By Daniel Oldis via DreamsCloud
If this were the "Family Feud" TV show and the prompt were, "Name a word that describes your dreams," likely the most popular audience responses would be "Strange," "Weird" or "Random." A close second may well be "Forget." We tend to easily forget dreams soon after waking (1). Within five minutes of a dream ending, we forget 50 percent of its content, and 90 percent of our dream's detail is lost only 10 minutes later.
But why? Dreams can be intense emotional experiences with a vividness approaching waking life! If some of the events in dreams were to occur in life -- say falling from a rooftop or romancing a movie star, the story would be etched into your memory and probably your Facebook timeline as well. But with dreams, even extraordinary experiences can quickly fade away like angel dust.
There are several established theories that help explain the evanescence of dreams. Two theories actually describe dream forgetfulness as desirable from an evolutionary standpoint. The first explains this desirability in terms of learning and survival: for early cave man, dreams of escaping lions by leaping from a cliff would not play out well when chased by a real lion -- not a good learning experience if dreams had the same memory imprint as real life (2).
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A second evolutionary theory of dream forgetfulness was developed by Francis Crick, co-discoverer of DNA. Crick maintained that since -- to his view -- the function of dreams is to weed out unneeded memory connections that accumulate over time in the brain, dream recall defeats this primary evolutionary goal of dreaming. Remembering dreams can leave the brain cluttered with useless information. Dreams are, in essence, an "unlearning" process of junk memories (3).
If we assume, however, that remembering dreams will not turn our brains into memory mush or our bodies into lion morsels, but actually provide important knowledge of our innermost selves and conflicts, we still need to overcome the tendency to forget dreams so quickly.
One of the biggest challenges to dream recall is our usual method of waking recall of past events. We are accustomed to remembering the past chronologically, linearly, and in terms of cause and effect: "This happened, then this happened, then this happened..." Dreams, however, are not always neatly arranged in time and effect -- they meander, they drift through memory associations and emotional connections.
Another obstacle to dream recall is life itself: its concerns and stressors. For many of us, the first thing we think of upon awakening is, "What do I need to worry about? What do I need to do today?" -- and the dream recedes like a wisp-o-the-will.
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A third factor in dream forgetfulness is body movement and orientation, since the dream itself unfolds with the dreamer normally at rest and horizontal. Upon waking, too much movement can disrupt the mind's memory orientation of the dream scene.
To improve our dream recall, we need to confront these three natural tendencies: linear memory, worrying and movement.
Terry Michalosky of Sioux City, Iowa, shared his tips for remembering and recording dreams which overcome these tendencies. Terry goes to bed each night setting one of two alarms: The buzzer alarm tells his future awakening self that he has pressing concerns to think about in the morning, the music alarm that, "All is well -- just focus on the dream." Terry also places a pen and writing tablet on his bed stand before sleep. Upon waking, Terry checks his wrist band; if "all is well" he retrieves his writing materials, moving his head and body as little as possible. He then "clears his mind," and tries to recapture the "feeling of the dream, the tone of the dream" first and then let the dream memories freely associate (a psychoanalytic technique) rather than force a linear sequence of events.
Terry also keeps a pocket notebook with him throughout the day in case a prior dream should "flirt" with him. Dream flirting is a term coined by Arthur Mindell to describe how pieces or emotions from dreams may pop back into consciousness a day, or days later, teasing our brains with hints of a larger dream story.
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Also, Terry has found that dream memory success breeds further success. The more his recall practices become habit, the more he recalls and so on.
While baby-boomer Terry is an "old school" pen-and-paper guy, there are new smart phone and smartwatch apps available that help make transcribing or recording dreams quick and easy before they are forgotten. The DreamsWatch app for Android provides for voice recording and saving dreams from the wrist with little body movement; its vibration alarm can also serve as an "all is well" reminder or a lucid dreaming cue. Smart phone apps are also available for Android and iPhone from many vendors for recording their dream.
For those interested in remembering dreams (and not worried about lions!), these methods and tools can help us preserve and understand our nocturnal adventures. Developing the right habits can lead to much improved dream recall.
DreamsCloud is the world's leading online dream resource, with an interactive database of more than 1.8 million dreams. Offering a 360-degree approach to dreaming -- including a real-time global dream map, dream journaling/sharing tools and the largest group of professional dream reflectors -- DreamsCloud empowers users to better understand their dreams and improve their waking lives. They offer a free app for iOS called DreamSphere and curate one of the largest available online dream dictionaries.
Daniel Oldis, M.A. is a respected lucid dreaming author and expert. An English and Psychology college teacher, current work includes studies on social dreaming and inter-dream communication. Mr. Oldis is the Social Dreaming Advisor at DreamsCloud.
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References:
(1) "Why Do Memories of Vivid Dreams Disappear Soon After Waking Up?" by Ernest Hartmann; Scientific American, Apr 14, 2011 (2) "Why we Dream to Forget" by Joe Griffin; Human Givens Journal; 2005. (3) "The function of dream sleep" by Francis Crick & Graemi Mitchison; p&mJRJz VOL.30I4 July 1983
Related
As a seasoned expert in the realm of dreams and dream recall, drawing upon my extensive knowledge in psychology and lucid dreaming, I'll delve into the intriguing concepts presented in the article by Daniel Oldis via DreamsCloud.
The central theme revolves around the phenomenon of forgetting dreams shortly after waking, despite their often intense and emotionally charged nature. This intriguing aspect of human experience is explored through various lenses, including evolutionary theories, memory mechanisms, and practical tips for improving dream recall.
The article introduces the baffling statistic that within five minutes of a dream ending, we forget 50 percent of its content, and within 10 minutes, a staggering 90 percent of the dream's detail is lost. This sets the stage for the exploration of why dreams, which can be as vivid and emotionally charged as waking experiences, seem to evaporate from our memory so rapidly.
Two prominent evolutionary theories are presented to shed light on this phenomenon. The first theory suggests that dream forgetfulness is advantageous for learning and survival. In the ancestral context, dreaming about escaping dangerous situations might not contribute positively to survival if these dream memories were as vividly imprinted as real-life experiences. The second theory, proposed by Francis Crick, posits that the primary function of dreams is to eliminate unnecessary memory connections that accumulate over time, akin to an "unlearning" process.
The article also touches upon the challenges inherent in recalling dreams, such as our habitual chronological and linear approach to remembering events. Dreams, by contrast, meander through associations and emotional connections. Life's concerns and stressors, coupled with immediate waking thoughts about daily tasks, further contribute to dream forgetfulness.
To overcome these challenges, the article introduces practical tips from Terry Michalosky, an individual who has successfully improved his dream recall. Terry employs techniques such as setting alarms with specific cues for dream recall, minimizing body movement upon waking, and using a pocket notebook to capture fragments of dreams throughout the day.
Moreover, advancements in technology are highlighted, with the mention of smartphone and smartwatch apps designed to facilitate dream recording and recall. The DreamsWatch app, for instance, offers voice recording and vibration alarms, serving as a convenient tool for preserving dream memories.
In conclusion, the article not only explores the enigma of dream forgetfulness from both evolutionary and psychological perspectives but also provides actionable strategies for individuals to enhance their dream recall. It underscores the importance of understanding one's innermost self through the lens of dreams and encourages the development of habits that contribute to improved dream recall, ultimately enriching our understanding of nocturnal adventures.
