Why You Must be Intentional About Your Dreams

Many people don’t remember what they dream because they’re not intentional about their dreams.  What does intention have to do with dreaming?  Everything.  It’s intention that can help us develop your dreams and intention that can hinder your ability to dream.

For example, let’s say when you were seven or eight years old you started to have nightmares.  The nightmares were so terrifying that you didn’t want to talk about them.  You don’t tell your parents.  You don’t tell your best friend.  You kept them to yourself and you made a vow that sounded something like this.  “If this is what dreaming is like, I don’t want to dream anymore.”

And now you don’t dream much as an adult.

When you decided to be intentional about your dreams you honor and respect them — you create a fertile environment that nurtures them.  The best way you can do this is to take a few minutes to calm your mind and breathing in order to detox yourself from the stress of the day.  This helps to create a peace in your mind and heart so you can receive rich and full dreams. This is also one of the best ways to begin dreaming again.

It may also help you to think of your dreams as presenting a question.  Consider the dream you had last night, for example.  If you were posed a question in that dream, how would you know it unless you began searching out your dream as you woke up?  The only way you’ll be able to ‘hear’ the question is if you’re intentional about seeking it out.  I recommend rehearsing the dream as you are waking up so you can more fully remember it once you’re awake.  It’s a simple step, but one that’s helped me remember more of my dreams than I normally would.

Another reason you should be intentional about your dreams is so you’re not just picked up and carried through the dream world.  You never know where you’re going to end up that way.  But if you’re intentional about your dreams as soon as some goofy things begin to happen you have the ability to speak into the dream and often change the outcome.  You may try to do this but have little to no results at first.  Like anything, being intentional in your dreams may take some time to develop, and if you’re able to develop this ability you may find yourself well on your way to having more lucid dreams than ever before.

EB

Photo credit: jpstanley via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA