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How to remember your dreams

Most people say they don't remember their dreams. Very few of us were ever taught how — and it turns out to be less a matter of memory than of attention in the first minute after waking. Recall often improves with a little of it.

How to start tonight

Dreams are easy to lose in the first moments after waking. You don't need to force yourself to remember them. A little attention can help.

  1. Keep something to write with beside the bed.
  2. As you're falling asleep, remind yourself that you'd like to remember what you dream.
  3. When you wake, before moving or reaching for your phone, stay still for a moment.
  4. Notice what is there: an image, a feeling, a person, a place, even one strange detail.
  5. Write down whatever you have. A fragment is enough.
  6. Don't worry yet about what it means.

What if nothing comes?

Some nights bring nothing, and the first night often brings nothing at all. That is ordinary and not a sign that this won't work for you.

You also don't need a whole dream. A fragment, a single image, or the feeling something left behind is enough to work with.

Then what?

Once you have something written down, you can sit with it — on your own, or with someone. If you'd like company, there is a short conversation you can book.

Bring your dream →

20 minutes with Valentina, free, online.

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