Problems with dream recall

Well, I have sort of a problem recalling my dreams. But that always happens if I start to write in a dream journal. I remember in less detail, dreams are less vivid, and shorter. One time I wanted to see if it was just me, wrote in it for two weeks, but the problem stayed. Then I stopped writing any of my dreams, and after a day or two, my recall got much better, and it stays like that. I don’t know what to do, should I keep a dream journal, or just try to remember my dreams?

This is quite strange, usually the first piece of advice for improving dream recall is to keep a dream journal :eh:

Maybe a more experienced member can help you? Sorry I guess this reply wasn’t much help :tongue:

Indeed, that is quite odd. Are you writing the dreams down right away? Don’t force yourself to remember, let it come to you. Once you wake up, take a moment to just let it flow/play through your head.

It’s ultimately your choice of keeping a DJ :content: . We’re all different. You just have to experiment with different approaches to DJing and find one that would work best for you. If you do best without journaling then so be it!

Hope I helped in some way, good luck!

Well, I had the same problem, because when I open the diary, take the pen and start writting I loose some information about my dream in that time. While I write I loose more. So I chose to write in my phone as it’s faster. Then I re-write it in my DJ or Internet (I actually have to re-write more than 60 dreams >.< )

Well, I always remember my dreams from waking up from my bed, so the first thing I would do is to write them down in a DJ. Sometimes if the dream was too long, I would write it down later, of course in less detail. But that problem with dream recall just appeared out of nowhere, can’t say when exactly. Now whenever I write down anything that is related to my dream, next night I won’t remember anything and it stays like that for a day or two.

this is because you “dream eraser” in your brain starts working when you fully wake up, try to not move after waking up and think about that dream, it will help you remember it till you need it :smile:

I do it, but it’s like different. I mean while I don’t move I can’t remember well, but when I start moving I remember more and more to a certain point. That’s strange

When I want to keep a dream diary I take care that I have a pen and paper right next to my bed. It’s unavoidable to move a little bit, to grab the pen and paper. It does not give me the impression that the memory of a dream of mine is “erased” by doing that. The advantage of moving in order to get your pen and paper is that it takes little time and you could start writing when the memory is still fresh, instead of lying around waiting for the dream to get erased.

It could also help to go to bed early enough to be able to wake up by yourself (earlier than your alarm clock says). The very last part of dreaming is usually the best-remembered part, as far as I’m concerned. Having to wake up by an alarm-clock prevents the last part of a dream from happening, a dream can be still quite “subconscious” when you’re woken up and may be harder to remember.

The clarity of dreams or how well they are remembered may fluctuate over time as well (every few weeks or so, in my case?). And I also don’t pretend to remember entire dreams. Just as far as my memory can dig into it consciously. When I go back into the memory of a dream I usually end up in a kind of vaguely remembered early part that I’m not so sure of (where I’m probably the most unconscious).