Where can I begin sorting through my dreams?
Around midsummer, my dreams began changing and I’d like opinions on how to go about interpreting them, remembering them more clearly, engaging myself in them, waking up well-rested and keeping my dignity through it all.
For example, there are occasions I injure myself while dreaming: I’ve woken during the course of a dream with bruises down my thigh or my fingernails gashing my arm open. Worst of all, I can never remember the accompanying dream.
Also, I have been dreaming about the same person every night for almost two months and would like to examine this further.
My questions for you are,
-What is the best way to explore your own dream life?
-What tips can you give me for lucidity? Clarity? Ability to remember?
-What do you know about the examples I have given?
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6 Answers
Keep a pen and notebook by bed. The minute you are conscious enough to write, describe and transcribe the dream. Maybe after several months you may see a pattern. Look beyond the images to the feelings they engender.
you can look for FAQ’s and other useful information on achieving lucidity. probably random people on Fluther.com won’t have a lot of information. I don’t myself because I have found lucidity hard. I do agree with gailcalled’s suggestion about keeping a journal. make sure to do it regularly and jot down the dreams ASAP after you wake.
just about essential. I also want to recommend an online community at http://www.ld4all.com. not the only lucid dream community but (I think) the biggest and a longlived one with the friendliest people I have encountered on any online community, bar none. at least check out their FAQ which has basic tips and terminology related to LD’s.
melatonin may or may not increase lucidity and dream recall. I have not studied it systematically.
I was having some terrible dreams so now I have a massive collection of dream encyclopedias! I recommend any of them, here are a few titles for you:
The Hidden Meaning of Dreams by Craig Hamilton-Parker he explains how to remember your dreams through a dream journal and how to wake yourself up during REM sleep.
The Gypsy Dream Dictionary by Raymond Buckland is ok for references and a different spin on the meanings!
I would avoid dream dictionaries and encyclopedias. The meanings and references your brain assigns to specific images are unique and can only be interpreted by you. Gailcalled’s suggestion is a good one.
I’m worried about your injuries to yourself while you sleep. Have you ever been evaluated by a sleep doctor?
Beta_Orionis said it. a number of my dreams have had meanings. most have no meaning. like with writing fiction… sometimes after writing something I notice that I have unconsciously used allegory or symbols which I hadn’t realized at the time, though not always.
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