How To Remember Dreams

There has been much speculation and conjectures regarding the concept of dreams and their utility. The rapid succession of images, thoughts and moods that pass through our mind while sleeping is so compelling that many of us believe that they provide insights to our own emotions and beliefs. Throughout ages, psychoanalysts and clinical psychologists, intrigued by this concept, have provided theories and arguments regarding the utility of dreams in playing an adaptive role in the maintenance of psychological and physiological well being. Such observations were mainly based on experiments carried out in dream laboratories and research centers, making use of different equipments like EMG (electromyography), EOG (electro-oculograph) and EEG (electroencephalograph).

While talking about dreams and their significance, it becomes mandatory to mention the works and findings of the famous Austrian neurologist and psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud who has given us many important theories regarding dreams and how they function. In this aspect, he has also provided us vital information regarding the working of the conscious, subconscious and the unconscious minds. Apart from him, researchers and dream theorists like Carl Jung, Calvin Hall and David Foulkes have made significant contributions in unfolding the many mysteries and queries regarding dreams. However, on order to understand dreams, it is very essential to remember them and keep a tract of them. For this, you should be very familiar as to how your internal mechanism works. Given below are some tips that can help you know how to remember your dreams and co-relate them with your personal life.

Remembering Your Dreams

Conscious efforts play a key role in remembering dreams, as you stand a better chance in remembering them if you put in sincere efforts. Keep telling yourself that you are going to remember your dreams and try to follow every step you can think of, in achieving this.
Keep reminders around you, so that as soon as you wake up, you will be able to remember your dream before distracting yourself with other daily chores and task. You can also keep a note with words like “what did you dream?” written in block letters close to your bed so that it will remind you to keep daily tract of your dreams.
Just before you fall asleep, close your eyes and direct your mind towards a major emotional problem and think deeply about the situation without probing for results or solutions. This mere concentration will “open’ the gate to deeper and vividly-remembered dreams, which may even offer solutions to any pressing matter or recent emotional problem.
Get adequate amount of sleep every day, as it will be easier for you to recall dreams when you are completely relaxed. If you wake up too early, you will be tired and won’t be able to concentrate much. Research has indicated that individuals with sleep hours lesser than 6 to 7 hours per day have difficulty in remembering dreams.

Tips

If you want to keep a record of your dreams, maintain a personal diary or notepad and use it for referral any time you want to. Keep this notepad with you, by your bedside, before you go to sleep. Make sure to open a fresh page so that you can jot down your dream as soon as you wake up. A second option is to maintain a tape recorder close to your bed, so that you can keep verbal recordings of your dream.

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