I have always been interested in the subconscious mind and I believe it stems from the incredibly odd string of dreams I had for years starting when I was 3 or 4. They were all dreams I could control, but I didn’t know that they were dreams, so I wouldn’t call them lucid. When I was about 8 I started to truly lucid dream, especially about Easter morning.

I’m only 15 but my dreams are no longer abundant. I remember only one or two a week, sometimes going months without a clear memory.

Lately I have wanted to use my dreams to help my real life progress but I’m having trouble in even getting the dreamboat rolling. (Sorry to mix metaphors, and words for that matter). Meditation has helped in the past, but I’m finding that difficult. Should I be concentrating on the dreams I can remember?

- Erin, Age 15, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CANADA

Hi Erin -

Isn’t it frustrating when you can’t remember your dreams? What’s even worse is when you wake up and can feel that you were just dreaming about something fun or important - but the “clear memory” of the dream - no matter what you try - won’t come back.

Did you know what we all dream about one hundred minutes per night? This is as long as any film that we see in a theater or watch on TV. There’s a big difference though. If we did watch a movie last night, we would all be able to remember it perfectly today. (In fact, each of us could probably write an essay on it, discussing the plot, describing the characters…). When it comes to dreams, though, our memory just isn’t the same.

The reason why we have a hard time remembering dreams is related to the reason why we have a hard time noticing that we are dreaming. Have you ever wondered about this? Why - despite all the weird stuff that happens in dreams, (like flying, falling, breathing underwater, being pregnant, living in a mountain…) we don’t immediately notice we’re dreaming? The reason is because we aren’t very reflective in dreams -it’s hard for us to “see the big picture.” This is why most dreams are not lucid, and also explains our poor memory.

Everyone has difficulty remembering dreams now and then - it’s completely normal. Nevertheless, I have three tips that I guarantee will get your “dreamboat” rolling again.

1) Before you go to sleep at night, write in a dream journal about what you would like to dream about, or draw a picture of a place you would like to visit.

2) When you go to sleep, remind yourself to think about your dreams the second you wake up. This step is very important, because if we are distracted, odds are we won’t remember anything.

3) Consider investing in one of those alarm clocks that has a snooze button on it. Set it for about an hour earlier than when you really want to get up, and then let the fun begin. The alarm will go off every ten or fifteen minutes, and each time it does, it will wake you up from a new dream. (We dream a lot in the mornings).

If you do all three of these dream tricks - I guarantee your dreamboat will be operating at full speed. You will remember your dreams at least 5 days a week. Write back next week and tell us what you’ve been dreaming about!