How I failed my dreams until I didn't
It wasn't until this year that I started documenting my dreams, and oh, what a world it has opened up!
My dreams are vivid, crazy, sensual, and sometimes downright scary. But I'm not here to tell you about them; I'm here to tell you how I failed them for over 40 years.
It wasn't until this year that I started documenting my dreams, and oh, what a world it has opened up!
When you think you'll remember a dream you just had, trust me, you won't. It will vanish in the ether unless you immortalize it in writing.
My dream-documenting journey began after listening to author Steven Pressfield on the Danny Miranda podcast, where he spoke about the power of this practice.
Now, I keep a journal by my bed. As soon as I wake up, I scribble down any lingering dream fragments – if I had any (REM sleep can be elusive, it turns out).
After six months of this, flipping through my journal pages has left me utterly blown away. I had no idea the depths my subconscious mind contained—wild thoughts, bizarre ideas, intense feelings of fear, anger, happiness, anxiety, and love—all playing out in short films while I slumbered.
I wouldn't have remembered these dreams or gained such clarity about myself without documenting them. Not only that, but all these images and thoughts that I could have developed into stories, novels, and essays.
So I’m kicking myself for wasting over 40 years of my dream life, for not writing them down, for not revisiting them, for not allowing myself to grow and develop into a kinder, more well-rounded, and thoughtful person.
Four decades of missed opportunities for self-discovery and growth and better stories to tell. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
There was one exception though.
My debut novel, They Called Me Wyatt, was actually based on a vivid dream I had in which I was pushed off the roof of a building and reincarnated as a baby boy. Who knows what possessed me to turn this dream into a story that day, but I did. Imagine how many more stories I could have written if I'd journaled all along!
The ancient wisdom of dreams
I’m not operating in a void here. The wise Egyptians who built the frigging pyramids understood the power of dreams. For over 5,000 years, they viewed dreams as divine messages from their gods. They had intricate dream interpretation practices recorded in hieroglyphics and texts and elaborate dream temples where people sought guidance.
Even other civilizations, like the Greeks, were influenced by Egyptian dream practices. We also see echoes of this in biblical stories, like Joseph interpreting Pharaoh's dreams to predict years of abundance and famine.
Author Victoria Moran beautifully captured the role dreams play in the author’s life in her blog post, "Journals and Dreams: The Unsung Heroes of Literature." She notes how journals and dreams are rich sources of inspiration for countless creative works. I couldn't agree more. I now see my dreams as divine messages from the creative gods, the universe,- an obscure goldmine of creative juices you need to unearth.
They are the indeed unsung heroes, the uncelebrated contributors.
Just start
I don't always try to interpret my dreams or delve into the meaning of every nocturnal image. Sometimes, I just marvel at them, absorbing their essence without overthinking. After all, they're the offspring of my subconscious, and just like my children, I love them unconditionally without the need to dissect their souls.
If you're intrigued and want to start a dream journal, you'll find plenty of resources online – videos, dream journal notebooks, you name it. But my advice?
Don't overcomplicate it. Just start. Grab a notebook from Target or Walmart or wherever, keep it by your bed, and see what your dreams have to say.
Benefits of keeping a dream journal
I was surprised to see a number of studies about the benefits of dream journaling, like this one on the Cleveland Clinic website.
Those benefits include:
Identifying patterns and connections: Recognizing recurring themes or symbols in your dreams can offer insights into your subconscious thoughts and feelings.
Processing emotions: Dreams often reflect our waking emotions, and journaling can help us understand and process these emotions better.
Stress reduction: Writing about stressful dreams can be cathartic and alleviate anxiety.
Mindfulness enhancement: The practice of reflecting on dreams can promote mindfulness and self-awareness.
Okay, I have rambled enough about dream journaling, so here are my two cents: Don't wait another day to start your dream journal. Start now. Your subconscious mind is waiting to tell you stories. You will become a better writer if you pick up this habit.
You don't have to walk like an Egyptian, but you can document your dreams like one.
Start my friend, start now.
I used to have a dream journal in school but you've inspired me to keep track of them again. Thanks ☺️
The benefits you list of dream journaling all track nicely with the benefits of daily meditation. Both practices are, for reasons I don’t understand, difficult for most people to do in a sustained way.