Re: An observation about dream recall

[TheOnerous]

I've been thinking about dream recall and I've realised that sometimes in dreams  I perceive things conceptually, and sometimes I perceive things visually. For example, I robbed a bank in a dream. We took the cash and ran to the getaway car. As we drove away I kept looking at the car behind to try and work out if the people in the car were cops. From the bank robbery section of the dream I can remember no visuals at all, but I know beyond all doubt that I was in a bank doing a robbery. I can remember no visuals when I think of running and entering the getaway car, but I know that's exactly what happened. However, I can clearly remember scrutinising the car behind us, scrutinising the silhouettes and, if I wanted to, I could even recreate the car and the silhouettes in a rough sketch right now.

I realised that, if I recall the visual part of the dream - the car behind and the silhouettes - I also sometimes recall it conceptually and sometimes visually. So I worked out a couple of ways to improve my visualisation of the dream event. First, I could visualise the events as though they were happening in the room right now. And second, I could draw a very basic shape or line on a piece of paper that would act as a guide to help me re-visualise the scene. I've found if I draw a short vertical line - about a centimetre in height - it's quite easy to visualise someone standing next to it. If I want to re-visualise seeing someone through a window I can draw a small rectangle on paper and visualising the view through the window is much easier. Sometimes the visualisation in these cases can seem eerily real and it's almost as though I'm watching a film the on paper.

[Summerlander]

Interesting observations.  It's like everything starts as a feeling or a belief and then sensory perception may highlight it.  And then recalling the dreams we may fill in the gaps with spontaneously arising images.

Do draw these dreams.  By the way, you got some phase-related art too?  It can go in the art thread.  Sketching can stimulate visual memory of the dream just like written notes can help one to recall more.

[TheOnerous]

That could be...interesting