Dream Journal - Journaling Tool

Our dream world allows us to peek into the subconscious mind – the mind that controls 95% of what we do, think and say.

“Dreaming is an act of pure imagination, attesting in all men a creative power, which, if it were available in waking, would make every man a Dante or Shakespeare.” – Francis Herbert Hedge

Dreams are often direct messages from our subconscious. They can connect us with deep-seated issues and old personal and collective programming. Dreams may also bring messages from our higher guidance and intuition. Higher guidance also comes through the subconscious. As a result, these messages are often filtered and coloured by our subconscious programming. Dreams from both the subconscious and our higher consciousness give us key opportunities for growth.

Dreams present us with two unique challenges. The first is to remember them! We all know how quickly dreams can evaporate. That’s why it’s important to keep a bedside dream journal so you can capture your dreams on paper as quickly as possible. You may want to attach a small book light to your journal.

The second and greater challenge is that the language of the subconscious is indirect, symbolic, vague and metaphoric. This is right brain territory that easily baffles analysis by the rational left brain.

If you are interested in doing dream work, create a strong intention before you go to bed that you are going to wake up with full recall of your meaningful dreams or insights. When a dream is fresh in your mind, write it down. Capture as many details as you can – images, thoughts and feelings. It helps to remain in a quasi-dream state as you write. Give each session or dream a title that makes it easier to remember.

Look at dreams from the point of view that every element of the dream represents some aspect of who you are. All aspects and characters are different faces of you. Review your dream journal often to see cycles and re-occurring symbols.

EXERCISES

Record your dreams for the next few weeks. Pick the more clear and powerful ones and apply the questions below.

Getting started:

• What was the overall theme of the dream?
• How did the dream develop? Identify the beginning, middle and end.
• Identify the key characters, locations and objects in the dream and freely associate other words or meanings for each of them. What do each of these people and things mean to you?

Go deeper:

• Overall, how did you feel in this dream?
• What were the conflicts or contradictions, if any?

Reach higher:

• What need does the dream address?
• What values or archetypal energies are conveyed in the dream?
• Were there any unnatural images, which often represent paradoxes or higher truths?
• Create a dialogue with key components and/or the meaning of the dream.

“You are the product of your own brainstorm.” – Rosemary Konner Steinbaum

Go back and check out our other 50 Journaling Tools.