In our adult lives, due to a lack of connection to the spirit world and our own soul, most of us just laugh off our dreams only to forget about them by lunch time. But, both science and religion have found that dreams are actually a big part of our lives that can help us. Many people are seeking to learn more about lucid dreaming as it becomes less socially taboo to take up the metaphysical arts as a legitimate path of self-healing.
In the most basic sense, tracking and interpreting your dreams can help you realize unresolved fears are blocking you and release them. It can also help you recognize your truth and even help you discover your deepest desires. Your dreams can help you see when something in your life isn’t good for you and, in certain moments, they can help you see a change that is coming. More than anything, your dreams reveal emotions you’ve stuffed down so you can deal with them before they get the best of your emotional or physical health.
We are all familiar with the messy emotional residue we wake up with after an unpleasant dream. However, in the dream world, all dreams appear only to help you. The good news is, you can learn how to interpret them and be done with that bad feeling you get. But first, you need to make sure you are able to remember them.
Here are some tips to start your dream journal habit as well as how to enhance dream recall.
How to Keep a Dream Journal
First, you want to find a notebook that you can keep next to your bed to use for your dream journal. Don’t use it for anything else. Keep it by your bedside at night so that you can write down anything if you happen to wake up during the night.
Next, before you reach for your phone or even get out of bed in the morning, instead, reach for your dream journal. Take time to write down what you remember, no matter how vague the images or storyline. Even just writing down the feelings you remember having is useful.
You can also use the journal to write down any important or prevalent symbols you research in a dream dictionary. There are many common themes in dreams that you can look up to help unlock the meaning of them for you. Your journal will allow you to see how often you dream about a certain thing when you look back so that you can see what the subconscious is affected by the most.
You may want to keep this book, The Dream Dictionary From A to Z, next to your bed for assistance in interpreting your dreams, or use our free online dream dictionary. Just because a dream dictionary offers an interpretation doesn’t mean that it’s the exact meaning of your dream. Your intuition will help you understand why a dream is showing up for you; everything in your dreams represents a part of you.
Practicing dream journaling and interpretation regularly will help you understand the allegories that are presented to you in your dreams (an allegory is essentially a story or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden or layered meaning).
Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of setting an intention. The more often you take time to set the intention to remember your dreams before going to bed, and the more often you spend time writing those dreams down, the more you will remember them. You will start remembering longer stories, smaller details, and eventually you’ll be able to have and remember many dreams in one night.
Be patient with your process, as dream recall works similarly to exercising a muscle – you have to do the work to strengthen your abilities over time.
And, for you perfectionists out there (especially you, Virgos and Capricorns), especially when you’re starting out, just write down the parts that feel most important to you. Don’t let yourself get too obsessed with understanding every detail or you’ll never get anything done!
Herbs to Enhance Your Memory
If you have trouble sleeping or are not getting restful sleep, it will be harder to remember your dreams. Luckily, dreams have been studied by cultures for a very long time and it’s been found that certain herbs help induce more vivid dreams and help you sleep more peacefully.
Of course, you always want to look up any possible interactions an herb may have with medications you’re taking and be advised that certain herbs have been found to interfere with the effectiveness of birth control. If you have a medical condition, consult your physician before taking an herb. There are many herbs that induce peaceful sleep and a good amount that help dream recall.
Silene Capensis: The African Dream Herb
The Xhosa people of South Africa use this herb to connect to their ancestors in their dreams. They will pose a question before dreaming and use the herb to induce more vivid dreams. Start out with a low dosage to see how your body responds – and only after confirming with your doctor. You may wish to combine a 2 cm piece of the silene capensis root with ginger, honey, and cinnamon to make a special dream tea as well.
Calea Zacatechichi: The Aztec Dream Herb
This herb can help induce vivid dreams and lucid dreams. It is recommended that one take it after sleeping for 4-6 hours. You may also drink it as a tea before bed. This herb was used by the Chontal Mayan people of Mexico for lucid dreaming and it is recommended that you ask a question before you go to bed so your dream can help you find the answer.
This shamanic herb has been used for divination and studies show it increases brain activity while sleeping. It is well documented that this herb helps with dream recall. Again, start with a low dosage to see how your body responds.
Crystals for Enhanced Dreaming
For starters, moonstone is a good crystal to sleep with. It is also used to ward off nightmares and it is said that it can help you enter the dream world.
Both Herkimer diamonds and moldavite can activate the Third Eye chakra and connect you to higher vibrations. Some people feel too charged up when they hold moldavite so see how you feel with it. If you’re very sensitive it may be too strong.
You can also intuitively choose crystals that you can place under your pillow. Sometimes a certain energy will help you find healing in a dream. For example, you may be drawn intuitively to a crystal that heals sexual energy or perhaps one that helps you recall past lives.
Closing Thoughts…
There is no wrong way to dream journal, but you can’t expect to have or remember your dreams if you don’t put forward a sustained effort over time. Try not to over-analyze your dreams or think that you must figure everything out perfectly. This is still a subjective part of our lives and cannot be explained in black and white.
You’ll drive yourself up the wall if you cling too much to knowing for certain what everything means. Approach your dreams knowing they probably mean what resonates the most with you – it doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.
A great way to approach dream journaling is to follow the retrogrades and Moon cycles. You’ll find the Moon, especially when it’s full, can make your dreams much more vivid. Often a Full Moon brings dreams that are much easier to recall. During a retrograde, our subconscious is looking to the past to heal so we can see what themes come up during that time to help us know what we can release.
People are much more educated about the link between dreams and astrology today, and you can see how the planets affect your dreams by knowing what’s going on with them. Working with both astrology and dreams can enhance your overall understanding of yourself and how we are connected energetically to everything around us – make sure to check out your free daily horoscope so you’re always ready for anything!
Related Article: How To Remember and Understand The Secrets Hidden in Your Dreams
