Wow, what a lot of great questions!
I'm going to put your words in italics, to make it easier to respond to.
What is the method by which you remember your dreams?
I affirm to myself before going to sleep that I will remember my dreams in the morning. If I am seeking guidance on some issue, I may do a special meditation to 'seed' my dreams with the question. In the morning, I try to always spend a few minutes lounging in bed, catching the dreams before they flit away. As soon as I have a few images, I write them in my dream journal. I focus on key images, events, people, etc. and ask myself what they mean to me symbolically. I find that the sooner I do this, the more value I will get from the dream. If I just write it down and intend to think about it later, I usually forget, and the meaning is lost. Granted, I am blessed that I currently don't have to wake up to an alarm clock. I find it easier to work with my dreams now that I can wake up naturally. Oh, and getting enough sleep is crucial. Back when I had insomnia, my dreams were all lost.
How often do you remember your dreams?
I usually remember at least the last one, provided I get enough sleep. Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night with a particularly vivid dream. That doesn't happen very often, but when it does, I pay attention.
What is the nature of your dreams?
My dreams are of 4 types:
1. Dark, murky, mundane, hodge-podge assortment of the day's events. I think of these as just my subconscious working out stuff and not really of much interest to me. When I realize that some details are right out of yesterday's events, I don't find them particularly significant.
2. Brightly-lit, vivid dreams. I always pay special attention to these, as I consider these to be guidance from my Higher Self. There is usually a clear theme or message...or a clue about something I need to learn.
3. School dreams. This is the metaphor my Higher Self uses to let me know how I'm doing as far as getting my work done...the work I set out to do. If I can't find my locker or classroom, I know I'm missing the boat. If I aced the test or am teaching the class, then that means I just succeeded in learning a very important lesson.
4. Lucid dreams. I've only had these a few times, but I'm aspiring to have more. I find them fascinating and powerful. I was making progress until I got insomnia, at which time I could barely remember my dreams at all, much less remember to wake up inside them. But now I am resuming my efforts.
Do you dream in color?
Yes. I don't think I've ever had a black-and-white dream. That sounds strange to me. Although, as I said, the hodge-podge dreams are usually dingy.
Do you remember every detail?
Gosh no. When I do, I pay attention!
Do you ever read things in your dreams?
Yes. When I was studying the subject of lucid dreaming, I read that one way to know if you're dreaming or not is to try to read something. If the words dance on the page, that means you're dreaming. This has definitely happened to me a number of times. But, I was intrigued by the idea, so I set out to test it. I then had some dreams in which I was able to read, though to a limited degree. I thought that was really cool! It definitely takes some effort to make the written word stay still in dreams, but I think it can be done.
If you speak more than one language, do you ever say things in your second language in your dreams?
I speak only one language. But I have understood other languages before in dreams. Not in a long time, though, but I think I remember that happening.
Do you only "see" your dreams? or do you take part in them?
I always dream in first person. I see thru my own eyes. My dreams are always interactive. Sometimes I am more than one person; ie., I view from multiple viewpoints.
Do you talk in your sleep?
Sometimes I wake up my husband, saying something that sounds very urgent. I point to someplace in the room and gesture emphatically. It seems very, VERY important! But of course he was asleep, so isn't exactly receptive to my nocturnal revelations. By the time he wakes up fully, I too am awake, and the dream quickly fades, and I always have a feeling of intense loss, like we missed an important message. I keep trying to get him to wake up quickly enough to record what I say, but no luck yet.
Do you sleep walk?
Thankfully, no.
How much direct influence do your dreams have on your waking life? Do you often wake up crying, laughing, angry, sad, etc.?
I would say they are a reflection of my waking life, rather than an influence.
Dreams have always been a fascinating topic for me. I would have to say that the way that I remember my dreams seems to be different from the direct memory that most people that I talked to have. I usually go to sleep, have some dream, wake up, and cant immediately remember what I dreamed about. Only the feeling of being somewhere far away remains. During the course of the day, if I see an object that was in my dream, it triggers almost instant memory of a section of what I dreamed of. This works whether I physically see the object in front of me or if I just see it in thought form in my mind. It is extremely rare for me to go an entire day without seeing something that triggers dream recall . This is such an efficient method of dream recall that I remember my dreams almost every single day with details that rival those of waking life (sometimes actually better).
