Have you ever haFogd the experience of waking up in the middle of the night with a dream so memorable, that you thought you would never forget it, only to awake in the morning and it was gone?

­Every time this happens to me, I find myself feeling like something is missing in my day, like I was given something important but forgot what it was or lost it.  Since I use my dreams as a constant guidepost in my daily life, I know that if I have a significant dream, I need to take the time to write it down immediately, otherwise, chances are, I will not remember it.

I think about remembering dreams like the morning fog… Imagine it is early morning and you are looking out over a still, calm lake. A dense fog covers the motionless­ water like a warm, white blanket.  The sun has not yet risen though you can see the dawns glow beginning to lighten the morning mist.  This is that extraordinary moment, briefly visible for a few magic minutes just like the in-between place of sleeping and waking where nothing is yet required of you. Now is the time to record what you see while it is still in sight, for as soon as the sun meets the horizon, the temperature will start to rise and within minutes, the fog, like dreams, will evaporate and disappear.  The birds will begin to fly overhead, greeting the day with their sweet songs and empty stomachs, inviting us into the new day, where unwritten dreams will be forgotten.

If you are dedicated to remembering your dreams, take the time to write them down when you have them, at least the ones that feel significant.  If you find it too difficult to get up in the middle of the night to write them down, try quickly listing the key bullet points of the dream so when morning comes, you will have something to jog your memory. You may not remember all the dream details, but at least you will have something to work with which is better than not remembering anything at all.

As Synesius of Cyrene around 40 C.E. quoted, “Dreams offer themselves to all. They are oracles, always ready to serve as our quiet and unerring counselors.”   We never know what information, guidance communication or new idea may be longing to speak to us through dreams.  Taking the time to write them down immediately upon waking might just hold the key that we have been looking for in some area of our life.

If you are relatively new to working with dreams, below you will find a few tips to help you because learning to remember your dreams is just like developing a muscle; the more you exercise it the stronger it grows.

Keep an open pad of paper, a pen, and a night light or flash light by your bed.  This will keep your conscious and unconscious mind reminded that you want to remember your dreams and keeps you prepared to write them down.

When you awake in the morning, don’t immediately get up.  Upon waking, practice staying in the same position you are lying in, as this seems to increase dream recall.  Try not to think about your daily chores for at least 5 minutes, and just stay in that dreamy waking state with your eyes closed and see what you can remember about the dream.

Try remembering your dream from the last waking image and go backwards toward the beginning, scene by scene.  It is extremely important to write down any messages, numbers, or other significant things first, and then fill in the blanks.  I always write down short sentences or words for everything that happened in the dream first, and then I write the actual dream in detail.  This helps assure a fuller memory of the dream.

If you have any specific questions about dreams or suggestions for dream articles, please email me at Bambi@BambiCorso.com.