I have kept a dream diary for a long, long time. Dreams have been an important part of my life since I was young, and they always will be. In fact, one of my consistent yearly goals is to write in my dream diary every single night. I haven’t accomplished that goal yet, but I’ll keep trying. Until then, I write it my dream diary almost every night, and I recommend you do the same.
My First Introduction To A Keeping A Serious Dream Diary
When I turned 20, I got this book as a gift. That was 20 years ago! My friend knew that I was curious about dreams, and this book was something to help me explore them further.
I still have the book today.
It’s full of dream symbols and stories. It also introduces you to paying attention to your sleep habits, which was something I had never thought of before this book. And it teaches you how to remember your dreams.
It also helps you start to create your own dream symbols. This is so important to do if you want to understand your dreams better. Your dreams are personal to you. They often reflect your fears, thoughts, anxieties, and successes. You need to be able to understand what things mean to you in order to understand what your dream means and interpret it.
For instance, what does the ocean mean to you? Instead of looking up what dreaming about the ocean means in a standard dream dictionary, reflect on what the ocean means to you and why it would show up in your dream. To me, the ocean means peace and vacation. It also represents fear, because as much as I find the ocean calming being beside it, I’m terrified when I’m on top of it. So depending on the context of my dream and what else is happening in my dream, I know what it represents to me. No dream dictionary would be able to tell me that.
That’s why I recommend people write down the symbols they remember in their dream… the things they remember the most. And then they can decide what those symbols mean to them in order to start interpreting their dream.
This book is perfect for people who want to start interpreting their own dreams instead of relying on other people to interpret what their dreams meant. But, it still has some dream interpretations inside of it too. You can buy it on Amazon if you’re interested.
6 Reasons To Keep A Dream Diary
If dreams interest you, then I recommend you keep a dream diary. I’ve done it since I was young, so I have a few good reasons why it’s important.
1. Helps You Remember Your Dreams
The more you practice waking up and remembering your dreams, the more you will be able to do it. I have no problem remembering my dreams unless I’m startled awake and need to take care of an emergency. Even then, I can usually still recall my dreams.
The habit of writing in your dream diary turns something on in your brain that helps you recall your dreams easier. So, if you are struggling to remember your dreams, making the intention to keep a dream diary will be the first step in remembering your dreams more clearly.
2. Helps You See Issues That You’re Having More Clearly
This is the most important reason I’ve found to keep a dream diary. While keeping a dream diary, you will start to see patterns in your dreams and understand why they are coming up.
For instance, I often dream of flying when I’ve feeling good and on track in my life. I used to think that flying was just about flying, but in my dream diary I normally write down what’s going on in my life and how my dreams may apply to what’s happening, and I’ve noticed that flying comes up when I’m feeling great.
I also sometimes dream about working at an old job that I hated. And, I’ve realized that I dream about the place in general when I’m feeling concerned or unsure about my business.
In addition, I sometimes dream about my husband leaving me or cheating on me. Before, I would have been worried that this was a prophetic dream. But, because of my dream diary, I know this usually happens when I’m not connecting with him enough and feel like we are not getting in enough quality time – even if I’m not consciously aware of it before the dream.
I could go on and on about this, as I have a lot of symbols that help me recognize issues I’m having more clearly. And, sometimes my dreams help me recognize what only my subconscious knows, such as worries, insecurities, and fears that I’m not consciously aware of.
If you are into dream interpretation, then you will want to record your dreams nightly. Doing so will help you become familiar with your dream symbols.
You will learn how to interpret your own dreams, and the dreams of other people, by understanding how emotions and symbols go together in dreams to reveal issues and messages that you may not be aware of.
3. Helps You Have Lucid Dreams
I’ve talked about the best technique I’ve found for having lucid dreams on this site before. But, my dream diary also helps me have lucid dreams.
The more I dream about silly stuff, the more I practice my flipping hand technique to lucid dream. If you haven’t read the lucid dream article, this is where I flip my hand back and forth to watch for changes, which would indicate that I’m dreaming.
I also ponder the idea of becoming lucid next time I have that kind of dream.
For instance, I often have dreams where I need to call a number, but I’m unable to call it. Usually, it’s 911 or something easy like that. I know that I’ve never been able to dial a number in my dreams – because I’ve written about it so much in my dream diary. So, I know that when I’m unable to dial a number, I’m dreaming. I often become lucid in my dreams when I can’t dial a number because of this awareness.
There is nothing better than lucid dreams where you can talk to your dead relatives, ask questions, and just do whatever it is you want to do in a world without limits. A dream diary can help you do that.
4. Helps You Prepare For Or Prevent Future Issues
Before my dog got sick, I had a dream about her getting sick and hurting her back. She ended up having problems walking not long after and going downhill before we could do anything for her. I often wonder if I had paid more attention to the dream if we would have been able to fix the issue at hand.
I don’t ignore dreams like that anymore. Yes, they may not come true, but I would rather be prepared for or prevent bad things than do nothing.
Ninety-nine percent of the time bad dreams have more to do with my current issues than anything. But, when I can’t figure out the meaning of a dream, and it feels like it should have meaning, I take the time to change what I need to change or check out what I need to check out.
5. You Can Recognize How Far You’ve Come
Just like with a regular diary, my dream diary is a place where I can go back a few months or even a few years, and see what was going on in my mind at that time.
Sometimes I’ll find that I’m still struggling with the same issues I was having in the past. Because of that, I’m able to make working on those issues a priority. In other words, it’s great for my personal development.
I can also recognize how far I’ve come. I can see my common dreams, the interpretations I had, and realize that I’ve grown and gained a lot of awareness. It’s a great way to remind yourself that progress is being made, even when you don’t feel like it.
6. Pay Attention To That Part Of Your Life Most People Ignore
I know your dream life can have a big impact on your waking life if you just tap into it. So many people don’t remember their dreams and waste their dream life and what it has to offer.
Your dream life is a time when you can tap into your subconscious mind and discover all those things you are not aware of while you are awake. It’s a great time to get information that helps you grow as a person and understand yourself better. Why waste it?
Keep A Dream Diary, You Won’t Regret It
I’m pretty sure you won’t regret keeping a dream diary. You will learn a lot about yourself and get more connected to that part of your life that you don’t normally connect to.
Challenge yourself to keep a dream journal and experience some benefits for yourself. I’m willing to bet you will be hooked and you will never need to search for someone to interpret your dream for you again!