Wow, you are lucky! I've had that happen occasionally, but you are lucky to be able to do that on a daily basis. My dreams are usually gone if I don't capture them right away.
Until recently I always assumed that the way that people dreamed was pretty much the same. I am currently in a relationship with a girl who is becoming more and more attuned to the spiritual side of things everyday. One day I told her about a dream that I had, then asked her what she usually dreamed about. She said that she hardly ever dreams. My first thought was that she does dream, but just doesnt remember. She said that if she does dream and does remember, then it is only one or two things from the dream, like one event that happened, the central them of it, or one person that she remembers (but not what they were doing, etc.) in it. Furthermore, she said that all of her dreams are in monochrome and they are very foggy, as she cant really recall any details.
I think anyone can train themselves to remember their dreams...if they are interested in doing so. I don't know what the monochrome means. Hmmmm...anyone have any ideas on that? There's gotta be an explanation to it, but I have no idea what it is.
She decided to buy a book on meditation. This book says that the way that people dream speaks about their level of spirituality. The more spiritually sound a person is, the more vivid the color, detail, and recall of a dream will be. The book advises meditation to enhance all experiences regarding dreams. She decided to take the books advice and meditate. It has taken her some time, but she said that she had a dream in color the other day. She remembers seeing an ocean or some body of water that was of beautiful blue color. She is starting to recall her dreams a lot more often as well, though still not everyday.
Oh wow, very cool!!!
I live in Japan at the moment, and the Japanese expression is ”夢を見る”which literally means to "see a dream." Most Japanese people that I have talked to speak about dreams as if they are a TV show or such, something that is shown to them that they themselves do not produce or take part in. Dreams are not talked about with the same level of importance as they are regarded in other places I have been to. In fact, they are usually not talked about at all, so I have very few people to compare notes to here.
Well now you have us! I love discussing dreams...they are so very important. I've participated in group dreaming experiments before, with some success. And I've gotten glimpses of what I believe was the astral plane in that in-between twilight state...like another reality superimposed over this one. That's happened to me a lot.
I'm going to put your words in italics, to make it easier to respond to.
What is the method by which you remember your dreams?
I affirm to myself before going to sleep that I will remember my dreams in the morning. If I am seeking guidance on some issue, I may do a special meditation to 'seed' my dreams with the question. In the morning, I try to always spend a few minutes lounging in bed, catching the dreams before they flit away. As soon as I have a few images, I write them in my dream journal. I focus on key images, events, people, etc. and ask myself what they mean to me symbolically. I find that the sooner I do this, the more value I will get from the dream. If I just write it down and intend to think about it later, I usually forget, and the meaning is lost. Granted, I am blessed that I currently don't have to wake up to an alarm clock. I find it easier to work with my dreams now that I can wake up naturally. Oh, and getting enough sleep is crucial. Back when I had insomnia, my dreams were all lost.
How often do you remember your dreams?
I usually remember at least the last one, provided I get enough sleep. Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night with a particularly vivid dream. That doesn't happen very often, but when it does, I pay attention.
What is the nature of your dreams?
My dreams are of 4 types:
1. Dark, murky, mundane, hodge-podge assortment of the day's events. I think of these as just my subconscious working out stuff and not really of much interest to me. When I realize that some details are right out of yesterday's events, I don't find them particularly significant.
2. Brightly-lit, vivid dreams. I always pay special attention to these, as I consider these to be guidance from my Higher Self. There is usually a clear theme or message...or a clue about something I need to learn.
3. School dreams. This is the metaphor my Higher Self uses to let me know how I'm doing as far as getting my work done...the work I set out to do. If I can't find my locker or classroom, I know I'm missing the boat. If I aced the test or am teaching the class, then that means I just succeeded in learning a very important lesson.
4. Lucid dreams. I've only had these a few times, but I'm aspiring to have more. I find them fascinating and powerful. I was making progress until I got insomnia, at which time I could barely remember my dreams at all, much less remember to wake up inside them. But now I am resuming my efforts.
Do you dream in color?
Yes. I don't think I've ever had a black-and-white dream. That sounds strange to me. Although, as I said, the hodge-podge dreams are usually dingy.
