Creative Benefits of a Dream Journal
“Time is floating around me, and I’m floating on its mirror-flat surface. I realize I am able to jump from one dimension to the other. My heart is pumping, I can hear the blood moving forward in my veins. I’m on the top of a hill, and I can’t see anything below. I am high above somewhere in the middle of the sky. The air is crisp and clean. I could cut the density of the fog with a knife. I’m walking on a narrow trail, trusting my steps to guide me to a destination. The fog that has been incapsulating me starts to disband. I breathe normally again, and I see the dark green forest covering the endless hills.
I find myself in the middle of my old elementary school as I take another step on the trail. All of a sudden the courtyard fills up with crystal clear water, and I’m floating inside this vast aquarium. I discover I can breathe underwater. I see long, white hair floating slowly around me. It’s a gigantic white lion. He is majestically sitting crossing his paws in front of himself. His white mane is graciously floating all around him like some soft, creamy aura.”
This recurring dream of the gigantic underwater white lion keeps coming back to my life This recurring dream of the gigantic underwater white lion keeps coming back to my life for the last 15 years. Of course, this is not a real experience, yet, my brain remembers every single step as if I would remember any story that happened in that courtyard when I was a child. I cherish this beautiful memory of my spirit animal ever since.
Since ancient cultures, people were wondering about what dreams mean. Dreams have been used throughout the years in psychology and psychoanalysis. It’s not a coincidence many artists, musicians, and filmmakers draw inspiration from them. Well, let’s face it, they could be more adventurous than science fiction, no doubt about that.
The purpose of dreaming is not fully understood until this day. Are we processing thoughts, events from the day? Is our mind trying to communicate something to us? Whatever you believe in, keeping a dream journal will be a great way to guide yourself to make better decisions, process and let go of old, dysfunctional relationships, analyze their symbolism, and understand more about what direction your psyche is trying to lead you towards.
Make it part of your morning ritual to write down or record your dreams you had the night before. Collecting these exceptional “mind games” fabricated by your creative unconsciousness could come in handy when you are having an artistic block, or you need new inspiration for new beginnings.
Keeping a notebook on your nightstand can come in handy when you wake up in the middle of the night from a strange dream that makes you feel distraught and uneasy, not allowing you to fall back asleep for the next couple of hours even, possibly ruining your next day. Don’t let that happen. Take an old-school pen and write it down into a notebook. Transfer it into creativity, connect with your limitless inner self.
Don’t let your brain take over, instead let the words flow out of your pen, write down all the feelings, thoughts, faces you remember, even if it doesn’t make sense or you are unable to connect the dots to create a story.
Be persistent! Let your journal unspool the mysteries of your mind for you. Connect the dots, draw maps, get ideas. Record or write down your dreams each morning while they are still fresh for the next two weeks. Dare to think out of the box!
Keeping a dream journal can be one of the most helpful ways to reduce stress in your life and gain an understanding about how you think, feel or perceive things that may not always make sense when we're awake. Here is how a dream journal can benefit you:
Reduce stress in your life.
Process your thoughts.
Gain a better understanding of your unconscious mind.
Recognize patterns in your recurring dreams.
Become more creative.
Come up with new ideas to solve problems your conscious mind may not think of.
For the next 7 days give yourself the gift of journaling on your dreams. Leave your experiences in the comments to help guide others on their journey!