and I've been wishin I could buy me a wishin well and throw in every penny I own.
I've got moonlight and a warm June night, all that's missin here is you, me and the
moon have never been so blue
INTENT
The path to recalling your dreams begins with intent. Is it your intent to remember your dreams when you sleep? Your state of mind before entering sleep is crucial to dream recall. Thinking about remembering your dreams before sleep provides a focus for your thoughts.
These thoughts will hold the imagery of your dreams in your mind when you awake.
PREPARATION
Your intent to remember your dreams is not just what you think before sleep. It is also what you do before sleep. Large meals less than four hours before bedtime is not advisable. Large meals could cause excessive drowsiness and abnormally deep sleep. The more lethargic
you are before sleeping, the less likely you will awake with recollections of a dream. If you must eat before retiring, foods that aid brain function are preferable as meals. Avoid foods that have a sedative (dairy) or stimulating (tea, chocolate, etc. . . . ) effect.
Sedatives create an intent to rest rather than dream. Stimulants may interfere with sleep and hold concerns other than dreaming in your thoughts.
SLEEP TIME
Plan to sleep at least six hours a day. The more time you devote to sleep, the less tired you will be, and the more likely you will awake to recall and record your dreams. A plan to record your dreams is also important to dream recall.
RECORD DREAMS
Planning to record your dreams reinforces your intent to remember your dreams. A pen and pad at bedside are the most inexpensive and common mediums for recording dreams. However, a tape-recorder at bedside is preferable. Tape-recording dreams allows you to capture the imager
of your dream quickly and visually.
BEFORE STIRRING
When you awake from a dream, try not to stir right away. Roll to your left-side, close your eyes, breath smoothly, and think about the dream images you can recall. Think about the last images you remember then trace your recall backwards through the dream. You may remember more of
the dream than you thought you could.
SUBCONSCIOUS ASSISTANCE
Your effort to recall your dreams tells your subconscious mind that you want its opinion of your life. Sensitive to this message, your subconscious will fill your dreams with imagery from experiences that it knows you will encounter when you awake. It uses these experiences to aid your
recall of a dream. If you ever said or heard someone say, "That reminds me of a dream I had . . . ," you are a witness to the remarkable ability of your subconscious mind.
To awake without recalling or even considering a dream is like living part of your life in darkness. Your dreams illuminate what you do not or cannot consciously see. They are telling you that something is influencing your life about which you should know. Although you may not always
understand what is influencing your life, you should at least know that something is. Although you may not always understand your dreams, you should always try to remember them.
*by Ken Howell
