"I don't have dreams" is a statement I often hear when talking with my clients or friends about dreams.
From a scientific perspective, our sleep time is divided into different stages. Dreams occur during the REM stage, and it is a normal part of any healthy adult's sleep. Our society doesn't place much value on dreams, so we tend to forget them. Many scientific sources describe dream images as random pictures - information garbage that pops up in our minds while our brains rest.
Here, we will explore a very different attitude towards dreams. We will approach our dreams with great respect and fascination. Dreams could be an inner guru leading you to spiritual realms or a wise teacher who points out your mistakes. Dreams can reveal unused resources and offer valuable advice. But before we learn how to use our dreams, we need to remember them.
To remember dreams, let's follow these simple steps:
Make it important: Due to our upbringing, we've learned to consider dreams as unimportant, causing us to neglect them. To change this attitude, I usually ask clients to bring a dream to the next session or class as "homework." This trick makes the person responsible for remembering their dreams and often helps them pay attention and recall dream images.
Set an intention: While lying in bed at night before going to sleep, set an intention: "I need to remember my dream. First thing in the morning when I wake up, I will think about my dream."
Wake up carefully: As you wake up and find yourself in the state between sleep and wakefulness, remember your intention about dreams. Try not to move much or turn your head. Recollect a small scene, image, or idea from your dream. Play this part of your dream in your head 5 - 10 times like a movie until you remember it well. Replaying the scene can help you recover more from your night's dream and construct a story.
Record it: After you've played it in your head multiple times, get up and write it in your journal or make an audio recording.
If you still have trouble remembering your dreams or need advice from your "inner guru" urgently, you can use dream herbs. I recommend two of them:
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris): Use 1 spoonful for a cup of hot boiled water. You can drink it twice a week, not more.
Calea Zacatechichi, Mexican dream herb: Use 1 spoonful for a cup of water. You can drink it for three nights in a row, then take a break. It is quite bitter, but I've grown accustomed to the taste and actually enjoy it. It's good for your liver and can lead to very visual dreams.