# Lucid Dreaming > Attaining Lucidity > Dream Signs and Recall >  >  weed and dream recall

## bobbyhill007

how much does weed effect dream recall

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## Seroquel

Cannabis effects dream recall negatively to various degrees because it fucks up your short term memory. Luckily, I am able to remember quite a few dreams every night and I smoke habitually. Although this is not the case for many people it seems. It definitely will not help matters and I suggest quitting if you want to maximize dream recall, at least to see if it helps.

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## bobbyhill007

thanks. mayb i can be like u and remember dreams while still smoking. =]

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## Arch

> thanks. mayb i can be like u and remember dreams while still smoking. =]



 Don't you know that already? Or are you considering the downsides of smoking it?

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## bosshaug

Im an everyday smoker and when I dont smoke for 1-2 days my recall gets longer and alot more vivid...unfortunately :'(

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## Naiya

Generally, it's bad for recall because weed is not great for having good memory. You may want to try cutting back or stopping for a while if you want your recall to improve. Everyone has a little different brain chemistry, so each person will feel more or less of the bad recall effects of the drug. It sounds like you're unfortunate enough to be on the bad recall end of the spectrum. Again, it all really boils down to your priorities....how important smoking is vs your dreaming goals. You will probably find a balance if you do a little experimentation with how much or how little you smoke. Good luck.


(PS. Drugs are bad, etc.)

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## LikesToTrip

> (PS. Drugs are bad, etc.)



 mmmmmkay

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## Sasso

I've found for me, smoking cannabis 3-5 days out of a week begins to cloud my recall, however when it's 3 days a week with good breaks in between etc or so, it begins to make my dreams even more vivid. 


And all in all when I do not smoke for a good 3 days my dreams become incredibly vivid and emotional again.


Its all just in what your mind wants to tell you, I find.

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## OctoberWind

Weed is a physchoactive drug. It slows your thinking, coordination, and short term memory. That makes it not only hard to remember dreams, but extremely difficult to induce lucid dreaming. Also, if you smoke for too long, your attention span will shorten incredibly, making it next to impossible to tell a realistic dream from reality.

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## Sasso

I wouldn't say it slows thinking. Coordination and short term memory yes. I have experience in smoking regularly for several months and I can still very much tell the difference between dream and reality.

Then again everyone's mind goes through different experiences. so...it's probably best to just take things on a per situation perspective.

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## Chatter-Box

> I wouldn't say it slows thinking. Coordination and short term memory yes. I have experience in smoking regularly for several months and I can still very much tell the difference between dream and reality.
> 
> Then again everyone's mind goes through different experiences. so...it's probably best to just take things on a per situation perspective.



Indeed! Me too. Most of the dreams I actually do remember end up being lucid.
I suffer from poor recall but lately I've noticed despite smoking even "way too much" and too often for my standards, if I sleep LONG enough I have dream recall.

This could be because the effects of the THC dwindles the longer I sleep.

Since I started smoking weed I've had about a 90% decrease in lucid dreams (due to lack of recall at all).

I sometimes think of quitting to lucid dream again  :smiley:

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## Slawter

> I sometimes think of quitting to lucid dream again



>I sometimes think of quitting to lucid dream again
>I sometimes think of quitting
>quitting
>Location: California

Yeah I don't think that's gonna happen any time soon.

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## dreamguy1515

> >I sometimes think of quitting to lucid dream again
> >I sometimes think of quitting
> >quitting
> >Location: California
> 
> Yeah I don't think that's gonna happen any time soon.



hehehehehe

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## Naiya

> mmmmmkay



Obligatory.  :tongue2:

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## LikesToTrip

> Obligatory.



Lol, you liked that over a two weeks ago and are just now commenting? Rofl?

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## Naiya

> Lol, you liked that over a two weeks ago and are just now commenting? Rofl?



Yes, well...I had finals.  :tongue2:

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## Sasso

> Indeed! Me too. Most of the dreams I actually do remember end up being lucid.
> I suffer from poor recall but lately I've noticed despite smoking even "way too much" and too often for my standards, if I sleep LONG enough I have dream recall.
> 
> This could be because the effects of the THC dwindles the longer I sleep.
> 
> Since I started smoking weed I've had about a 90% decrease in lucid dreams (due to lack of recall at all).
> 
> I sometimes think of quitting to lucid dream again



How often do you toke up? Because I find taking regular breaks helps keep dreaming fairly memorable. Whereas toking every day (and a moderate to high amount per day) does tend to decrease recall.

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## sketchasketch

I'm taking it upon myself to try and smoke weed the next time I go lucid.

