The Dream Sourcebook: A Guide to the Theory and Interpretation of Dreams by Phyllis R. Koch-Sheras Page A
Authors: Phyllis R. Koch-Sheras
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as a dream directorand as a dream interpreter. Getting into the habit of writing down your dreams also increases your dream recall and will give you even more material to work with in future dreams; characters may come back, situations may surface as your dreaming mind remakes some of the classics (or flops!) in your past. This book's companion volume, The Dream Sourcebook Journal , states: "Keeping a dream journal is a way to give to your dreams and to have them give back so much to you."
Give some thought to the kind of notebook you want to use for your dream journal. There are some lovely blank books on the market, as well as books such as The Dream Sourcebook Journal which is specifically designed for dream journaling that include instructions and formats for recording dreams. Some people take great pains to make their own, complete with a specially designed cover with a picture of significance to them; a spiritual or inspirational figure, for example. But a plain spiral notebook can work just as well. Left-handed dreamers may prefer a top-bound spiral notebook because it is so easy to use, improving the flow of dream images to the page. Of course, if you're in a pinchon the road or at a friend'sany scrap of paper will do, so long as it has sufficient room for you to get it all down; you can transfer your notes to your official journal later. Still, we recommend that you take your dream journal with you when you travel; in our experience, many people remember more dreams when they are in an unusual location or strange surroundings.
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What to Write Down
In a word, everything. The more detail, the better. Putting down as much as possible gives you more to work with, and hones your dream-recalling skills for further work on other dreams. Pay attention to all aspects of the dreamthe colors, lighting, location layout, size of things, direction of movement, sounds, and so onand record them, no matter how trivial or embarrassing they seem. they could prove to be quite significant later. Don't pay attention to how you are writinguse it as a means to an end. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation can all come later, as you go back over what you've written (or do not edit it at allremember, this is your journal, and you don't have to share it with anyone, so you can misspell away!). The important thingthe essential thingis to get the dream down on paper before it slips away. Even fragments are valid, because they may lead to further recall later.
Journal Format
To get the most out of your dream journal, you'll want to create a consistent format, a way of doing things that stays basically the same no matter what the dream. Establishing a format regulates your dream recall and makes dream interpretation easier. You can also go back and find things much more easilyeven years laterif you know exactly where to look for them. We recommend the following format, which you can adapt to suit your needs as necessary:
Date: Write the date and day of the week in the same place on each page each time. Again, you may choose to write the date down the night before as part of your dream preparation; write either that night's date, or the following day's, but be consistent.
Tense: Write down the dream in the present tense, as though the story is happening before your eyes.
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NOT: I was in a big, dark castle. BUT: I am in a big, dark castle.
Recounting the dream in present tense brings the story and feelings to life, and helps increase dream recall by putting you back in the moment of the dream. If this way of storytelling does not come naturally at first, don't worry. Write it down however you like. You'll get the hang of reporting dreams in present tense in time, and it will soon be automatic.
Content: Write down everything you remember, even if these are only fragments or pieces of images that don't make sense to you yet. Much of the time, just starting to write down the dream will bring more of the dream back to mind, including
Give some thought to the kind of notebook you want to use for your dream journal. There are some lovely blank books on the market, as well as books such as The Dream Sourcebook Journal which is specifically designed for dream journaling that include instructions and formats for recording dreams. Some people take great pains to make their own, complete with a specially designed cover with a picture of significance to them; a spiritual or inspirational figure, for example. But a plain spiral notebook can work just as well. Left-handed dreamers may prefer a top-bound spiral notebook because it is so easy to use, improving the flow of dream images to the page. Of course, if you're in a pinchon the road or at a friend'sany scrap of paper will do, so long as it has sufficient room for you to get it all down; you can transfer your notes to your official journal later. Still, we recommend that you take your dream journal with you when you travel; in our experience, many people remember more dreams when they are in an unusual location or strange surroundings.
Page 127
What to Write Down
In a word, everything. The more detail, the better. Putting down as much as possible gives you more to work with, and hones your dream-recalling skills for further work on other dreams. Pay attention to all aspects of the dreamthe colors, lighting, location layout, size of things, direction of movement, sounds, and so onand record them, no matter how trivial or embarrassing they seem. they could prove to be quite significant later. Don't pay attention to how you are writinguse it as a means to an end. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation can all come later, as you go back over what you've written (or do not edit it at allremember, this is your journal, and you don't have to share it with anyone, so you can misspell away!). The important thingthe essential thingis to get the dream down on paper before it slips away. Even fragments are valid, because they may lead to further recall later.
Journal Format
To get the most out of your dream journal, you'll want to create a consistent format, a way of doing things that stays basically the same no matter what the dream. Establishing a format regulates your dream recall and makes dream interpretation easier. You can also go back and find things much more easilyeven years laterif you know exactly where to look for them. We recommend the following format, which you can adapt to suit your needs as necessary:
Date: Write the date and day of the week in the same place on each page each time. Again, you may choose to write the date down the night before as part of your dream preparation; write either that night's date, or the following day's, but be consistent.
Tense: Write down the dream in the present tense, as though the story is happening before your eyes.
Page 128
NOT: I was in a big, dark castle. BUT: I am in a big, dark castle.
Recounting the dream in present tense brings the story and feelings to life, and helps increase dream recall by putting you back in the moment of the dream. If this way of storytelling does not come naturally at first, don't worry. Write it down however you like. You'll get the hang of reporting dreams in present tense in time, and it will soon be automatic.
Content: Write down everything you remember, even if these are only fragments or pieces of images that don't make sense to you yet. Much of the time, just starting to write down the dream will bring more of the dream back to mind, including
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