Keeping a Dream Journal

A dream journal will be your best friend when it comes to recalling your dreams and being able to lucid dream. Even if you are able to lucid dream every night it won’t matter if all of these experiences go forgotten. In this article I will lay out a few steps to help you keep an organized dream journal.

An excerpt from a dream journal (by Jesse Ferguson)

Step 1: Get a notebook

This step may seem quite obvious but I remember when I first tried recording my dreams as a kid, I would just write on scrap paper. As you can probably guess, this made a mess when trying to go back and read what I had written. Invest in a proper journal/notebook in order to keep everything organized.

I’ve seen some sites that offer online journals or people who write their dreams down on the system notepad; I advise against this as it takes too long to get up, start up a computer, open your browser and then start typing. You also don’t have the freedom to draw symbols and pictures as you do with pen and paper. If you have good dream recall and choose to have an e-journal it might be good for searching as you can search using keywords. But still, I’d stick to pen and paper.

Step 2: Strategic placing

Don’t waste time searching around for your dream journal once you wake up. Place the journal on a nightstand or someplace within arms reach of your bed. By the time you have to get up, remove the dream journal from a drawer and start writing you may have forgotten key details of the dream, so do yourself a favor and place it in an easy to access area. Also have a pen with the journal at all times. It might also help you to keep a bookmark at the next blank page so you don’t have to search through the journal for one. Make sure there is a light by your bed within arms reach so you don’t have to getup to turn any lights on before writing your entry.

Step 3: Organize your thoughts

The first thing you should do after waking up and actively trying to recall your dream is write it down. Once you get some key ideas on paper try to organize your journal by dating each entry. This is very important as it will help you track your dreaming progress and see which techniques worked best for you.

You should always write dreams in the same tense. I recommend writing your dreams in the present tense as it places you in the moment and makes recollection easier.

Step 4: Don’t worry about mistakes

Grammar and spelling are very important when writing. However, a dream journal is for your own reference and doesn’t need to be perfect. Do not bother trying to spell things correctly as it will distract your mind from recalling the dream and preoccupy yourself. Write things as they sound and you can even use shorthand or made up words if they will help you get your thoughts down more efficiently.

Step 5: Draw!

Drawing in your dream journal can help you remember specific details where words cannot properly describe them. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t that great of an artist, a few simple sketches can sum up more than words ever can. But don’t get too carried away drawing if it’s going to distract you from remember the rest of the dream. I stick to simple sketches in my dream journal although I occasionally draw more detailed images only after I’ve written down the dream.

Step 6: Keep a good habit of writing

Write every day if possible. Sometimes you wake up and are late for work and just can’t spare the time to write down your dreams. Don’t worry, this is inevitable. Some dreams will go forgotten but once you are an experienced “dream recaller” you’ll be able to remember your dreams without writing them and can update your journal at a later time for the sake of organization.

Final Thoughts

These tips are by no means necessary to improve your dream recall. Every person is different and what works for me may not work for you. That being said, these tips have all greatly worked for me and many others so they will probably help you recall your dreams.