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## Raink44

I used to smoke all the time and hoestly my recall was dead for months because of it

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## MrTantalizin

I smoked weed for roughly 10ish years with maybe a combined 2 years in the midst when I didnt. But ever since I started smoking weed 10ish years ago, I havent recalled any dreams, and I know a close relative that used weed to cure constant nightmares (if only he could dream lucidly). As mentioned above, weed is terrible for your memory in general and even though certain individuals can smoke and still recalled dreams upon awakening, I wouldnt suggest it. There is still the possiblity of: 1 your dream recall ability dwindling 2: you not being able to recall at all (like me).

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## MrTantalizin

> This could be because the effects of the THC dwindles the longer I sleep.
> 
> Since I started smoking weed I've had about a 90% decrease in lucid dreams (due to lack of recall at all).



The decreases will probably continue just like someone who [newly] smokes weed isnt "burnt out" but after years and years becomes burnt. I think this long term  effects on your brain will also effect your ability to become lucid, if not yet, eventually. May I add that is based on personal concept and slight experiences [smoking over years].

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## Bigpun

I just smoked last night and had a semi lucid dream and remember bunch of vivid realistic  dreams, but that probably because i was writing down my day journal (Waking-life) and was reviewing my dream journal. I think if you smoke and get into the dream mode like reviewing ur dream journal and trying remember bunch of dreams while high would give u more detailed realistic dreams, I don't know but i'm going try it on Friday

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## Reagan

> The decreases will probably continue just like someone who [newly] smokes weed isnt "burnt out" but after years and years becomes burnt. I think this long term  effects on your brain will also effect your ability to become lucid, if not yet, eventually. May I add that is based on personal concept and slight experiences [smoking over years].



 THC doesn't really exert many long-term effects upon the brain besides a mild increase in Neurogenesis which is not a bad thing.

Unless you view being "burnt out" as a changed _perspective_ of life, there is no such thing.

P.S. I don't smoke cannabis.

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## padawan

I really don't mean to discredit most replies, but I honestly believe dream recall is directly proportional to the amount of effort you put forth in order to improve it. Coming from someone who has been "420 friendly" (if you know what I mean lol) for a *long* time, all I have to say is that it's depends on the individual and what he is doing to remember his dreams.

Cannabis does have an impact on short-term memory, but there is a HUGE difference between folks who just started using it, and people who have been on the habits for years. A seasoned toker will smoke a fat blunt and be high for 45 minutes, 60 tops, whereas noobs will be retarted for three hours+. You would expect this difference in other aspects too, including dream recall.

I take tolerance breaks every now and then, and I can tell the difference. My dreams become less vivid when I'm taking a break.

I guess the reason why I can remember my dreams fairly easily has to do with how I record my dreams, and how often. I wake up three to four times a night to pee, and always drink some water before going back to bed. Before I get back to sleep, I pop a mini recorder and just narrate the last dream I can remember, usually the one I was having right before I woke up. Next day, I listen to the recordings on my way to work. They are short, but not only do I remember my dreams very vividly, I also end up remembering other dreams I had during the night for some reason. The only difference between when I'm taking a break and when I'm smoking chib, as I said earlier, is that my dreams are usually less vivid during breaks. Not on a break, my dream become very real, very entertaining, surprising, and surreal (when it feels real, but you can't help but notice the absurdity of it, like talking to your dead grandmother lol)

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## hermine_hesse

I having only been seriously getting back in LD'ing and dream journals for about two weeks now and can remember 1-4 dreams a night, and have had 4 lucids - and I generally smoke every day.  I find my dream recall is best if I stop smoking an hour before bed, and then WBTB in the morning.  
Cannabis can suppress REM sleep cycles, but if you stop a little while before bed and WBTB in the morning, it should all be worn off by then, so I did see why it should effect you at all.

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## gtmj115

When i first quit, for unrelated reasons, my recall increased dramatically...for about a week, once i was used to not smoking it went back down to nearly none. maybe its just the change in habits that affects recall

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## ryman

I used to smoke weed on a daily basis, my dream recall wasn't to good but I also hadn't discovered lucid dreaming. Now I get drug tested and can not smoke, I realized when i quit smoking my dream recall increased a lot. If you smoked before bed that could have contributed to it because it keeps your mind too active to really remember your dreams often. I have siblings that smoke a lot and can almost never recall there dreams. As for your recall increasing dramatically for only a week after quitting I'm not sure why. Do you keep a dream journal? If not, that may very well be the reason as to why you have bad recall.

