Thread: Confusing old dreams with recent dream

Ever since I started recording my dreams to the best of my ability every morning, I keep getting glimpses of older dreams. I find this annoying because it's hard to try and remember my dream from last night when they keep getting hijacked by older dreams. For example, I am trying to remember the beggining of the dream and start to get a glimpse of a dreamscape from a dream I had another night. This makes it difficult to stay focused on the recent dream I am trying to record. Does anybody else have this problem? When you are trying to remember your most recent dreams, pieces of older ones keep popping up?

That sometimes happens to me. Do you focus on recalling your dreams right when you wake up from one, or do you recall your dreams in the morning after you've slept and then record it? Because it helps waking up from a dream (at night) and staying still and trying to recall, because those new pieces will pop up more easily and still be fresh in your mind, and hard to get mixed with older ones.

I usually wake up because I have to pee so it's hard to sit there and recall the dream. I usually think about it as I walk over to the bathroom, knowing that next time I fall asleep I'll probably become lucid since I am already awake. Damn these bodily functions getting in the way of my dreams. ��

What kingcobra said is true. I'd like to add that Instead of trying to recall the very beginning I start by recalling what I remember near or at the end.Than I go backwards in recalling what happened. That's probably why I don't always recall the very beginning but it also depends on how long the dream was and what about it was so interesting, stood out or that I liked, that keeps me focused. Maybe try bringing a notepad with you to the bathroom or writing quickly what you recall?

Thanks for the input DawnEye, I might just do that and bring a notepad to the bathroom before my dream is forever lost in dream memory, because it seems to be so slippery. When I do what you mentioned and start recalling from the end I seem to have gaps. Maybe those are due to micro awakenings? I would hate to think that there are parts of my dream that I can't recall. I am more inclined to think that there really was a gap as the nature of dreams seems so be so unstable. For example, when a dream figure turns into somebody else or when you suddenly find yourself somewhere completely different than 2 seconds ago.

No problem. It may be micro awakenings but I'm not sure to be honest. Usually even when the settings or dream characters change during Non Lucids I can notice or remember. I think that's because i'am aware of what's happening around me but since I'm non lucid I don't react to it and something else has my attention.

This feels hard to describe but I like to think of it as filling a event timeline too.When you know which character,conversation, object, or detail belonged to each event it becomes easier to know the context or what happened during that event. Than once you have pretty much all of the events filled the gaps in between will be easier to recall because as you go through the timeline as if it were a story and make connections there will be things within the timeline that awaken the memory you thought was lost.

For example, i remembered a berry sandwhich from when I was non lucid last night. That allowed me to remember that it wasn't just a doughnut box I wanted but specifically a jelly doughnut. Why was there a berry sandwhich if I wanted a jelly doughnut? Because the man selling the doughnuts wanted to close his shop quickly but after he left, he realized it was his house and I realized I was in his house that no longer looked more like a shop.

As you place your events, objects, dialogue, and characters, go through the story and make connections you start to recall more. But if you still have gaps even after that than there's not much you can do I think. Besides wait for it to come back to you or have something remind you. I don't mind if I can't remember every single detail or small event but if you want to still remember than I'm not sure what else you can do.

Makes perfect sense! Thanks again! I'll have to practice this in the future.

Your welcome and I'm glad it made sense. I was worried I would confuse you. ^w^