Dreams are a fascinating thing. They are pulled from the creative center of the subconscious mind while you sleep. While some struggle to remember their dreams, others are able to recall many of the details. The stories; Frankenstein, Terminator and Twilight came from dreams. Much of Edgar Allen Poe s poetry was inspired by his dreams. Paul McCartney created the melody for the hit song Yesterday in a dream and Albert Einstein credited many of his ideas to his dreams. As you can see, dreams can have a profound impact on your life and the world. Since ancient Greece, dreams have been associated with health and healing. It s said they allow you to subconsciously work through different choices you need to make. Dreams allow you to test drive different options and work through the outcomes prior to making a final decision. Generally speaking, dreams reside in one s short-term memory so they only stay with a person a few hours to a few days at most. However, if you document these dreams, they will transfer to your longterm memory and stay with you forever. Keeping a dream journal is a perfect way to document your dreams. A dream journal does more than ensure you remember your dreams. It can help you make sense of them. It allows you to observe and analyze your subconscious mind. It can help you learn a little more about yourself. Dream journals can help you work through life s challenges, subconsciously solve problems and come to terms with various situations. Journaling in itself is very therapeutic and can lead to better psychological and emotional health. It can help regular negative emotions which may in turn lead to fewer mental and physical ailments. Using a journal allows you to detect patterns in your dreams. It allows you to see reoccurring themes, images, characters or events. Once you re able to see these items, you can better dissect them. To ensure you re making the most of your dream journaling efforts: Plan to write in it every day. Even if it s only a few sentences, take a few minutes each morning and write what you recall about your dream. Record everything. Sights, sounds, feelings, smells, the more details you can recall, the more it will help as you go back through your dream at a later date. Include a descriptive title for each dream. This will help you capture the essential idea of what the dream was about and solidify it in your long-term memory. If later in the day or even a few days later, you recall something new about a previous dream, go back and document it. As you review your dreams, make note of any patterns or themes. Underline anything that seems important or is repeated throughout several dreams. Look at the data to see if it s telling you anything. Is there something you can take from it and apply it to your life? Is it your subconscious telling you do something that you ve been avoiding? Is it trying to help you work through some tough choices? The following pages can be printed as your first dream journal. It contains 10 prompts to get you started along with some quotes to keep you motivated. There is no right or wrong way to journal about your dreams. The practice of recalling, documenting and analyzing your dreams is where the power is.
When and where did the dream take place?
Who was present? Describe your relationship with each person - both in the dream and in real life.
What happened in the dream? Include as much detail as possible. Add the sounds, sensations, objects and facts you were aware of. Underline the details that seem the most significant..
Was there anything unusual about the people, places or events in the dream?.
Have you had this dream before? If so, where there any familiar elements to it?
Is there anything happening in your life that may have influenced the dream?.
Does the dream teach you anything? What can you take from it and apply to your life?.
What do you think the dream, or parts of the dream, mean?.
What were your thoughts, reactions and feelings during the dream? If you don't recall, what were your first thoughts and feelings when you woke up?
Are there any words or images that you can associate with the dream? If possible, sketch any images that come to mind.
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A dream, which is not interpreted, is like a letter, which is not read. ~ The Talmud
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Dreams are only thoughts you didn't have time to think about during the day..
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A dream that is not understood remains a mere occurrence; understood it becomes a living experience. ~ Carl Jung
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Dreams say what they mean, but they don t say it in daytime language. ~ Gail Godwin.
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The general function of dreams is to try to restore our psychological balance. ~ Carl Jung.
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In a dream, you are never eighty. ~ Anne Sexton.
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Dreams are road signs along the nighttime highway of sleep. ~ Terri Guillemets
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A nightmare is only a dream that hits turbulence. ~ Terri Guillemets
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A dream is a microscope through which we look at the hidden occurrences in our soul. ~ Erich Fromm.
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The best reason for having dreams is that in dreams no reasons are necessary. ~ Ashleigh Brilliant
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Dreams are free therapy, but you can only get appointments at night. ~ Terri Guillemets
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I don't use drugs; my dreams are frightening enough. ~ M. C. Escher.
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The dream is the theater where the dreamer is at once: scene, actor, prompter, stage manager, author, audience, and critic. ~ Carl Jung
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Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives. ~ William Dement
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All the things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams. ~ Elias Canetti
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I think we dream so we don t have to be apart so long. If we re in each other s dreams, we can play together all night. ~ Bill Watterson
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Dreams digest the meals that are our days. ~ Terri Guillemets.
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I was never able to agree with Freud that the dream is a facade behind which its meaning lies hidden a meaning already known but maliciously withheld from consciousness. ~ Carl Jung.
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