How to Keep a Dream Journal

What wild things did you dream about last night? Did you travel the world, fly through the clouds, race down the halls of your old high school? Whether you always remember your dreams in the morning or you struggle to recollect your nocturnal wanderings at all, you would likely benefit from learning how to keep a dream journal. Consistently writing down your dreams can reveal patterns in your dreams, give you a creative boost, and even help you practice lucid dreaming. Plus, it's just so interesting! Scroll down to learn how to get started.

How to Keep a Dream Journal

You might be wondering what a dream journal is exactly. Quite simply, a dream journal is a notebook in which you write down your dreams. That's it! You could keep a physical journal, write on scraps of paper, type your dreams into an app on your phone, or even record yourself saying them aloud. There aren't any rules, so feel free to exercise your creativity. For example, maybe you want to sketch out some of the memorable images in your dreams. Or maybe you'd like to keep track of how often certain elements (notable people, settings, symbols, etc.) pop up in your dreams. As your notebook gradually fills, you can use your dream journal in various ways: for analysis, for inspiration, or even for a bedtime story!

Although there aren't any hard-and-fast rules for keeping a dream journal, the following tips should help you get started:

Find a Notebook

If you would like to use a physical journal, now is the time to find it. Although you're welcome to purchase a beautifully bound notebook with crisp, lined pages, you certainly don't have to get that fancy. A spiral-bound notebook will work just fine. Alternatively, if you'd prefer a digital dream journal, you should look for an app for this purpose. Many people find that the "Notes" app or Google Docs serve quite well, or you could check out "Voice Memos" if you want to record yourself instead.

Write Down Your Dream Immediately Upon Waking

This is perhaps the most crucial aspect of keeping a dream journal. As soon as you wake up in the morning – ideally while you're still in bed – pull out your dream journal and record your dreams from the night before. It's an unfortunate fact that dreams start fading from our memories immediately upon waking. So if you wait, there's a very good chance that you'll forget details or forget the dream entirely. We recommend that you keep your dream journal (or your phone, if you're using an app) beside your bed with a pen so that you're ready to go each morning.

Focus on Details

You might find it difficult at first to remember dreams in their entirety. Instead, you might recall little details and fragments. Try to write down as much as possible, even if it doesn't make sense. You might want to focus on details like the following:

• Location of the dream
• Emotions you felt in the dream
• People in the dream
• Atmosphere or weather in the dream
• Activities in the dream
• Symbols and images in the dream

You could also delve into how the dream makes you feel upon reflection.

Do It Every Day

Ideally, you will record your dreams each and every morning (or every morning that you remember having a dream). If you don't have a dream, write the date and something like "no dreams recalled." Creating a habit of dream journaling will help you remember to do it each day. It will also increase the likelihood that you experience benefits from dream journaling, such as lucid dreaming.

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Whether dream journaling helps with your mental health, your creative pursuits, or your ability to lucid dream, it's undoubtedly worth a try.

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