Thread: Getting Started {Inducing Dreams}

• well first off you should have a regular sleeping pattern if you don't already have one so you're not throwing off your biological clock, or circadian rhythm.
• you're on the right track with telling yourself to remember dreams, self-suggestion works for me. I just say "I will remember my dreams" over and over before I go to bed and after doing some relaxation techniques.
• when you wake up lay still in your bed with your eyes closed. This will allow you to focus on your mind instead of moving and putting emphasis on your body, and also opening your eyes can distract you as well because of the light. Just start trying to remember the major parts of your dreams and then details will come to you.
• you must start a dream journal, they help so much! When you wake up during the night, roll over to your journal and write down some key points of the dream you just had like a setting or action that stands out, that way when you wake up in the morning you'll remember it and hopefully be able to string more basic details from the key points. As you continue this your recall should increase, I hope these steps helped you out, they are the ones I follow

I think your point definitely clarified a few things.

The sleep pattern is probably the first step. Some days I have classes in the afternoon; some weekends require me to get up early for work, etc. It's all jumbled, and I often mix vary the times I call it a night. What's worse is that I rely, completely, on an alarm clock.

I have full intentions on starting the dream journal, for sure. That's probably the most frequent recommendation I've heard, in regards to Lucid Dreaming. I've alright got the notepad and pen by the nightstand... but it seems to me those only come in handy once you're dreaming.

Regardless. I think it's just a matter of establishing a set "time" to officially sleep, and perhaps giving these relaxation methods a more thorough look. Thanks for the start, Apfelpfankuchen.

no problem, if you're looking for some good relaxation techniques I suggest looking in the tutorials section in the archives and check out the '61 point relaxation technique' or take up meditation if you're interested

I have the same problem when it comes to my sleeping pattern because of classes. They are so jumbled and then I always set my alarm clock radio and my phone to go off at the same time, but everyday end up sleeping in an extra 20-30 mins It doesn't help that I usually don't fall asleep untill 1-2 AM haha

My advice is simply to stop trying so hard to remember. Especially as you're falling asleep. I have found that trying to influence my dreams beforehand or telling myself to remember is VERY disruptive for my dreams. BUT, I otherwise have no problems with recall so perhaps that's bad advice?
The BIGGEST thing that helps my recall is waking up slowly. Since you wake up to an alarm, perhaps you could try ignoring the alarm on weekends or when you have nothing planned? Don't jump out of bed, no matter how much you have to use the bathroom lol. Try to remember just one tiny portion of your dream. A lot of times, if you remember just one fragment a lot more will follow.
As for your schedule... everyone is different. As long as it's regular, it's probably okay for you. Most of my sleep problems come about because I'm forced to ignore my natural cycle. I'm certain I have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. Since I was a teen, no matter how sleepy I am, I simply canNOT easily fall asleep until about 3AM (which is when I feel sleepy). And no matter how much sleep I get, I do not feel awake until at least 10AM. But when I had school and children to take care of, that schedule is very ?? inconvenient, so I often found myself sleeping every other day or every 3 days so I could be certain to take care of the necessary things of life.
Some people can easily reset their internal clock. I'm 34 years old and I've never been able to yet. Some people simply don't have a steriotypical "normal" internal clock. Find what works for YOU and stick with it. When I'm able to keep my schedule, I am very revitalized and wake up naturally by 10:30 on my own and my dream recall is unhindered.

Thank you both for the feedback.

Originally Posted by Zhaylin

My advice is simply to stop trying so hard to remember. Especially as you're falling asleep. I have found that trying to influence my dreams beforehand or telling myself to remember is VERY disruptive for my dreams.

Absolutely. I actually think this was the exact opposite of the problem. Normally I just go to sleep and think nothing of it, having thoughts of tomorrow dwell in my head before I enter slumber. Lastnight, though, I gave some of that "mantra" a go. I told myself that I was going to remember at least a few parts of my dream. Nothing more; nothing less.

I woke up various times throughout the night, and made it a point to remember the highlights of what I had just dreamed about. I did this perhaps 03 or 04 times... and when all was said and done, when I finally decided to wake up, this morning...

Originally Posted by Zhaylin

The BIGGEST thing that helps my recall is waking up slowly. Since you wake up to an alarm, perhaps you could try ignoring the alarm on weekends or when you have nothing planned?

...I did this, exactly. Recalled a bunch of completely random happenings in my dreams... some of which I wasn't even present for. (As if I were viewing the event from an ominous, non-existent standpoint).

Either way. Regardless of how random or insignificant, I did manage to retain a bit of lastnight's dreams solely by becoming aware of all these dream techniques. It's not much progress... but any progress at all is progress to celebrate.

Originally Posted by Apfelpfankuchen

no problem, if you're looking for some good relaxation techniques I suggest looking in the tutorials section in the archives and check out the '61 point relaxation technique' or take up meditation if you're interested

Definitely going to give this a try. Even without lucid dreaming on my mind, lastnight, it took nearly 02 hours to fall asleep. Literally relaxing and having nothing on the mind... and it took what felt like ages to feel myself begin to grow groggy. Mediation isn't quite my thing... but I've got an open mind and am willing to give it an effort, no doubt.

