Recalling Your Dreams

Did you know that you can recall your dreams and train yourself to remember them? I hear often, “I know I dreamed, but I can’t ever remember them.” This can be rectified but it takes some commitment and focus. Most of the time when I hear this I can sense that those who say this don’t really have a commitment to it anyway and think it fruitless to try. But it isn’t fruitless to try! Because we are dealing with the subconscious, we can begin to train our dreams to rise up to the surface by doing a few simple things.

Get a Dream Journal

Have a dream journal – dedicated solely for your dreams – at the ready by your bedside with a pen. (The “with a pen” part may seem obvious but I can’t tell you how many times I have awakened and cannot find a pen!) If you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning, you can simply jot notes to jog your memory later on when you want to record a more full account. It is important to have a journal for your dreams that is separate from your daily journal. You’ll be able to see more clearly connections that the dreams have to each other while comparing to what is going on in your waking life (your daily journal). When it’s all jumbled together, it can be harder to see recurring patterns and symbols.

Write it Down (No Matter How Small)

Write down anything and everything no matter how small or insignificant that you can remember dreaming. If all you can remember is a tree, then write down “There was a tree.” Then proceed to describe it in detail. You are setting up a new habit and telling your brain and spirit that you wish to receive this.

Pray and Set an Intention

Before you go to sleep at night, pray to remember your dreams the following tomorrow. Simple, right? Too easy? Too obvious? But it works. Set the intention in your prayers that you will remember, and ask the Holy Spirit to assist you. This may take a few weeks, maybe months. Don’t give up!

Set Good Sleeping Habits

Good sleeping habits is good advice for a myriad of “good health” reasons including the ability to recall and remember your dreams. Go to bed at the same time every night. Wake up at the same time every morning. Eat and drink in a healthy manner. Give yourself ample time to digest dinner before bedtime. Anticipate that you will remember.

A Crazy Technique I Use For Myself That Actually Works And Makes No Sense

Remembering and recalling are subtly different. When I recall a dream, it’s usually because I know already that I dreamed. I can sense it. But I am not remembering it off-hand. So I must recall it.

When I wake up and am still in that sleepy state, and I know I dreamed, I find myself saying: “I was somewhere, doing something.” “Where was I?” And I keep repeating, “I was somewhere doing something.” I keep repeating and pondering.

I realize this is like standing in the middle of Chicago wondering if it’ll be windy, but 90% of the time it works! I will get an image. And once I get that image or person, it all usually begins to bubble up to the surface from there.

Again, make sure you have that journal handy because you can forget just as easily as you remember. Especially in the sleepy moments of the waking hour. This is another way of telling your spirit that you are not giving up on this and that you intend to remember!

Check back for more on this topic! Are you a dreamer? What techniques do you use to remember your dreams? Do you remember dreams? Let me know in the comments.

I am currently writing a book on Dreams as a gifting from God. Unlike glossaries of what it means to dream you lost your teeth, were flying, or found yourself on a toilet with no door. (Come on, we’ve all dreamed at least one of these), it is a book about dreaming as a gift that was given to you on purpose – for a purpose.

Read more on The Gift of Dreaming here!