How to Keep a Dream Journal

Co-authored by Catherine Boswell, PhD

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 References Approved

Dreams are mysterious. There are a number of theories about why we dream, but no one knows for sure which idea is right, or whether each is right to some degree.^{[1]
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Research source}^{[2]
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Research source} A dream journal can be a memory-jogger and an incredible source of insight into your inner world. Keeping a dream journal requires some self-discipline but once you're in the habit of keeping one, it's likely to be a long-term source of reassurance and interest. A dream journal is ideal for you if you want to see recurrent patterns in dreams, recall important aspects needing interpretation, or improve your dream recall more generally. Ultimately, it should be a fun exercise and one that helps you to make sense of your subconscious world. Here is how to keep a dream journal, the diary of your inner soul.

Things You Should Know

First, buy a journal and place it next to your bed for easy access.
Right when you wake up, write as much of your dream down as possible, including all the details you remember and tons of vivid adjectives.
Start interpreting your dreams using knowledge from books, online resources, and especially your own personal intuition.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Getting Prepared

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Find a suitable journal.^{[3]
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Research source} There are some pre-made dream journals out there but they are not necessary and in many ways, it's a lot more fun and creative to make your own. The types of things that are helpful to bear in mind when choosing a suitable journal include:
- Length: Are you planning on recording your dreams for a year journal, or a shorter or longer amount of time? Think about how detailed you want your entries to be each night; this plus the length of time you aim to record your dreams for will indicate the length of the journal that you need.
- Ability to move the pages around: If you want to be able to sort pages into themes (for example, "Recurrent Dreams", "Dreams about dogs"), etc., then it might be helpful to use a looseleaf notebook that lets you reshuffle the pages easily. Use a quality binder to keep such a looseleaf journal intact.
- Jottings: The ability to add in jottings that you've written down elsewhere can also be important. Make sure that the journal has space for adding in scraps of paper, etc.
- Don't forget to get a suitable marker. If you want to write in different colors for specific themes or recurrent interpretations, keep this in mind when purchasing the markers.
- Consider finding a tin, basket, or other storage item for your dream journal and markers. This allows you to keep all the things needed sitting neatly and ready for use at any time.
- Consider using a travel cover or protective case for your journal if you travel a lot and want to take your dream journal with you wherever you go.
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Make physical space for your dream journal.^{[4]
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Research source} A dream journal is best written upon waking up, so the best place for keeping it is next to your bedside. The problem with rummaging for something to write on is that you're likely to forget your dream in the meantime, so make sure you can easily reach your dream journal!
- If you have it in a container like a tin or a basket, it can be easily moved about and into a drawer or cupboard space when cleaning or to keep away from prying eyes.
- Another good idea is to keep a book reading light by your bedside. If you wake up in the middle of the night and feel compelled to write down a dream, an easily accessible light will enable you to do this before forgetting the dream.
- If you prefer speaking into a recordable MP3 player, be sure to have it handy and to keep the dream journal files in good order, and to transfer them regularly to a back-up. It doesn't hurt to keep around some spare batteries, too, in case you forget to turn off your MP3 player during the night and you need to make a new entry in a hurry.
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Write in the date for the next entry after finishing an entry. That way, you don't have to spend time worrying about the date when you first wake up and can just get down to writing the dream. Some dream journal writers like to write the next day's date is after the journal entry for that morning is completed, others prefer to write it in the night before as a "readying ritual" of sorts.
- If you do write in the date the night before, you might also like to note down how you're feeling. The feelings that you are experiencing may have an important influence on the dreams you experience during the night, so keeping a quick note of these can lead to insight later on.^{[5]
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  Expert Source
  
  Catherine Boswell, PhD
  Licensed Psychologist
  Expert Interview. 29 December 2020.} It can be especially helpful as a good reminder for those jolting "a-ha!" or "pull-the-rug-from-under you" type dreams which can sometimes feel as if they appeared out of the blue.
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Arrange the journal appropriately for recording the dream. There is no right or wrong way to prepare the dream journal or to record in it but you can help yourself by making the linkages between dream and interpretation a little easier to spot.
- Column method: If you draw a column down the middle of each journal page, this allows you to write down the dream on one side of the page, and then to write the possible interpretations down on the other side of the page, directly opposite each part of the dream being interpreted.
- Write then follow up: If you don't like cramming things into columns, simply follow a process of writing down the dream first, then following up with the interpretation under the dream write-up. After all, writing down the dream is the most time sensitive part and should be given plenty of space; interpreting the dream later on is less urgent.^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Catherine Boswell, PhD
  Licensed Psychologist
  Expert Interview. 29 December 2020.}

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Documenting and Interpreting Your Dreams

