Hello Nexians,

I am Spangles, very new member.Cosider this (cut me some slack) if I cover a topic that has been covered already and probably better than this technique which I propose.
BACKGROUND
First off: my professional qualifications. I studied mental health counseling at the graduate level from 1991-1993. Practiced in psychiatric hospita for 1 yr part time, worked in substance abuse treatment center for poor for 1 yr (early 90's characterized by transition from 90% alcoholism to 50% alcoholism/25% crack and coke addiction/10% benzos/15% other (near 0% marijuana) Bio/Psycho?Social issues shifting from primarily male/divorce/legal to:increasing female ratio/Aids epidemic/crime epidemic/dysfunctional family issues/draconian legal system of War on Drugs'higher unemployment/racial issues.
Also counseled 6 mos at methadone Tx facility,6 mos for MAJOR US Health Insurer as telephone cnslr both acute and esp referral to national providers at appropriate local level to clients (dispatcher so to speak)
FORMAL STUDY
Freud, some Jung, some Reich, mostly behaviorism, and Rogerian/60's "3rd Wave psychology. Also formal study in newer, less prolonged treatment methods including Solution Focused Brief Therapy methods. Also Developmental Psych/DSM classification/psych testing(eg Myers-Briggs but NOT Rorschach,TAT,subjective tests.

PROPOSED DREAM RECALL TECHNIQUE
Clean, fast, simple & effective.
Upon waking from vivid dream cycle:
1. Avoid distractions eg making coffee, getting dressed, anticipating day ahead, looking oustide, family interaction etc IF POSSIBLE.
2. Refrain from grabbing pen and paper at first...that can be done later.
3. Close eyes in dark room,
4. USE ANALOGY TO VIDEOTAPE TECH.
A. Recall first impressions BUT DO NOT DWELL, beause the dream is like quicksilver.
B. REWIND dream SEQUENCE by recalling other aspects/settings of dream episode in reverse sequentilal order by saying (ALOUD) STOP,REWIND,STOP,ZOOM,REWIND, etc.

Hopefully this simple technique will enable you to explore the dream in depth for interpretions within next hour and day or days.

Lately, I don't pay much attention to what little I can remember of my dreams, but maybe I'll change that.

Best way for rememebering everything, from start to finish is taking a short nap. I usally can remember everything that happend from falling asleep til I wake up.


But a warning to the wise, if you became to good at it. you will remember everything you dreamt since you fell asleep. Sleep will feel more like, wierd speedthinking after awhile. And sure it can be nice, and may not be permanent. Just be careful not to try it too much.

The starting process is understanding how the unconscious mind works, for me it helps to think im watching an episode of some show when falling asleep, let there be silence. feel your mind speeding up, imaages will "appear", they become more real the deeper you go. All thats needed is to be semi aware of it. just a tip : )

And writing down it can be a very good idea in the start

i never knew about this process before now but some of the best recall ive had is waking up then laying and going over the nights dreams as u explained. i have been slacking in the dream department lately because if i do it to long i tend to bring the lucidity into daily life but its so beneficial for me to work with my dreams on a regular basis.