Show Notes
Dreams are some of the most interesting experiences of our lives, but they're all too easy to forget.Motivation is the key to memory - so you need to figure out why you want to remember your dreams.
Reasons to Remember Your Dreams.
Dreams take time.
- We dream 4-7 dreams per night. That’s about two hours total per night or over 6 years of your life spent in dreamworld.
- Just because you don’t remember your dreams yet doesn’t mean you didn’t dream.
Dreams help you solve problems.
- Our conscious minds absorb data during the day. As we sleep, our subconscious minds process and make sense of the data.
- The advice to “sleep on it” is responsible for several artistic and scientific breakthroughs.
- Paul McCartney came up with Yesterday in a dream.
- Mary Shelley created Frankenstein in a dream.
- Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity, Dmitri Mendeleev saw the periodic table, and Renée Descartes realized the framework for the scientific method – all in dreams.
- Jack Nicklaus changed his golf swing in a dream.
- Elias Howes invented the sewing machine partly because of a dream.
6 Kwik Tips to Remembering Your DREAMS
Just remember the acronym DREAMS.
D stands for Decide.
- Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Make the conscious choice to recall your dreams before you go to sleep.
R stands for Record.
- The act of recording your dreams trains your mind to be more sensitized to them.
- Keep a pen/paper or a dedicated dream journal by your bedside, and get a penlight if you can’t see.
- You can also take audio notes on your phone.
E stands for Eyes.
- Keep your eyes shut within the first few minutes of waking up, which is when most of our dreams disappear.
- Keeping your eyes closed will help you to reflect on your dreams and not get distracted by your environment.
A stands for Affirm.
- Have you ever had to wake up at a certain time and told yourself you would, and then woken up a few minutes before your alarm?
- Affirm that you will remember your dreams. Set the intention before you sleep.
- Repeat this out loud to yourself: I will recall my dreams. I will remember my dreams.
M stands for Manage.
- Manage your sleep because you need deep rest to have your dreams.
- Keep a regular sleep routine, clear your mind before bedtime, and practice good sleep hygiene.
S stands for Share.
- Share your dreams and talk about them with others.
- The more you acknowledge your dreams and bring them to the surface, the easier it is to remember them.
The ability to recall dreams is a skill learned through practice and persistence. Don’t get discouraged if it takes you some time to remember your dreams. The more you work at it, the easier it will become.
- If you need more help, consider our Recall Masterclass. This 12-week program is the most advanced online memory training in the world.
One interesting side effect of remembering more of your dreams is lucid dreaming.A lucid dream is a dream in which you are aware you are dreaming.When you lucid dream, you can have adventures, solve problems, and undertake creative endeavors in your sleep.If you want to listen to a Kwik Brain episode on lucid dreaming, let me know on social media @jimkwik.