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## gtmj115

I didnt then, as i had no knowledge of lucid dreaming. I have just started learning about it this week and started my journal.

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## ryman

Ok, do you still smoke? Do you find your recall is getting better after using a dream journal?

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## gtmj115

No i had to quit as i am joining the navy ::roll::  I just started the dream journal this week and I have recalled one short dream, but i was in a hotel the night before MEPS, so I cant really attribute that to the DJ

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## ryman

Oh, as much as it sucks not smoking anymore hopefully it will have a positive effect on your recall, and one dream is better then none just gotta keep trying.

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## gtmj115

Agreed. Does suck lol, but i just keep thinking that once i make this money ill be able to do it when i want haha!

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## ryman

Haha good way to look at it.

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## Huntstreet

This is an interesting topic so I'm going to bump it up a little. I normally smoke 3-5 days of the week. First of all, weed does NOT kill brain cells. This is a myth. When they first did the experiment that lead people to believe that smoking caused brain cells to die, they did it on monkeys I believe. I'm almost sure it was monkeys, although I could be wrong. It was an animal, I do know that. Anyways, when they did the test, they put a mask on the monkeys and inserted cannibis smoke into the mask. They determined that it kills brain cells, so everyone started believing this. A few years later, they discovered that the monkeys did not lose brain cells due to the smoke. Instead, the scientists were englufing the monkeys in smoke. At such a rate that the monkeys could not breathe and as a result were sufficated. Lack of oxygen and suffication is what lead to the depletion of brain cells. I smoke all the time, I lose no memory, and I'm a pre med student in college with great grades. This explanation is to those who have stated that weed is bad for memory and you shouldn't do it. Do not use this as an argument against weed, as it has now been proven that it does not affect brain cells. If anyone wants to prove me wrong, and you know that you can, feel free to prove me wrong.

Now as far as dream recall goes, weed DOES reduce the amount of REM sleep you get. This is not a drastic amount, and the REM effect is greater if you go to bed high. If you smoke during the day and come down before you go to bed, the effect on REM is not as strong. While you may not have as many dreams as a result, you still can recall dreams. I personally don't recall dreams as well when I smoke and go to sleep, but if I come down before I go to bed I remember dreams just fine. Last night I smoked and had my fun, and then studied after I came down and went to bed. This was one of the first nights that I have remembered a dream from the middle of the night. My recall is getting better and better everyday, and I smoke.

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## Fuzzman

From what I've heard it really depends on the person, but the general idea is that weed suppresses REM and kills recall especially if you smoke right before sleep. For me it's like this, and like in your case, after about a day of not smoking I notice a huge increase in my dream vividness and the amount I can recall. I haven't gone a whole week without smoking so I don't know how it works in the long run, but my idea is that because of your suppressed REM sleep from weed, when you quit you experience a sort of REM rebound where dreams become more vivid for a while. After about a week or so it normalizes and then it's just up to you to do things like dream journaling and other things to build up your recall.

I did a test to see how it effects me and tried smoking at various times before going to sleep. I noticed that if I smoked right before sleep I would barely be able to remember anything. The more time between smoking and going to sleep, the more I would be able to remember in the morning, with my best recall if I didn't smoke at all during the day.

I read somewhere that weed can decrease memory recall for up to 24 hours after smoking, but I also hear claims that depending on the potency of the weed there is no effect on memory, so I don't really know what's true or not. I think it's just up to you to figure out how it effects you and what you should do about it.

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## eltane

A friend of mine told me he didn't remember a dream for like 6 years (since he started smoking weed daily). So i think it's pretty bad for your dream recall!

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## whiterain

> I having only been seriously getting back in LD'ing and dream journals for about two weeks now and can remember 1-4 dreams a night, and have had 4 lucids - and I generally smoke every day.  I find my dream recall is best if I stop smoking an hour before bed, and then WBTB in the morning.  
> Cannabis can suppress REM sleep cycles, but if you stop a little while before bed and WBTB in the morning, it should all be worn off by then, so I did see why it should effect you at all.



yeah great post HH. short answer for me is that weed can be detrimental to recall. however it can also show you how to negate this. as long as you are aware of the effect it is happening, you can adjust your practices so that weed can be extremely beneficial. remember that your expectations are a major part of the psychadelic experience so if you expect it to wipe your memory it probably will. can be a bit like using weights for sprint training. once you take them off you learn to fly, then you learn how to fly despite of the weight  :Cheeky: 

far more people who smoke are into lucid dreaming i would say. also without smoking many people would not even open themselves up to the possibilities of the imagination. everything in moderation folks

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## Huntstreet

I smoked the night before both of the lucids that I've had. Although I did have lucids, the recall of them wasn't very good. I'm quitting for about 5 weeks, give or take, and I hope I can contribute to this discussion by later explaining what effect quitting had on my recall. When I do smoke at night and go to bed still high, I tell myself that when I'm high my imagination is broader, therefore I can have more interesting dreams. This has held true (probably because I believe it). But as I said earlier, my dream recall is worse unfortunately.

