Workshops and Projects > Back to Basics Workshop -- May 2008
09b - Recall help is sorely needed
Clairity:
I don't understand it. I have been lucid dreaming since 1998 but still my dream recall has always been poor which is why I seem only to be able to get lucid via WILDs (RARELY DILDs).
I have tried waking up in the middle of the night and even listening to mp3s that are supposed to help with recall (which only seem to make it worse). I have tried B6 and 5-HTP and it seems as tho I wake up and there is simply "nothing".
I seem to have the best recall on the weekends when I can sleep over 9 hours but I don't have that luxury during the work week and even then.. my recall is not "total" but "hit or miss"/"spotty" at best.
When I "WILD", I know that I must wake up immediately after the lucid ends or the details (for the most part) are lost. Even during non-lucids, if I don't wake up but simply go from dream to dream, I will only recall bits of the previous dreams and most of the last but only if I wake up immediately and write it all down before ANY thoughts other than the dream take hold.
Why are others able to recall dreams (or at least fragments) every morning? What is wrong with me? I don't feel stressed, I have a great marriage and a job I enjoy.. so why is my recall so crappy?
I guess that's why I don't read other member's dream journals as I feel a bit of a failure.. which only makes it harder. :'(
Josh:
Don't feel a failure; you aren't!
For me, it's usually enough to simply affirm to myself that I will remember my dreams upon waking up, and then on waking up, I lay real still for a few minutes, as long as it takes to trace back and dream memories I have and transfer them over to waking memory sectors. Have you tried mnemonic methods? It is a lot more powerful than you may think.
For three days in a row this past week I woke up within ten minutes of eight o'clock in the morning, a huge feat for me, without an alarm, and had a few really neat dreams. My recall was, however, down considerably those days. I dunno, but sleeping longer does definitely help. Do you recall anything at all upon waking up, but then forget it as you get up, or is it just blank from the get-go?
Burns:
Are you just in a slump, or have you always have bad recall? If it's just been lately, try not to stress about it... easier said than done, I know, but constantly thinking about it may just make it worse. Sorry I don't have any better advice than that :(
chris31:
Do you have poor memory in other things? Perhaps you just need to train ur memory
Clairity:
--- Quote from: Man of Steel on May 24, 2008, 08:57:21 PM ---Do you recall anything at all upon waking up, but then forget it as you get up, or is it just blank from the get-go?
--- End quote ---
On the mornings when I wake up without the use of an alarm and realize that I was dreaming.. sometimes I feel the dream's details immediately just start to fade away. Other times, I'm just blank from the get go.
--- Quote from: Burns on May 24, 2008, 11:15:29 PM ---Are you just in a slump, or have you always have bad recall? If it's just been lately, try not to stress about it... easier said than done, I know, but constantly thinking about it may just make it worse. Sorry I don't have any better advice than that :(
--- End quote ---
Sadly, I've always had bad recall but I never really gave it much thought until I started trying to keep a dream journal.
--- Quote from: chris31 on May 24, 2008, 11:25:53 PM ---Do you have poor memory in other things? Perhaps you just need to train ur memory
--- End quote ---
Wow, I never really thought about it til you asked that question.. but I do have a poor memory! O_O
I am terrible with dates, names, directions, etc.
I seem to have a great memory for music, song lyrics, dancing, etc.
Thanks Chris31.. this is a great insight for me! I probably need to work on my memory in general.. not just my dream recall. Maybe improving one will improve the other.
Sooooo.. how do I train my memory. ???
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