Ever wake up from a dream and feel like you’ve taken a trip to another world? That’s because you have – into your subconscious mind! When you dream, your brain takes the opportunity to run wild. Every night, you can get a little close to understanding what’s really going on in there. If you’re holding back anger, stifling sadness, or denying something to yourself, chances are, your dreams will reveal it. Here are four reasons to keep a designated journal by your bedside.
Make sense of your feelings. Dreams grant you access to your subconscious mind – your unrestrained desires, your true beliefs about yourself and the world. Most of them, you probably didn’t even know you had because you don’t let yourself feel during your waking hours. Some dreams may seem completely nonsensical, but those feelings all come from somewhere. Pay attention to the symbols that pop up and the way you feel and react toward them. When you record them, the message will be so clear that you’ll almost always learn something.
Creative inspiration. Dreams are often the birthplace of artistic invention. Thez can be analyzed as a way of explore other levels of consciousness. Whether you’re a painter or a writer, making use of the symbols you see in your dream offers another metaphor to use, another way to present ideas artistically. For example, seeing water in your dreams symbolizes your emotional state. What’s under the surface of the water? What colour is it? Is it placid or turbulent? What’s beneath it? Check out Frida Kahlo for inspiration, who’s art often depicts her dreams.
Start your day off right. Starting your day by jotting down a few notes on your dreams is a nice way to start off with some “me time.” Even if it’s 5 minutes, you’ll feel more in touch with yourself all day. Be sure to write as soon after you wake up as you can. If you wait too long, your rational mind will add things to the dream to make it more coherent.
Have more lucid dreams. The best dreams are the ones where you know you’re dreaming. Keeping a dream journal can increase the likelihood of having these super fun dreams because it makes you more aware of yourself in the dream state. You can create lucid dream triggers by taking note of a symbol you often see in your dreams and reminding yourself to become lucid whenever you see it. It helps to put a picture of it by your bed and look at it before going to sleep.