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Dream. Use your usual method for falling asleep and dreaming. You might find it helps to remind yourself that you expect to be writing up your dreams in the morning, so that you have a focus in your subconscious on the importance of remembering your dreams.
- See wikiHow's many dream articles for ideas on having, controlling, and influencing your dreaming.
- It's a good idea to use a beeping or ringing alarm rather than a radio or music alarm. The talking or singing might distract you from remembering the contents of your dream. If you're fine with waking up without an alarm, that's even better and a lot more peaceful.
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Write down your dreams. Upon awakening, begin recording your dreams. If you can, hold off on visiting the bathroom until the dreams are recorded because any interruption between waking and recording can lose the dream, or its principle points and edginess. With more experience and practice, you may find this isn't such a problem and recall becomes easier but for the beginner, the fewer distractions the better.^{[7]
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- Record everything that you can remember. At first it can be difficult to work out what to write down and to distinguish thoughts that may be creeping into your awoken mind from memories about your dreams. With practice though, you'll soon be able to recall the things that the dream has told you. Include characters, symbols, colors, textures, feelings, actions (such as flying or swimming), interactions with other beings, shapes, and anything else that the dream raised.^{[8]
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- Think of some adjectives to describe the most vivid and pressing images and feelings that the dream brings about in you. For example, if you dreamed about a house on fire, you might write: "terrifying, exciting, and red-hot burning house", with your feelings being "afraid, panicking, curious".
- Some dream journal writers like to draw images or use different colors to express different emotions or themes in a dream. (Colors themselves can be an important part of dream interpretation.)^{[9]
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Write freely. Don't try to form a narrative as you are jotting down the contents of your dream. Just focus on getting down all the information you can recall as quickly as possible before the details of your dream fade from memory. You can deal with forming a narrative, and interpreting your dream, later.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Catherine Boswell, PhD
Licensed Psychologist
Expert Interview. 29 December 2020.}
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Learn when to stop. The dream journal isn't a marathon and few people have all morning to lie around writing in a journal. The best approach is to go with the dream or two that really seems most powerful or enduring for you. After the first dream or two, it's likely you'll be getting hazier in your recollection anyway, and it's best to write down the most vivid recollections above all because they're likely to be the ones with the most resonance and meaning for you.
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Name each dream. It's a good habit to get into naming your dreams. In reducing each dream to a title, try to capture the main feeling or theme behind it. It's an easy way for you to find the dream again for future reference and it's also a neat way of summarizing your general reaction to the dream.
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Review your progress. Initially, it might be difficult to remember enough of a dream to write more than a few lines. Persevere because with practice, it becomes easier to remember more and more elements of the dream until it becomes a habit. Therefore it's important to persist with writing in your dream journal every morning even if you think you had a bland or uneventful dream. Sometimes those dreams are telling in themselves and sometimes in writing them down, you realize that they weren't so pointless after all.^{[11]
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Begin interpreting. If you don't wish to start interpreting at the beginning, that's fine. Just getting used to recording dreams is a new learning curve and getting the dreams down initially is the important part. You can always return later and record the interpretation, provided you've added some key feeling words with the dream. In time, it's a good idea to start interpreting the dream using dream interpretation knowledge you've learned from books, online sites, and your own intuition. Some things will be more obvious than others, but give it a good go.^{[12]
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- Sometimes the meaning of a dream might not become clear until you've realized it's recurring and that there is something happening in your life that you might need to pay closer attention to. Indeed, the more important messages tend to repeat as a way of getting through to you.
- Read How to interpret your dreams for more information on how to interpret dreams.
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Personalize your dream journal. Ultimately how you use and manage your dream journal is a personal thing and it's up to you to make of it what you will. If you find that any of the suggestions offered here aren't working for you but other ways do, by all means incorporate your ways into keeping the dream journal. Use whatever makes most sense and works best for you.^{[13]
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Travel with your dream journal. Keep your dream journal with you when you travel or take a vacation. If you don't want to take your main journal for fear of losing it, compile a lightweight travel version that can be inserted into the other journal when you return home. Or, keep electronic notes when away; whatever works for you. What is important is to keep the process going, especially since travel can spark completely different kinds of dreams and awaken new insights into yourself, something you certainly don't want to miss!
- Travel or change of location can also bring about memories of dreams you've already had, filling in the gaps so to speak. Use this opportunity to write them down and add to previous dreams.

Warnings

Scientists do not yet understand or agree on what the function of dreams is, so while it can be fun to interpret your dreams, be cautious and use reason above all if you are using your interpretations to make important decisions.

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If you find yourself going through a phase where your dreams seem to "dry up", persevere. Sometimes external factors such as stress, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, lack of sleep, or other REM cycle disruptions are the cause. Other times, it might be that you need to take a short break to allow your creative self a little space to rejuvenate. Worry less about it and the dreams will return provided you remove any external stressors.

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If you have a dream of, for example, dying, don't think it means you're going to die. It could mean that you're stressed out and just feel as if you're dying. Also, dying can mean letting go of a part of yourself or a part of your life that has been holding you back, and it could indicate that you're ready to move on to a new stage in your life.

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