Originally Posted by Entropy

...I did this, exactly. Recalled a bunch of completely random happenings in my dreams... some of which I wasn't even present for. (As if I were viewing the event from an ominous, non-existent standpoint).

Either way. Regardless of how random or insignificant, I did manage to retain a bit of lastnight's dreams solely by becoming aware of all these dream techniques. It's not much progress... but any progress at all is progress to celebrate.

That's a great way to view it! Even a little progress is still progress. For some people it just takes longer to build recall, but in the end it can be a worthwhile venture

All the advice I would have given has been said. Using a DJ helps out so much, even if you just write down key points in the dream(s). When you wake up, just try to recall whatever you can, be it a color, a character, a place, an emotion, etc. Often if I can remember one or two details then more will come back to me if I work backwards.

Sweet dreams!

Congratulations!!
May you have many more happy dream adventures and recall them all

Ah Entropy I'm glad you had some level of success and it sounds like it worked quite well. Did you end up writing your dreams down in your journal? Another suggestion for relaxation techniques which is one I use is called reverse blinking. It gets you tired fairly fast and is actually a way to induce sleep paralysis. Not sure the exact link, but I know the thread is here on the website so just use the search option

I actually just jotted down the randomness. The "dreams" just felt like a bunch of very brief, sporadic, short events. Nothing enjoyable, nothing scary... they literally stirred no emotion. At least, none that I can remember.

But regardless of how random, I did jot down everything I could remember. I'm already on the lookout for reoccurring themes or events. I think I have my work cut out for me, though: not once in the dream was I able to look at my hands, find a clock, hold my breath, or do any of the basic Reality Checks I've been practicing.

Reverse blinking? Wow, just the name alone sound intriguing. Consider it Googled. I know that when I was younger, I used to look around the room in a really wild, crazed motion. I imagine my eyes - darting from the ceiling to the floor, to the sides, to the corners... everywhere - must have made me look insane... but after 30 seconds or so, they get worn out. And once the eyelids began to relax... I was gone. That was quite a while ago, though... and depending how your recommended Reverse Blinking works, I may or may not have to try it again, sometime.

My dream recall has increased a lot since I started a dream journal, but since you don't remember them at all we'll have to train your body to remember them.
The first thing you must do, is when you want to wake up keep your eyes closed!! This helps me recall dreams so much. Another thing, don't start moving instantly, or you'll forget be still keep your eyes closed and try and remember that dream which is quickly disappearing. Then right it down immediately.
If this doesn't work, since you listen to music anyways slip a binaural beats cd in. I use one called ipoddrug, if you are familiar with torrents you should have no problem finding the ipoddrug cd, or you can buy one of the net. Listen to it when you sleep(through headphones is better) and it can increase your chances of dreaming more vivid and possibly lucid dreams, which I think would help with recall.
Also, if you'd like post a dream journal on this site, I'd love to read how your progress with dream recall is going based on what you write down, that is if you don't mind.

Hey, DK, thank you much for taking the time to reply. I'll definitely have to look into that iPod Drug album. I don't really (can't really) fall asleep with headphones on, but I'll at least give it a go over the speakers.

I've been meaning to update this thread for a while now, actually. Since the original post that's been made, I've been able to recall dreams every single night, to this day. I do just as DK recommended - lay in bed with eyes closed, and make an effort to recall the dream(s).

Sadly, I have work first thing in the morning, and don't have time to jot down what I recall. I'm considering at least trying to jot down key-words or elements that I can ponder on when I get home, to try to remember the dreams in more detail.

I have, however, remembered a handful of dreams throughout the week. And the best part is... they're making more sense. They're actually continuous -- one night in particular involved two or three dreams that were all in the same setting, getting chased by the same people. This is leaps & bounds in progress, compared to the first "scraps" I initially began to remember, at the start of this thread.

The night before last, I actually had a dream in which I was researching lucid dreaming. A lot of the facts/methods didn't make any sense, but it felt real... I had no idea it was a dream. Which is where my current roadblock is: being conscious enough to perform a reality check, mid-dream. That'll take some time, though, I imagine.

To recap this post - after reading around and trying some of the advice here at DVF, I've been able to recall the majority of my dreams on a nightly basis. I haven't been keeping them in a journal, sadly, but since they're becoming more coherent, I definitely will begin to.

I'll try and set up a public dream journal. I can pretty much guarantee there won't be anything interesting to read until I can go lucid, though.

Ahh Entropy we're pretty much at the same point, you and I. I've just been working on my recall and right now I remember about 2-3 dreams a night. I wake up and jot down what i remember in a little scrapbook and then throughout the day i bring it with me adding things that i remember. Later I put it in my actual dream journal i bought and add the finishing touches. I just bought the book from Stephen Laberge "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" and I HIGHLY recommend it. It has so many steps, background info, FAQS, scientific backgroud, exercises, and then it goes into techniques for inducing them and what you can use them for. Really an AMAZING book, a must have for sure.