Remembering Dreams and Improving Memory

This morning I was reminded of the frustration that can result from the inability to remember a dream that was once very clear. Yesterday, I took a nap in the afternoon and remembered two dreams upon awakening. The second one seemed more important, so I focused on its possible meaning. After that, I dismissed it, certain I could later recall it when I was ready to record my dreams.

When I recorded my dreams from last night, I intended to include the two dreams from my nap the previous afternoon. I easily recalled the first dream, but I drew a blank for the second one. For a brief moment, I found it frustrating because I was certain I would have no trouble remembering it.

If you find yourself in this situation, don’t despair. Leave space in your notebook for recording the dream later and continue with your daily activities. You will discover that something that seems completely unrelated can often trigger your recall of the dream. In my case, I went through my normal morning routine and then drove to a mall. Later when I returned home, as soon as I stepped into my house, the dream flashed back into my mind. I can now record it with full details.

Of course, the dream is never really gone from your mind. It has simply gone into a part of your consciousness that is not easily accessed at will. 

One approach to recall a forgotten dream is to just relax as you do when entering meditation and give yourself suggestions that you will easily recall the dream. Often, you will find that the memory of it will pop back into your conscious mind. 

You should never tell yourself that you have a poor memory and cannot remember your dreams. By so doing, you reinforce to your subconscious this condition.

Another approach is the one I took. I avoided being stressed out about it. I forgot about it and just carried on with normal activities. Later, the forgotten dream popped back into my conscious mind without any effort on my part.

The use of suggestion in a relaxed state is a good way to improve your memory. You can do this by feeding suggestions that affirm you have a perfect memory and can easily recall any information you desire. The repetitive message eventually reaches your subconscious, which tries to make it reality. You may have to play with the words to get a phrase you are comfortable with, but if you are persistent, you will see results. 

Unfortunately, many people do the exact opposite of what they should do. As they age, they often complain that their memory isn’t what it used to be. They convince themselves that their memory will continue to deteriorate as they get older. The subconscious, being fed this message repeatedly, accepts it as fact and responds accordingly.