We dream every night but are not always able to remember them. Even so, the events encountered during sleep leave an unconscious message which colours our feelings towards daytime activities and problems. However, unless we are really interested in our nocturnal experiences, the chances are that they will fade from our memory soon after waking. If, on the other hand, we accept that they can sort out fact from fiction and offer us solutions to problems that we cannot solve during the day, then our dreams will respond with ever increasing enthusiasm.
To work with our dreams, which really means working with a lesser-known aspect of ourselves, we do need to remember them, and the best way to do this is to keep a Dream Diary. The fact that we intend to do this seems to remind our unconscious in some way, and even those who believe they ‘never dream’ find that, on waking, they soon remember at least one dream. There are no rules related to keeping a Dream Diary, but it helps if you follow a few practical, simple guidelines.
The best book you will ever read about dreams is the one you write yourself. It is, of course, none other than your own Dream Diary, so begin this today.
the commitment
Make a special effort to purchase a suitable notebook and pen specifically for the purpose of recording your dreams. This practical commitment is the first step towards understanding your inner self; it is also ritualistic in alerting your unconscious to the fact that you acknowledge that which it has to offer.
Once you have your diary and pen, place them by your bedside and make sure that they remain in the same place. Should they not be there on waking, you may well have lost a most valuable dream by the time you have found them.
the number, time and date
It is important that you number each dream. You will then be able to see how many you have each night and how many over a period of time. You will find this varies considerably, a variation which you may be able to associate with the time of year, personal problems, positivity, negativity or other personal factors.
If the exact time you have a dream is known (this coincides with waking time) write it down as well. This encourages serial dreaming. For example, should you awake at 2am and write down a dream, you can then, with a little practice, return to that dream, should you wish to.
The date of each dream is most important, too. On looking back, you will find many were prophetic yet, at the time of the dream, such foresight was not recognised. Dating also reveals sequences and serial dreams as well as anniversaries which show the dreaming mind to be a fantastic calendar and cosmic clock in addition to its many other amazing characteristics.
speed
Since dreams fade quickly from memory it is essential that they are captured as soon as possible. This means writing them down immediately on waking. Any delay means loss of valuable material. Reaching for your pen on opening your eyes soon becomes a habit and within a few days you will have conditioned yourself to do this. So, on waking, write down as quickly as possible as much as you can. You can always fill in details afterwards, so if it is a particularly long dream, write down the theme first of all. If you cannot remember anything whatsoever of your night’s events, write down instead your mood. This will give you a clue concerning its theme and message. In fact, the waking mood sets the trend for the day. If it is happy, then the day will at least begin on a positive note. If, on the other hand, the initial mood is gloomy, we feel we have ‘got out of the wrong side of the bed’, as the saying goes, and things may well go wrong from the start.
atmosphere, mood and feeling
The most important aspect of a dream is its atmosphere or mood, in other words ‘the feel of a dream’. This not only colours our day but, when the dream is remembered, it gives a clue concerning its message. A residual haunting, gloomy, romantic or frightening feeling, for example, sets the scene before which the rest of the dream action takes place, so try to think of this as a backcloth for your dream stage.
themes
The theme of a dream reveals the object and subject under observation, so look for this next. It may be a journey, a quest or seeking, waiting for someone or something, or it may be about a fear or hope for the future. There are literal themes as well as metaphorical and symbolic themes, so look for these too. Discovering this tells you the reason for the dream – it also helps to give it a title.
characters, objects, signs and symbols
Next, note the characters seen in your dream. Some will be known to you but others will not. Unknown characters may be acting as stand-ins, that is they represent someone else, or symbolise certain principles in life. A policeman, for example, stands for authority, law and order, just as your mother in your dream may not be drawing attention to herself, but instead represents motherliness and other feminine qualities within you.
‘Characters’ include creatures and monsters. Again, some of these you will recognise, such as pigs, cows, cats and dogs. Others could be mere shapeless things which chase you. When investigating the message behind these, their metaphorical meanings are important. For example, we often refer to others as pigs, cows, cats and dogs-in-the-manger, and the menacing shape is often no more than our own shadow-self who is urging us not to run away from an obvious truth.
When looking for objects in your dreams note any cars, trains, houses, cups, trees, etc. Each of these will have a special meaning in the language of dreams. Among these you may find unrecognisable objects ranging from strange mechanical devices to unusual food, representing latent inventiveness and desires for a fuller, more exotic life.
Signs and symbols will, on occasions, also be found in your dreams. Signs act as signposts indicating which direction you should take in life, whereas symbols offer glimpses of both the inner, personal world and the collective, outer dimension. In these lie apparent answers to the mysteries of life.
movement and travel
Few dreams depict still-life scenes. Most have action in one form or another. Travelling, for example, denotes your way through life – your destinational path. The way you do this in a dream reveals a great deal about the effort you are putting into your life, whether you are ‘taking a ride’ at the expense of someone else, or in control of your own driving force. Walking and running tells you self-generated effort will help you to achieve your aim, whereas travelling on a crowded bus or train warns that you are being carried along with the rest of humanity and it is time to ‘get off the bandwagon’ and stand more on your own feet.
Bus stops and railway stations are resting places but one