My Experience in Dream Journaling

            I selected Dream Journaling as my strategy for this assignment. I have wrote down my dreams in the past on several occasions, but haven't ever really done it with intention of incorporating it into an everyday routine. For as long as I can remember I have been utterly fascinated with dreaming and the world of metaphysics in general. When I was younger it was always a magical experience to fall asleep and return to the dreamland. Now, it is still very magical but I have also attained this desire to understand the science and psychology and theorize about the many things still unknown in the realm of dreams. .
             To make this more into a habit rather than something that happens every once in a while when I remember, I created a sort of system to promote the remembrance of the dream before bed and when I woke up. I typically engage in some type of meditation/visualization technique before I fall asleep. During the course of the last week and a half or so, I have incorporated an affirmation at the end of whatever I decide to do that night. The affirmation being: I will remember my dreams upon waking. Simple, and also more effective after calming and creating clarity in my mind. I wanted to utilize the I will and positive thought restructuring we discussed in class in order to communicate with my subconscious/unconscious mind more successfully. Upon waking, I would remain on the side of my body I fell asleep on, or turn back to it (this is is a popular dream recollection technique I have studied in previous psychology classes and has seemingly worked well for me!). After processing the dream and its basic parts as well as a kind of outline of the sequence of the events, I write in the journal that I keep next to my bed, always allowing to let as much as I can remember, just flow out (and not worrying about grammar). Finally, I read whatever I have written and attempt to break it down symbolically, mostly using my own interpretations, but also sometimes looking things up in my dream dictionary or utilizing online resources for additional insight.