Do you remember every detail?
Gosh no. When I do, I pay attention!
Do you ever read things in your dreams?
Yes. When I was studying the subject of lucid dreaming, I read that one way to know if you're dreaming or not is to try to read something. If the words dance on the page, that means you're dreaming. This has definitely happened to me a number of times. But, I was intrigued by the idea, so I set out to test it. I then had some dreams in which I was able to read, though to a limited degree. I thought that was really cool! It definitely takes some effort to make the written word stay still in dreams, but I think it can be done.
If you speak more than one language, do you ever say things in your second language in your dreams?
I speak only one language. But I have understood other languages before in dreams. Not in a long time, though, but I think I remember that happening.
Do you only "see" your dreams? or do you take part in them?
I always dream in first person. I see thru my own eyes. My dreams are always interactive. Sometimes I am more than one person; ie., I view from multiple viewpoints.
Do you talk in your sleep?
Sometimes I wake up my husband, saying something that sounds very urgent. I point to someplace in the room and gesture emphatically. It seems very, VERY important! But of course he was asleep, so isn't exactly receptive to my nocturnal revelations. By the time he wakes up fully, I too am awake, and the dream quickly fades, and I always have a feeling of intense loss, like we missed an important message. I keep trying to get him to wake up quickly enough to record what I say, but no luck yet.
Do you sleep walk?
Thankfully, no.
How much direct influence do your dreams have on your waking life? Do you often wake up crying, laughing, angry, sad, etc.?
I would say they are a reflection of my waking life, rather than an influence.
Dreams have always been a fascinating topic for me. I would have to say that the way that I remember my dreams seems to be different from the direct memory that most people that I talked to have. I usually go to sleep, have some dream, wake up, and cant immediately remember what I dreamed about. Only the feeling of being somewhere far away remains. During the course of the day, if I see an object that was in my dream, it triggers almost instant memory of a section of what I dreamed of. This works whether I physically see the object in front of me or if I just see it in thought form in my mind. It is extremely rare for me to go an entire day without seeing something that triggers dream recall . This is such an efficient method of dream recall that I remember my dreams almost every single day with details that rival those of waking life (sometimes actually better).
Wow, you are lucky! I've had that happen occasionally, but you are lucky to be able to do that on a daily basis. My dreams are usually gone if I don't capture them right away.
Until recently I always assumed that the way that people dreamed was pretty much the same. I am currently in a relationship with a girl who is becoming more and more attuned to the spiritual side of things everyday. One day I told her about a dream that I had, then asked her what she usually dreamed about. She said that she hardly ever dreams. My first thought was that she does dream, but just doesnt remember. She said that if she does dream and does remember, then it is only one or two things from the dream, like one event that happened, the central them of it, or one person that she remembers (but not what they were doing, etc.) in it. Furthermore, she said that all of her dreams are in monochrome and they are very foggy, as she cant really recall any details.
I think anyone can train themselves to remember their dreams...if they are interested in doing so. I don't know what the monochrome means. Hmmmm...anyone have any ideas on that? There's gotta be an explanation to it, but I have no idea what it is.
She decided to buy a book on meditation. This book says that the way that people dream speaks about their level of spirituality. The more spiritually sound a person is, the more vivid the color, detail, and recall of a dream will be. The book advises meditation to enhance all experiences regarding dreams. She decided to take the books advice and meditate. It has taken her some time, but she said that she had a dream in color the other day. She remembers seeing an ocean or some body of water that was of beautiful blue color. She is starting to recall her dreams a lot more often as well, though still not everyday.
Oh wow, very cool!!!
I live in Japan at the moment, and the Japanese expression is ”夢を見る”which literally means to "see a dream." Most Japanese people that I have talked to speak about dreams as if they are a TV show or such, something that is shown to them that they themselves do not produce or take part in. Dreams are not talked about with the same level of importance as they are regarded in other places I have been to. In fact, they are usually not talked about at all, so I have very few people to compare notes to here.
Well now you have us! I love discussing dreams...they are so very important. I've participated in group dreaming experiments before, with some success. And I've gotten glimpses of what I believe was the astral plane in that in-between twilight state...like another reality superimposed over this one. That's happened to me a lot.