C. G. Jung imagined dreams as gifts, messengers from our psyche that can reveal our unconscious goals. Gifts must be opened and explored to get the most from them.
Remember, we don’t choose our dreams.
Our dreams choose for us.
Dreams offer clues to emotions and perceptions of which we are unaware. They can reveal startlingly new perspectives or elaborate something we already know. Dream images often convey messages about things we kind of know, but don’t realize as significant.
Remembering your dreams takes a bit of effort and practice.
Put a notebook and pencil by your bed.
Search for your dreams when you first become conscious, before opening your eyes. Focus your attention inside your mind. If you find ANYTHING at all then replay it before opening your eyes. Don't judge or ponder its significance! Just focus on collecting details. Once you have rehearsed your dream's images or story lines sufficiently to have them firmly in your mind, grab your pad and write down every detail - no matter how trivial.
Even a tiny dream fragment can be useful once you know what to do with it.
When I feel out of sorts, I make a point to try to remember my dreams. As I go to bed I double check that my notebook is nearby and remind myself to search for my dreams in the morning. Sometimes even then I fail to capture my dream because it seems so ordinary that I don’t even realize it is a dream.
To get more meaning from your dreams, tell them to someone else. You can also draw or paint images from your dreams, regardless of your artistic skill. It's surprising how much you can learn about yourself and your inner struggles by taking 5 minutes to draw your dreams.
Keeping a notebook with all your dreams is a great way to keep a record of yourself.
While you are rehearsing your dream in your mind as you awake, take note of EVERYTHING you notice. It's impossible to know what is important when you are trying to capture your dream. Just replay it as much as you can and include EVERY DETAIL when you write it down in as much detail as you can. Details are very important. Only later can you discover what is important.
Posted by: Dr Meyer | 06/27/2011 at 11:51 AM
I find that I always forget many details about my dreams- is there something I should pay extra attention to? What is the most important part of a dream to focus on?
Posted by: Julia | 06/26/2011 at 08:33 PM