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## Wurlman

Smoke in the afternoon don't smoke 5 hours before bed

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## Chimpertainment

*First of All*
I smoke weed CONSTANTLY...and I found that its slaughters my recall....BUT...

I also found that performing WBTB after your deep sleep cycle eliminates *almost all* of the effects I previously experienced. 

In other news: Weed helps my long term memory...It helps me process extreme emotion....It helps with anxiety, stress, and in general life enjoyment...

In conclusion: Its a toss up. Figure out what you can deal with in waking life and make the appropriate adjustments to your habit.  :smiley:

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## Radioshift

I actually recently quit smoking weed, and it is helping a lot with dreaming. I used to dream about once a week if I was lucky, and once I stopped, I started getting a lot more, before 
I even started to try and remember them. It has also helped me in a lot of other ways, but I'm not here to preach to you about drugs, I just wanted to share my experience.

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## Morte

I started smoking cannabis heavily and during this time I lost interest in lucid dreaming because my dream recall fell away so badly. Now i'm trying to get back into it but its really hard to recall anything. Basically, pot f**ks up your memory

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## ThisWitheredMan

> I really don't mean to discredit most replies, but I honestly believe dream recall is directly proportional to the amount of effort you put forth in order to improve it. Coming from someone who has been "420 friendly" (if you know what I mean lol) for a *long* time, all I have to say is that it's depends on the individual and what he is doing to remember his dreams.
> 
> Cannabis does have an impact on short-term memory, but there is a HUGE difference between folks who just started using it, and people who have been on the habits for years. A seasoned toker will smoke a fat blunt and be high for 45 minutes, 60 tops, whereas noobs will be retarted for three hours+. You would expect this difference in other aspects too, including dream recall.
> 
> I take tolerance breaks every now and then, and I can tell the difference. My dreams become less vivid when I'm taking a break.
> 
> I guess the reason why I can remember my dreams fairly easily has to do with how I record my dreams, and how often. I wake up three to four times a night to pee, and always drink some water before going back to bed. Before I get back to sleep, I pop a mini recorder and just narrate the last dream I can remember, usually the one I was having right before I woke up. Next day, I listen to the recordings on my way to work. They are short, but not only do I remember my dreams very vividly, I also end up remembering other dreams I had during the night for some reason. The only difference between when I'm taking a break and when I'm smoking chib, as I said earlier, is that my dreams are usually less vivid during breaks. Not on a break, my dream become very real, very entertaining, surprising, and surreal (when it feels real, but you can't help but notice the absurdity of it, like talking to your dead grandmother lol)



This, this, this, A THOUSAND TIMES THIS.

The effect weed has on your dream recall is precisely how much you BELIEVE it effects it. I smoke a shitload of weed and all of my dreams stoned or otherwise are FINE. It's all in your head. Instead of quitting weed, double your efforts in terms of daytime awareness and recording dreams upon waking. Although, quitting weed with the intent of improving your lucid dreaming, and all the willpower involved in doing that, is of COURSE going to improve your lucid dreaming, not because of the lack of the drug, but because of the ritualistic effect of exerting willpower with intent. Convincing yourself that doing 100 pushups will guarantee yourself a lucid dream, and then doing them, will have the exact same effect.

EDIT: I suspect all the people in this thread who claim that once they started smoking weed, their recall fell, are actually experiencing a dwindling interest in lucid dreaming as a result of being high all the time. As in, if your life is unsatisfying, lucid dreaming offers you escape/satisfaction, so your motivation to work for dream recall and dream awareness is HIGH. However when you GET high (heh heh) often, you feel generally less unsatisfied with your life, and your motivation suffers.

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## SkateAntDestroy

I tend to smoke daily but when I do have dry days my recall increases massively.
If I have a heavy one chances are I won't remember a thing.

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## ThisWitheredMan

I spent all day yesterday significantly more stoned than I do most days, I exercised heavily and had a small amount of alcohol in the evening. When I went to bed I slept HARD, and two times in the middle of the night I smoked small bowls to help me fall back asleep, and I had FOUR vivid lucids through the whole night.

So, yeah. Don't know what you guys are talking about  :tongue2:

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