Unlocking the Door: Remembering Your Dreams

If you don’t remember your dreams, your first step is to begin to remember them. If you remember only a few dreams, you will still want to read this to assist you in increasing the frequency of your recall, especially when you need an answer or some clarity on a particular issue.

Be creative; you may discover new and different tools in addition to my suggestions. If you do, email me and share if you care to, so I can pass your wisdom on to others.

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The most basic thing to do is write your dreams in a journal. A spiral bound notebook is perfect -- they are inexpensive (if you are like me you will fill many notebooks over time) and they also lay flat and are thus easier to write in. Keep this pad and a pen within easy reach of where you sleep. You may also want to have a flashlight, penlight, or lamp within easy reach.

Some people use a tape recorder, but then you have to transcribe onto paper. If you think that will work for you better than writing directly to paper, try it.

Before going to bed, do some combination of the following: meditate; spend a few minutes breathing slowly and deeply; give yourself a suggestion to remember your dreams; visualize yourself happily writing down a dream(s).

Get enough rest whenever possible. This is good for all aspects of our lives, and is helpful to our dreamlife.

In addition to doing this course, purchase or borrow from the library a good book or two about dreams and dreaming. Reading about the process will “prime the pump” and send a message to your Dream Self that you are serious. For a list of suggested books, see Dream Resources.

Also peruse a good symbol book. The meaning of your dreams will usually come in symbols so becoming familiar with this mode of communication will also be a positive message to your Dream Self.

Once you have a dream or two, give it some time and attention, play with it (rather than “work” on it) and see what you can come up with. This sets up a “dialogue” with your Dream Self, and encourages it to continue speaking to you. More information on learning to "play" with your dreams can be found in Symbolic Dreams.

Keep a record of your dreams; that is why using a spiral bound notebook is good. If you regularly work with dreams you will find reasons to want to refer back to previous dreams. It also gives the subconscious mind a further message that you really value the dreams.

Honor each dream in some way. Spending some time playing with it and looking for understanding is honoring it. But so too is taking an action based on the content (increasing your intake of vegetables if that seems to be what the dream is suggesting) or spending a moment thanking the Dream Source (which is YOU). If you have dreamed about flying kites, you may want to go to a park and fly one some windy afternoon, just for fun. You could also honor your dream process by occasionally setting aside an hour or two to do nothing but read through a section of dreams, looking for things you might have missed before. Whatever you do to honor your dreams does not have to take a long time or involve much effort. Keep it simple.

Maybe the most important thing is to MAINTAIN A PLAYFUL ATTITUDE. Spirit is not heavy and rigid, despite our training to the contrary, so approach your dreams with patience and humor and a spirit of fun, and you will be surprised at how much you will gain.

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Many people ask why they don’t remember their dreams in the first place. There are several reasons. In our western culture we are generally not taught that they have any value. In fact, many of us are actively taught the opposite. We are also not taught to go within to find our answers. We are an outward seeking society; we seek advice and solutions from all manner of outer “authorities,” never thinking that we may ultimately be our own best authority.

After years of neglect, the Dream Self is used to being quiet. We also have free will in this dimension and do not have to listen to it; being of Spirit, the Dream Self is not going to force itself on us. So, ask and you shall receive... “Hey, Dream Self, I just learned that you are there. I am looking forward to getting to know you. I am waiting to hear from you, starting now, ok?”

Give some of the above suggestions a try. Be patient. And move onto the next sections of this course, because even if you don’t have any of your own dreams to work with yet, you can still explore the incredibly interesting world of symbolism and enjoy the fascinating and inspiring stories of what other people have experienced with their dreams, until the river of your own dreams begins to flow.

Note: Although these articles can help you a great deal, many of the concepts are best learned in person from Julia herself. If you are interested in a workshop, class, or an individual session, please contact Julia!

Do you have a dream you would like some help interpreting? Call Julia and she will give you analysis or just a nudge in the right direction. Read on for more information!

Contact Julia to schedule an event!

Note: for more information on dream symbols, see Symbolic Dreams.

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