Keeping a Dream Journal

Keeping a dream journal is by far one of the best ways to work with your dreams. But it’s very important to write down your dreams first thing in the morning. Dreams are ethereal things, and tend to fade the moment we awaken.

Date
It is important to date when you had your dream because somehow it’s related to your waking life. When you have the dream, the date may not seem significant, but if you go back and read it at a later date, you may see then that it was connected to a specific event.

Name your dream
When you name your dream, you honor it, and it gives you a connection and point of reference. Later on when flipping through your dream journal, you’ll likely remember the dream just by seeing the title, and you may see if there is a connection between it and other dreams you’ve had.

Main characters
Every character in your dream is important because they represent some aspect of yourself, or a person you know. When writing about your main characters, give a full description: what they looked like, how they acted, and how you felt about them.

Animals
Where there any animals in your dream? Animals are powerful dream symbols, even when they appear only briefly, so write down every detail, even the ones that seem insignificant, along with your feelings about the animal.

Location
Dream location is important. A dream that takes place on the water will have a vastly different meaning from a dream that takes place in a tree house. Pay attention to location, the elements, and the weather. Were you in a natural setting, or was it more sterile?

Color
Were there prominent colors, or was your dream in black and white, or gray scale? Sometimes dreams that appear more vivid in color than what you normally dream have a more powerful message to share.

Actions
Actions are directly related to the meaning of the dream, so note what are you doing in the dream? Are you active? What are you doing? What are others in the dream doing?

Symbols
Everything in the dream is considered a symbol, not just the characters. Planes, trains, birdcages, and everything will have some sort of significance, so write down anything that you can remember, even if you think it’s not important. It may be that simply thinking on the dream a while, or maybe a dream you have at a later date, will help to make the connection for you.

Emotions
It could be said that emotions are the key to your dreams. How you feel about what is happening says a lot about the message coming through from your sub-conscious. If you are frightened, the dream will most likely be about dealing with fear. If you are excited, it may be related to something you are doing in real life that is moving you forward.

Every detail in a dream says something about our state of mind, and how we are dealing with life. By keeping a dream journal we honor the information that is given to us, and tap into that vast resource of inner wisdom.