for conditioning the mind to remember dreams. During an evening meditation, conducted immediately before going to sleep, it is important to repeat this mantra: “I will remember my dreams.” This should be repeated several times, until the mind absorbs the idea.

The Dream Journal

It does no good to wake up after a particularly profound dream simply to scramble around the entire house looking for a scrap of paper and a pencil. It pays to be a little more organized about the entire process.

A pad of paper and a pencil should be placed next to the bed, within easy reach. This act itself aids in the remembering process, reminds the brain that this is information that's important, worthy of remembering. It also makes it easier to jot down notes about a dream.

Immediately upon waking — whether it be first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night — snatch up the pen and paper and write down anything and everything that can be recalled from the dream. Don’t worry about order, just write as many details as possible. Describe every sight, sound, and feeling, paying special attention to colors and numbers. After this is done, one can use the notes to write a more final draft by placing the details in the correct order and filling in missing details.

What Kind of Dream Was It?

The final stage in remembering dreams is to determine what kind of dream has been remembered. Some dreams require a great deal of study and interpretation. Others do not. In order to know what type of dream it is, there are some questions to ask.

First, the dream must be examined to see if it resembles any of the events that occurred the previous day. Some believe that when the dream deals with the day's events, it's the mind's way of processing the details of what has occurred. An in-depth analysis is usually not required for these dreams. If the dream does not fit this mode, then further analysis is necessary.

It must be determined if a dream is literal or symbolic. Generally, a literal dream is one that actually makes sense. As silly as this sounds, it’s true. Literal dreams are dreams in which the characters or images represent the real people or things. If something in the dream doesn’t make sense, the dream is probably symbolic instead. As an example, no matter how literal the dream seems, if everyone has blue faces, then there’s probably some symbolic interpretation necessary.

Symbolic dreams are dreams in which the characters and images present cannot be taken literally. A flying dog, for instance, should not be interpreted literally, but symbolically. If this is the case with a particular dream, then interpretation is necessary.

Training the mind to successfully recall the complete events in a dream can be a difficult task. Continuing to affirm that “I will remember my dreams,” will assist in this, as will faithfully recording every dream. Eventually, the memories will come easier, but this takes time and dedication.

Dream Interpretation and Symbology

There are many different opinions regarding dreams and their interpretation. Some swear by the various dream dictionaries that can be found, both online and in the bookstore. Others consider these frivolous and limited in their helpfulness. The best approach is probably somewhere in between.

Interpreting the Symbols in Dreams

Even with the most respected of dream dictionaries, almost all of the symbols found within its pages have various meanings and interpretations. Some symbols will even have contradictory meanings, leaving the seeker perhaps even more confused than before they picked up the book.

This being the case, it is perhaps not a good idea to rely solely on any type of dream dictionary. In the end, the interpretation of dream symbols can only be done by the dreamer. The most important factors are the dream, the symbol itself, and intuition.

Beginning with a dream dictionary is probably a good idea, at least to start. Look up the interpretation of a particular symbol. However, instead of taking this information literally, it is perhaps best to use this as a jumping-off point, so to speak. Take the book’s definition and, if it doesn’t seem just right, adapt it to suit what does feel right; this feeling is intuition, and should be obeyed when interpreting dreams. If the book definition goes completely against intuition, it's generally believed that it's best to go with one's intuition instead.

People in Dreams

Seeing people in a dream — even familiar people — does not necessarily indicate that the dream is about that particular person in terms of its meaning. In general, principle characters in a dream actually represent an aspect of the dreamer's personality, tendencies or another aspect of self.

In this manner, an argument with another person, no matter who it is, usually represents an inner conflict. On the other hand, interactions with people in dreams can also indicate inner harmony. It is the form of interaction that is important here, not necessarily the individual people involved.

Types of Dreams

Dreams are a combination of extremely complex symbols, both connected and independent. For the most part, dreams are analytical in nature, meaning that they are a way for the higher self to give its input on everyday life. These dreams analyze interactions with the world, including, but not limited to interactions with the environment and other people.

