Imagine having your own production company with an infinite budget; you can hire any cast member, shoot in any location, use any prop, and you could even be the star of the show if you wanted. That’s what our dreams give us. A stage bound by no limits to create whatever plot line our subconscious chooses.

Dream journaling is quite literally writing down any dream that you had the night before. The trick is to keep a journal within arms reach so you can just roll over and spill all the juicy details that transpired in your mind before it dissipates into thin air. 

First, let’s get clear on what dreaming means. Dreams are still one of behavioral science’s greatest mysteries. Their purpose may not be to tell us about our future, but many researchers believe that dreaming mediates memory consolidation and mood regulation. Memory consolidation is when a temporary memory transforms into a more long-term one. Don’t get too excited yet though. Those who are sleep deprived (which is a lot of us let's be honest) are also dream deprived. Quality sleep is required for remembering dreams and having more dreams. 

I think it’s safe to say we all see the benefits of normal journaling, so why recount the thoughts we have when we’re not even conscious? Let me explain. 

1. Dreams help us process our emotions

   You know the saying, drunk words are sober thoughts? It’s kind of like this. Our subconscious can tell us something through our dreams. Dreams represent a part of ourselves that we don’t pay as much attention to in our conscious, everyday lives. Ellen Degeneres came out after having a dream about a bird flying out of its cage. Dreams allow us to go past what we already know. Dreams are like looking into a funhouse mirror, you can see yourself from a new perspective, and oftentimes it takes just this to crack the code of why we feel the way we do.  

2. Fuel creativity

   The only time that our brain can fully let go and not be restrained by rational decision-making is in our dreams. Dream researchers believe that our subconscious minds create scenarios to solve problems or explore certain curiosities that are occurring in our reality. This is possible because dreaming activates our secondary visual cortex which is just a fancy way of saying the part of the brain that forms images. The part of our brain that is responsible for logical, rational thought is dormant when we’re asleep. Studies found that the increased awareness of dreams from consistent dream journaling fosters creativity through a “loosening” of stereotyped thinking patterns. Logging our dreams can help us to think outside the box. So your dreams could potentially give you the next million-dollar idea, why wouldn’t you want to write that down?!

3. Boost your Confidence

   Dream journaling supports you in discovering new things about yourself. Your dreams can give you the power to make decisions for your betterment which results in a boost in confidence. Dream journaling can help you identify what in your conscious everyday life needs to be changed or approached differently. Dreaming gives you the tools to do just that.

Links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/dreaming-in-the-digital-age/202003/three-reasons-start-dream-journal 

https://www.sleep.com/sleep-health/dream-journal