Dream Journaling Instructions & Prompts

There are plenty of blogs explaining why remembering and exploring your dreams is helpful. I won’t tell you about this. Instead this is meant to be a practical guide to help you remember and explore your dreams.

Note: thinking about remembering your dreams in waking life has been shown to improve your chances of remembering your dreams at night.

Dream Journal Instructions:

• Keep your dream journal within reach of your bed. 

• When waking up, try to remain as still as possible in your body. Let the dream memories come to the surface while half-asleep. (The more you move around or move abruptly the faster you’ll forget the dream.  

• Lay completely still, keep your eyes closed, go over the dream you just had with intentions of writing it down.  

• Write your dreams down as soon as possible (while still moving slowly and gently) after waking up. This is the single most important thing to do when recording your dreams. 

• Write in the present tense. Write your dreams as if you are currently experiencing them. This can help you to remember the details more clearly. This will also feel like you’re back in the dream when you re-read it and reinforce the memory even further

• Replay it as clearly and genuinely as you can.  Resist the temptation to modify or filter or censor any of your dream content – especially if it’s taboo, disturbing, or nonsensical. 

• Include sensory details. Try to include as many sensory details as possible, such as sights, sounds, and feelings. What happened, where you were, and who was there? This can help you to recall the dream more vividly and to understand the emotions that you experienced during the dream. 

• Record your emotions. Note any emotions that you experienced during the dream or upon waking up. This can help you to identify any unresolved emotions from your waking life that may be affecting your dreams.

• Don’t worry about grammar or spelling. Getting detail down quickly is key—it’s just about content. Scribble half-formed sentences, bullet points, sketch pictures—whatever it is that helps you remember. You can always go back and revise or clarify later if needed.

• Don’t project a narrative onto your dream. If one is present, it will become apparent. Just write down the memories as they come. It doesn’t matter if they seem incoherent or disconnected

• Look at what you associate with the dream elements and what you are reminded of. Just allow yourself to write up your train of thought. 

• If you don’t remember a full dream, write down dream scraps or fleeting impressions. 

• If you don’t have any dream impressions, write about how you are feeling or what you woke up thinking about. If you cannot recall this, write: “I didn’t recall any dreams last night.” Try to write something in your dream journal first thing in the morning. Eventually this should improve dream recall.

• Give the dream a title. Giving each dream a title forces you to sum up the dream into a theme.  Something short and sweet works best, like “Rotten sandwiches at lunch” or “Argument with my sister brings on a bubble party.”  Sometimes these titles can later be instructive as well, as they may contain unintentional puns or admissions.

• Keep track of recurring themes or symbols. Note any recurring themes, symbols, or patterns in your dreams. This can help you to better understand your subconscious thoughts and emotions.

Here are some dream journal prompts to get you started:

• What happened in my dream?

• Who was in my dream?

• What was the setting of my dream?
  Take note of the environment of the dream, including any settings, colors, and sounds. Write down the overall feeling or atmosphere of the dream, such as peaceful, chaotic, or surreal.

• What was the main theme of my dream?
  Try to identify the main theme or message of the dream.

• What symbols or metaphors appeared in my dream?
  Take note of any symbols or metaphors that appeared in the dream, such as a bird or a bridge.

• How did I feel during my dream?

• What thoughts did I have during or after my dream?

• How did the dream end? 

• How did I feel upon waking up?

• How does my dream relate to my waking life?

• Were there any recurring themes from previous dreams?

• What might this dream mean?
  Free-write as you analyze and interpret your dream and the meaning it may have for you.

• Note the vividness of your dream

• Did it feel like a long dream? How did time feel?

Are you interested in working on your personal development? Are you looking for a life coach or a life consultant? Are you feeling stagnant? Do you want to jumpstart change?

 My transformational approach is a process where awareness, alignment, and action work together as catalysts to create momentum for change. 

*Awareness is knowing what you genuinely want and need.

*Alignment is the symmetry between our values and our actions. It means our inner and outer worlds match.

*Action is when you are conscious that what you say, do and think are in harmony with your values.

Together we build an understanding of what you want to accomplish, and delve deeply into building awareness around any thoughts and assumptions that you may already have. To truly transform your life, I will empower you to rethink what’s possible for you.

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Learn more about my approach to life consulting and relationship coaching here or get in touch for your free 30-minute consultation here! Don’t forget to follow along @LilyManne on social for more regular updates!