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Working with dreams, whether psychologically or magically, requires building a relationship with them, but many people are alienated from their dream life. In this thread I spell out eight practical suggestions for how to improve your dream relationship and recall. 1/thread
Often, dreams are like wild animals that bolt and disappear into the recesses of the wilderness of their psyche almost as soon as they are spotted. Some people even go so far as to say that they do not dream. I doubt very much whether this claim is ever accurate. 2/19
(1) Dream recall is improved by getting sufficient high quality sleep. Insufficient or fragmented sleep contributes to a lack of REM sleep and poor memory consolidation. Sleep hygiene is therefore paramount. Only use your bed for sleeping and sex. No phones in bed. 3/19
(2) Keep a dream journal. Have a physical journal and special pen that are dedicated to the task. You can use your phone or computer, but having implements committed with a clear intention can help focus your unconscious mind on the task. 4/19
(3) Explicitly set an intention to remember your dreams just before you go to sleep. State your intention out loud to remember your dreams. Using this technique has been very powerful for me, allowing me to remember thousands of dreams over a decade of dream journaling. 5/19
The specific words you choose for your intention are less important than your conviction and clarity of intention. Mine has adapted over the years, but what I say is: “Hi, ego. Please help me remember my dreams and write them down when I awaken.” 6/19
In addressing the ego, I am recruiting the part of my psyche involved in day consciousness that is responsible for rational functioning, asking it to ally with the irrational, unconscious parts of my mind rather than relegate them to forgetting. 7/19
(4) Meditate before bed. I meditate each morning, but I have found that the extent, volume, and specificity of my dream recall significantly improves with just five or ten minutes of meditation shortly before bed. Prayer and relaxation can also be beneficial. 8/19
(5) Sleep with symbolic objects pertinent to dreaming under your pillow or at your bedside table. Tarot cards, stones, sachets of herbs, and similar items can provide a concrete symbolic link to solidify in your unconscious the intention to remember your dreams. 9/19
(6) Ingest oneirogens, or substances ingested to augment dream recall. Please do your research before taking any herb or supplement, and remember that this is not medical advice! Over the counter pharmaceutical oneirogens include B vitamins, 5-HTP, and choline. 10/19
A few naturally oneirogenic herbs that can augment dream recall include mugwort, wild lettuce, blue lotus, and African dream root. Please use caution and do your research into the medical properties and cultural contexts of any herb before you use it in your practice! 11/19
(7) Rituals can augment this link in your mind, and help solidify an intention to record your dreams. For one thing, you can ritually dedicate your tools (journal and pen) to your intention to remember and record your dreams. 12/19
If you have an active ancestor veneration practice, it can be helpful to make explicit requests for them to provide you with communication in dreams, if you have developed a relationship with them that supports such petitions. 13/19
From a planetary perspective, Agrippa describes dream talismans using images of the Sun, Saturn, Mercury, Venus, and the Moon. Dreaming is a complex phenomenon, and so it is not surprising that different perspectives can be taken on how to approach dreaming. 14/19
Astrologically speaking, dreaming is associated with the ninth house, which is where the Sun rejoices, and so solar petitions can be helpful. You can also call on Mercury Kthonios—Hermes in their psychopomp role—to provide insight into the underworld of dreaming. 15/19
(8) Build your dreaming muscles. Invite all dreams in equally and treat each dream as if it was a special creature that you were seeing for the first time. Write down everything you remember of every dream, even if it seems mundane or trivial, without judgment. 16/19
Just as how in a forest some creatures like squirrels & sparrows show up casually whereas other creatures like deer & foxes are more shy, so too some dreams are less amenable to day consciousness. Build trust and relationship with your dream ecosystem. Respect all dreams. 17/19
On this point, do not ignore or neglect bad dreams. It’s okay, of course, to steer clear of traumatic dreams. I have found that by treating non-traumatic nightmares as just another constituent of my psyche like any other, they disturb me less and less over time. 18/19
Hopefully these recommendations help spur you forward in your dream journeys. If you like, you can also check out a more detailed version of this thread on my website:
https://www.rainmasonphd.com/writing/cultivating-dream-life
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https://www.rainmasonphd.com/writing/cultivating-dream-life
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