10 Tidbits for Total Recall
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 at 10:07AM When you hear talk of Total Recall, film visions of Arnold Schwartzenegger may rush into your mind. You may also reflect on key strategies to unlock dreams. Its possible to engage in self-hypnosis and help jog the memory and follow the thread back home.
Whether you are a pregnant mum wishing to connect deeper to your unborn child, a student or reasearcher focused on dreams as a problem-solving tool, or wish use dreams for other reasons, its helpful to know you can train the mind to recall dreams consistently and with more clarity. The silent power of focus is quite startling.
As you gain confidence with basic recall, you grow aware of different layers dreaming and astral travel. Consider ten tidbits for deeper recall. They are offered for your consideration. Share your experience. Never underestimate the power of intention.
1) Develop greater conscious awareness. Learn to savor subtle nuances all around you when you’re awake. If you aren’t already choosing to recognize how you use your senses, how can you expect to train yourself to multi-sensual heighten awareness while asleep? Start simple: think about noticing new beauty in details on route to work. Do you detect odors easily? What did you feel of trees in bloom, or even the prickly weeds that grow in your lawn? Notice the things you typically disregard.
2) Meditate. Check out books, instructional CDs or local meditation groups if it’s unfamiliar. It’s a kind of mental training that requires discipline to teach you to move between conscious and unconscious states at will. This is not a process of forcing yourself to exert effort to quiet the mind. Its about shifting attention away from noise and choosing to focus on messages your body is already sending and also listening.
3) Create sleep rituals. Deciding to regularly get a good night’s sleep promotes clearer thinking and reflection in the morning. Do what you do to unwind. Some people read. Others engage in sex. Whenever you’re ready, prepare to sleep. Lay back flat. Take a few minutes to relax all muscles. Make a habit of saying aloud, “I will remember my dream.” Tell other people of your intention to do this. Verbalizing makes it stronger.
4) Keep paper and writing implement nearby. We begin to recall fragments of dreams as symbols or images. It makes sense to record whatever you recall whenever you awaken. You need not make sense of it right away. Don’t get up and brush your teeth or use the toilet beforehand. Change in temperature (outside bed) and altered perception of surroundings tends to affect dream recall. The fewer movements and disruptions, the more you’ll find you’ll remember.
5) Develop a 'pre- get up' routine. Plan to awaken without an alarm or before an alarm. To be shocked awake may lead you to lose the dream thread. Keep your eyes closed. Ly still. Tell yourself to permit dream images to surface. Imagine following a thread back through whatever events are still accessible within your unconscious. Repeat what you sense aloud. Record what you remember; objects, sensations, moods, feelings, colors, or anything. Explore possible significance later.
6) Share your dream thoughts. Choose people with whom you would like to relay your dreams. In some cultures, this is common practice among families from childhood. Speaking about dreams can make the experiences feel more real and can bring on revelations about their meanings. Other people may help shed some light, but ultimately, you’re the best person to decipher your own dreams.
7) Explore creative memory process. As you interpret your dreams, explore drawing, painting, sculpting, gardening, pottery, or other appealing pursuits. Dreams aren't always easily described in words, but you’re not limited unless you choose to be. Make self-discoveries. Sense new inspiration and revelations.
8). Listen to your gut. Tap into your inner self. This is where dreams come from. Pay attention to signals your mind is giving you. Notice your perception of time and space changes based on your emotions and susceptibility to raised consciousness.
9) Keep a journal. Make notes in a diary about what is going on in your life. It may simply be a few lines per day. This kind of regular, conscious reflection will help you discern patterns in emotions, feelings and behaviors you remember in your dreams. If you are writing a work diary, pregnancy journal or keeping notes for other reasons, you may notice correlations between night dreams and reflections you transcribe elsewhere. Everything is inter-connected. Dreams are internal messages inviting you to see this more clearly.
10) Tap into the power of mantras. Mantras are a repeated series of words with psychic effects. Some people listen to mantra music like O mani padme hum as a way to relax with eyes open or closed. Some people repeat mantra chants when falling asleep or when awakening into conscious awarness. The words and stressed vowels of mantras stimulate chakras, which heighten sensitivity in astral realms.
"A man is a genius when he is dreaming." - Akira Kurasawa
Reader Comments (6)
I agree with all of these juicy tidbits. I would also add that perhaps one could have a tape recorder by the bed just incase they don't feel like waking fully to write them down. Relaxation is the key, but I have also noticed that when one is overly tired, dreams seem to be rampant. I know that the Mayans used to share their dreams over breakfast as part of their daily ritual.
Understanding dreams is an asset to understanding life.
Thanks for the tips!
D~
http://blog.dreambuilders.com.au/journal/2009/5/29/contribute-to-my-new-dream-ebook.html#entry4123207