If you never remember your dreams

by Richard Reeve on January 26, 2009

in AziMuth

“The Unconscious shows you the face you show it…” ~Poor Ben

If you never remember your dreams

A common response from folks when I ask about their dream life goes something like this:  “oh sure, I dream all the time, but I never remember them when I wake up.”

Scientists have confirmed that we dream all the time.  Having gone through a sleep study myself, I’ve seen all those moments of dream activity marked on the ink score of my sleep patterns.

Some nights I might remember two or three dreams if I wake up, or if the circumstances are right, but generally I only remember a few dreams a week.  From a Jungian perspective, only those dreams carrying enough libido, or psychic energy, will be able to break through the threshold and be carried over into consciousness.

But many never remember any dreams at all, and then the question becomes “why not?”

It could be that we are repressing the contents and have created a locked door preventing whatever awaits there from getting to us.  While effective in controling dreams, the Unconscious has many other ways to confront us, the most dangerous is in the form of ailments and dis-ease.

So I led off with the idea that the Unconscious show us the face we show it.  If there is not enough energy to bring the dreams over the threshold, perhaps there is not enough energy honoring the value of the dream images in the first place.  The Unconscious seems just as content to operate out of site and out of mind.  If we choose to ignore it, it is more than happy to ignore the possibility of delivering messages to us through our dreams.  Instead, it will operate in our relationships, our thought patterns, and in those “funny” accidents that seem to erupt when we are out of touch with the “springs of the psyche.”  Think about it, how do you respond when ignored?

So what to do about it?

Anybody who wants to remember a dream in the upcoming days simply needs to take some intention, that vital libido juice at the ego’s disposal, and set out the invitation to the Unconscious.  How would you invite a guest over for dinner.  Do you make a meal and hope they just know to show up?

Go through the activity of actually inviting the dreams into consciousness.  Find an authentic way to place that call.   The dreams will respond, trust me.

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  • rhina
    i'm pretty imaginative, yet i haven't remembered a dream since being 5, it's literally like i close my eyes in bed and a time warp happens and it's morning, however, i've had  bad insomnia and just contributed it to that, could there be any other reasons why i don't dream? also i don't drink or stress a lot
  • Casey
    Hi all,
    I haven't remembered a dream in a few years, since I was a child. My theory is that i think to much in the literal world and that I fear to imagine anything else. I would love to hear you're opinion. ?????????
  • 3rd time's a charm.

    Dream:
    I had a meeting with my boss. It was my first time doing so, and it gave me the chance to connect personally. I took the first opportunity in that discussion to promote my (business) partner's strengths, then discussed our mutual strongpoints. I also told him the things that have been frustrating us, particularly with regard to slow communication (from him, to us)...I said we email with questions for the sole purpose of increasing the business, and because we have clients waiting for the answers. His response was the last thing I remember..."You have to prioritize those emails". My impression of him was that he was sincere and a decent person.

    Amplification:
    A little background: At this particular company, my partner and I are only 1099 employees, and we've been expecting to be made full/permanent employees, and this point has been a bit frustrating of late. I have never personally met my boss. He seems like a solid/trustworthy guy, but we've been burned in this industry more than once, so skepticism runs deep.

    So could the dream be my way of reassuring myself? That things are fine, that worrying over whether things we expect to happen (but havent yet) is unnecessary. I find it interesting that I promoted my partner before myself...is that a reflection of my self esteem? Or (hopefully) indicative of my generosity?

    In any event, thanks, as always Richard, for the prompting. Your thoughts would be great.

    Sweet dreams.

    <abbr>Jeb Dickerson´s last blog post..Becoming…</abbr>
  • Hi Jeb,
    So the dream, the unconscious image of the situation, the one trying to compensate for what the unconscious finds misguided in your conscious attitude. I do not find the trumpeting your partner to stem from lack of self esteem, as it only says something about you and the quality of those you partner with. No not trumpeting your partner in this situation could stem from a lack of self esteem. So it seems the self esteem issue, might be in play, but that this dream an image of how to counter that.
    His dream response to you is the best gift of the dream. Do you provide context, spell out the importance of timeliness of communication in the email? That is what he's asking for. The dream impression of him seems to be countering the suspicions from past experiences as well. Neat dream Jeb, thanks for sharing. Remember, any suggestions are only pointers. What's important is that the interpretation you settle on seems to fit, or as some say: "clicks".
  • I always remember my dreams, if I'm allowed to wake up on my own.
    If something wakes me up, they're gone.
  • I've had that experience many times as well Ben. Sometimes, even if it is a half an hour later, if I go to a quiet place and relax, tell myself that the images are still present somewhere, often times I can return to them and bring them back over into consciousness...
  • ....UPDATE....

