Keeping a Dream Journal

Keeping a Dream Journal A

by Leon Titus

nyone that is really serious about decoding the messages in their dreams will need to keep a good record of their nightly adventures. Although keeping a dream journal is fairly simple, it does take self-discipline. Dreams may not always represent something that is happening now, or even in the near future, and so keeping a dream journal is a wise and necessary thing to do. I was shown something in a dream that didn’t happen until years down the road, so I was sure glad I had it written down. Because of that, I was able to refer back to my notes and make sense of the dream. To keep a successful dream journal will take more than just writing down your dreams, and looking them up in a dream dictionary. You will not only need to keep record of the time and date of your dream, but also the food and drink consumed before bedtime. Some people even keep track of the moon phases. The more information given on the conditions surrounding a dream, the better chance you will have of figuring out what contributed to the dream. But because this is about keeping dream journal and not a book about dreams, I won’t go into detail about all the things that could influence and affect our dreams, so it’s a good idea to do some study on the subject. You will need access to several dream dictionaries in order to get started; I would suggest between three and five dictionaries. The reason for this is that dream dictionaries don’t always match up or agree on all interpretations. It’s not because one is right and the others are wrong, it’s because there are as many opinions and ideas on what a dream could mean as there are people dreaming. However, even with the best dream dictionaries, there could be let downs. Sometimes you will simply not be able to find all, or even part, of your dream in a dictionary. Truthfully, you are your own best interpreter. Along with looking your dream up in a dream dictionary, you must also think about what the symbols in your dream mean to you. Reading a few books about dreams, or looking up information on the internet, is also a good idea. You will need a basic understanding of what dreams are about in order to keep a successful dream journal. You don’t necessarily have to write down every dream you’ve had for every night of the year in order to keep an accurate journal. Only between 20 and 30 percent of what is dreamed is of any concern to the dreamer. You will know the dreams that actually mean something, as they will stand out from the rest and are not easy to dismiss; they may be vivid, or have a certain feel to them. Yet, there’s nothing wrong with writing down every dream you can remember, but you may go through a lot of dream journals that way. Remembering Your Dreams First of all, self-discipline will be needed in order to keep an accurate dream journal that you can refer back to later on down the road. It takes more than just waking up in the middle of the night after having a life changing dream, and thinking that because it was so powerful, you will remember it in the morning. I know for a fact that it seldom happens. Your dream needs to be written down. This means that once you have awakened from having a dream, you must lay still, run the dream through your mind a few times, and write down key words. I suggest having a note book and a couple pencils on your night-stand. Although it’s not necessary to write down the whole dream in the middle of the night, you will need to write down the main symbols and anything that stood out. You’ll want to write down colors, characters, the feeling of the dream, and so on. That way, when you wake up in the morning and go over your notes, you will have a more complete dream to write in your journal. There have been times when all I had to do is write down one or two words on my notepad. A lot depends on the individual, how deeply they sleep, and how good their memory is. Making a Dream Journal In your dream journal, you’ll want to include a place to write down the time and date of your dream. That way, you will know when you dreamed the dream, and be able to see if a pattern is taking place. For example, some people dream more vividly around a full moon, or a certain time of the month. A lot of people have found that they are more likely to dream at a certain time of the morning or night, so keeping track of when we dream is very important. Even the weather can affect the way we sleep, and therefore, it can affect the way we dream. So include a place to write down the weather conditions on the night of the dream; whether it’s hot, cold, humid, dry, or a thunder storm weather conditions can affect our sleep. If it’s very windy outside, you may hear the wind in your sleep, therefore

34  Dream Codes Mag

giving you a dream of being in a tornado. If it’s storming outside and you can hear the thunder, you may dream that you are being shot at, or that a bomb went off. So the weather conditions can most certainly affect our dreaming. Medicines will affect our dreams as much (if not more than) anything else, and so it a good idea to include a place to write down all medicines being taken by the dreamer. Different medicines do different things to different people. Even taking an aspirin can mess with a dream. Medicines taken for a physical problem will affect your dreams in a different way than taking medicines for depression, or a mental issue. And so, as you can see, it is essential that all medicines are written down. It was proven long ago that the food and drink we consume before bedtime can have an effect on our dreams. So include a place to write down all food and drink taken within three hours before sleep. Although all food and drink will contribute to what and how we dream, some foods are more likely to give us bad dreams or nightmares. Of course, a lot depends on the individual and what they are used to eating. Spicy or strong foods may cause you to not sleep as soundly as you should, but if you add desert on top of that, like a big bowl of ice-cream, your dreams may not be pleasant ones. If you really want to hone in and be specific, even small snacks should be written down. Although common sense will tell you this, I will still point it out; alcohol, just like medicines, will most certainly mess with your dreams. Strong drinks will cause dreams to be mixed up, twisted and never making sense. Of course, a lot depends on how much you drink, and the time of day consumed. Yet it doesn’t necessarily have to be alcohol you drink in order to manipulate your dreams. Even milk may cause you to dream differently than drinking soda, or lemonade before bedtime. So any food or drink consumed throughout the day(and especially before bedtime) will affect our dreams. Last of all; include a place to write down any physical, mental, or spiritual issues you may have. Our physical condition really contributes to the way we sleep also. Just having a headache, backache, or any pain, will interfere with our dreams. Being worn out from a tough day at work will contribute to the way we sleep. And if you have a severe illness, it will defiantly manipulate your sleep and dreams. The clearest dreams come from the people that are in good physical shape. By eating right, exercising, and having a good positive attitude, you are more likely to have clear, helpful dreams. There is a lot that can be said for the mental condition of a dreamer. In my book, Dream Codes, I explain the importance of having a balanced mind. When a person’s life is full of turmoil, grief, and stress, it will play out in their dreams. Without a settled, peaceful mind, your dreams will never be 100%, so any issues you are facing (as far as what’s on your mind) should be written down also. Remember, what we dwell upon is what we experience. So whether it’s a permanent mental issue, or just a temporarily tough time in your life, it should be written down. Our spiritual beliefs can either block, or let in, negative or positive influences. Religion can either help or destroy a person. If you believe one thing, yet God is trying to get your attention in a way that you don’t believe, you limit yourself, and may miss the message simply by not challenging your own perspective. The same goes for the other way around; you may believe something that is not right simply because you were raised to believe it. These are all obstacles that affect, and even limit what we dream. Perhaps you simply don’t know what to believe? Maybe you’re in the middle of trying to figure things out? Perhaps you were raised to believe one thing, yet are considering another? I’d say that when it comes to our beliefs, check things out for yourself. Don’t just take someone else’s word for it. You may be missing out. And prayer before bedtime never hurts. So as you begin your dream journal, remember - dreams are known as the language of the soul: They are spiritual, so they must be addressed, and interpreted, from a spiritual point of view. Most of all, you have to accept the good with the bad. If you truly want to improve your life, then you need to be open to the truth about you or someone you know. Often times we don’t like the truth about ourselves, yet if we want answers and guidance from our dreams, then the truth about one’s self is what needs to be accepted. So don’t be lazy. When you have a dream of importance, write it down. Study up on dreams and be open minded to spiritual things. Keep good record of your dreams and be sure to think and read about dreams before bedtime. Just like watching a wildlife show and then dreaming about animals, often times the last thing we see or hear before we go to sleep is what we dream about. So wake up and dream! Thank you.

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