"But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi."
Just a short post, the inspiration for this came to me when recording in my own journal.
There are a number of reasons why a person may try to record their dreams. Perhaps you're interested in lucid dreaming, in which case a superior dream recall helps. Perhaps you're trying to find insight into your life. Perhaps, you might just be interested in it for its own sake. Whatever the reason, recalling any but the most vivid dreams seems to be incredulously hard for the average person even a day after they've had it.
As such, I recommend keeping a dream journal. How does one keep a dream journal? At the heart of it, that's all that's needed. However, I have a few suggestions that have helped me:
- Keep it distraction-free. If you set aside a journal only for dream recall, not only is it easier to browse through it later, it also helps emphasize the dreams themselves and to (should you subscribe to it) keep the energy of the journal purely for one purpose.
- Keep it by your bed. Even under your pillow if it helps. This makes it easier to write in when you need to, so you don't need to get out of bed to write in it. This also serves as a reminder to you, especially in the early days. Of course, don't forget to have a pen (with a lid on) nearby as well.
- Write in it as soon as you wake up. Focus on getting everything down. I generally find that the longer I wait, the more I forget, almost exponentially. Often, I forget almost everything within the first half hour. There are few things more annoying than trying to remember something you know you want to but have completely forgotten and you realize the inevitability of having lost it forever.
- Use plenty of details. Not only write down the date and time of your dream, but your general mood at the time, the themes of your dream, and the colors (B/W, full color, color themes, faded). Moreover, leave some space so you can write some commentary later, if needed.
- Make it a habit. Recording your dreams becomes easier if you're used to it;