    Strike one. But me and the Unconscious, we're just getting to know each other. I don't blame it for standing me up, this courtship, it takes time. And today is a new day.

    <abbr>Jeb Dickerson´s last blog post..My challenge.</abbr>
  • Great attitude Jeb...patience...
  • mike
    Very interesting post. When I was college aged, I kept having a recurring dream. Can't really call it a nightmare, but a very anxious dream; always moving, on the run from something, or trying to "beat the clock", very repetitive. The worst part was realizing it was a dream but still being stuck on the run untill I awoke, unable to break free of the cycle

    I grew weary of the dream and during my waking hours I consciously planned a way out. When I got to the point where I realized I was dreaming and wanted to get out, I'd look to my left and there would be a door. I'd open the door and step out of that dream and it would be over.

    It worked amazngly well, and I never had that dream again.

    Now, aged 40, I rarely remember my dreams, and I wonder if that door has shut me off from my unconscious. I also wonder, after 20 years, what's been going on behind that door.
  • Mike,
    That's fascinating and I really appreciate you sharing it with us. I wonder as well.
  • Ask and you shall receive. I rarely remember my dreams...a brief glimpse, if at all. And truly Richard, prior to becoming a regular reader of yours, I'd never considered it worth a second thought. But with your regular recitals and amplifications, I've begun to wonder what I'm missing.

    And truly, I have no doubt about your suggestion to 'invite' the unconscious, that I might begin to remember my dreams. I'm not sure if it's analogous, but I can easily operate w/o an alarm clock IF as I lie down to bed I tell myself 'I'm going to wake up at 4:30am", and focus on that for a moment. It's erie, but almost to the minute, I awake at the requested time. Similarly (I think), I decided about a decade ago that I do not get sick. It simply became something I identified with so strongly that it became true. In the last 10 years, I would say I've not been sick enough to keep me from running on more than a few occasions.

    In any event, as I lie in bed tonight, I will make my request. Perhaps I'll come back 'round in the morning to report my findings. Cheers!

    <abbr>Jeb Dickerson´s last blog post..My challenge.</abbr>
  • Hey Jeb,
    Can't wait to hear the news from the Unconscious manifesting in your head...
    Great examples you gave showing the power of our minds to operate outside our conscious control.
  • I learn so much by reading your blog. Very interesting work. I can imagine that artist's dreams could be very extraordinary. I will make sure to stop back and see if you get any comments from people that can't remember their dreams. I hope they consider your advice!
  • Interesting post! I'm one of the lucky ones too. If prompted every morning, I can tell you exactly what I dream about. I think dreams can be a wonderful, creative outlet and a window to the soul. I often wonder to myself, "what's does stephen king dream about?"
  • Hey Stales, so great of you to visit.
    As for Mr. King, well, one way to consider him would be through what Jung called the compensatory action of the Unconscious, which tries to regulate our ego attitudes by creating opposing positions in the unconscious. But Mr. King is an artist, and in that role part of what he is doing is transmitting the collective messages from the unconscious to society. So my guess is that like most of us, his dreams are at times mundane, but at times extraordinary. It would be interesting to learn how much he intentionally relates to the imagery of the unconscious when creating his tales.
  • Hey Mary-Frances,
    Ah, the epic adventures, I've had my share, though I find when I'm fully engaged in my work, the epics occur lees frequently. As I monitor discussions on dreams in social media, this issue is a major topic, so, although I'm regularly writing down my dreams, I thought I'd speak to that crowd that seems one step removed from the dream well...
  • Richard,
    Luckily, I guess, I'm not one of those people who can't remember their dreams. I remember a lot of my dreams. In fact, my dreams tend to be like mini-movies. I jokingly refer to many of them as epic.

    <abbr>Mary-Frances´s last blog post..Knitting/Life Lesson #1 — Mistakes Are Part of the Process</abbr>
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