Some dreams are therapeutic. The percentage of therapeutic dreams varies from person to person. Those people suffering from an inferiority complex will, of necessity, have more therapeutic dreams than a truly strong, confident person. Of course, someone with a feeling of superiority will also have therapeutic dreams, though of a different sort. Therapeutic dreams are the higher self’s way of attempting to overcome character defects.

Prophetic Dreams

Most dreams are not prophetic in nature. The percentage of dreams that are directly concerning the future in a prophetic fashion is perhaps 5% for most people. Many people assume that a dream that seems to concern the future is a prophetic dream. Generally speaking, this is a mistake.

There are a number of ways to determine if a dream is perhaps prophetic. Some of these are:

• Dreams that are in full color and exceptionally clear;
• Very easy to remember; if the dream is easily forgotten, then it wasn’t likely prophetic;
• Clear messages are delivered, perhaps even dates; and
• Dreams are structured, with a definite beginning, middle, and end.

Dreams that follow this pattern should be recorded in detail. It can later be determined if they were, indeed, prophetic in nature. It's believed that prophetic dreams are often a communication from the "higher self" that's intended to prepare the dreamer for what is to come. For instance, a prophetic dream can lessen the shock of a potentially traumatic event.

Recording Dreams

The most important part of interpreting dreams is probably recording them in the first place. It is difficult to attempt a thorough dream interpretation if there is no source, and dreams tend to fade with time. Therefore, it is best if the dreamer keeps a journal next to the bed. Immediately upon waking, the dreams should be recorded, even if it’s the middle of the night.

Interpreting dreams should be mainly a matter of intuition. While book definitions can be helpful in the matter of dream interpretation, it is important to remember that these are merely suggestions. They are not rules.

Exploring the Source and Significance of Dreams

Most people in modern society take little notice of a random bit of half-remembered dream, whether it be a good dream, full of hope and happiness, or a nightmare, full of terror. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the scientific world continues to explore dreams in depth. There are numerous laboratories conducting a multitude of tests focusing on dreams and dreaming, all around the world.

On a more metaphysical level, dreams and their symbols have been important to most cultures around the world for many centuries. Thought to convey messages or even predict events, historically, dreams were rarely dismissed.

The Source of Dreams

Before, an ability to approach dreams from a spiritual point of view, it is important to understand where they come from, and why they come at all. Determining where they come from is a simple process of elimination.

The mind can be roughly divided into three parts: the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the superconscious mind. The conscious mind, the part of the mind that is responsible for everyday activities, is at rest while dreaming, and so not likely the source of dreams. The subconscious mind, the instinctual part, is generally passive, and not really capable of logic or reason. It seems unlikely that the subconscious mind could possibly be responsible for the complexity of a dream, giving that its responsibility is contrary to the nature of dreams.

That leaves the superconscious mind, also called the higher or spiritual self. Since neither the conscious or subconscious mind can logically be thought to be the source of dreams, it must be the superconscious mind that is responsible. The higher self does nothing randomly. This means that dreams must carry some importance to the higher self, and so warrants some attention.

The Importance of Dreams

The question of whether or not dreams are important at all has long since been answered on a scientific level; dreaming is vital to the sanity of the conscious mind. Scientific research has shown that when subjects have their dreams continually interrupted, they develop great amounts of emotional stress. In addition, science has also revealed that each person dreams, on average, seven times each night, for up to forty-five minutes at a time. Some argue that the sheer amount of time dedicated to dreaming must give dreams some significance.

When the source of dreams, some believe that the higher self, is taken into consideration, the importance of dreams becomes even more evident. For the majority of the population, some theorize that dreams are the only way the higher self has to really communicate with the conscious mind. Therefore, the higher self must spend each and every night attempting to get across any message that it deems necessary.

The higher self expends a great deal of time and effort into creating a dream to transmit a certain message. In addition, science has proven that they conscious mind cannot function without an appropriate amount of dreaming, which occurs every night, and several times each night. Taking all this into consideration, dreams are probably not random, and likely far more important than most people realize, on both a scientific and an esoteric level.