When we sleep every night, our bodies follow a pattern based on brain waves and physiological reactions. In this sleeping pattern, there is specific stage called “Rapid Eye Movement” (REM). This stage is reached a handful of times a night, lasting almost two hours in total. Characterized by the fluttering quick eye movement, this stage is often responsible for the unforgettable dreams that occur every night. Our bodies are usually catatonic, while our mind is functioning as if we were awake.

However, there are countless other dreams that also present in REM cycle. Research and data show that we hit this REM stage on average 5 times a night. Though we may remember one or two of these dreaming sessions, rarely are we able to remember the others.

Why Remember Your Dreams

Dreams are visual images into our subconscious. As we enter the REM stage, our minds come alive without the restrictions of the ego and fear that we carry when awake. Our minds and spirits are free to wander and flow into unexplored directions.Our subconscious is free to express itself onto our conscious minds.

If we take note of our dreams, we will start to become aware of the patterns of our subconscious. What are the themes that are constant? How do the pieces of the puzzle fit together?

Yes there are archetypal images that are common throughout humanity. From teeth falling out to flying, these themes are commonly defined and can be found in dream dictionaries. But each person has individual perspectives that ultimately determine the meaning of any dream.

Some enormous benefits to remembering your dreams are:

1. Become aware of underlying fears and unresolved issues.

Underlying fears and unresolved issues will be manifested in your dreams. We stuff our subconscious with repressed emotions and thoughts that surface in visual imagery. From the obvious to the absurdly symbolic, dreams often show our greatest fears that we are too afraid to face in real life.  The more we are aware of these fears and issues, the more we can tackle them in real life.

2. Identify your weaknesses and strengths.

We are both at our most powerful and our weakest in our dreams. We can conquer demons or be chased by them. The roles we play in our dreams are facets of our own personality. Dreams will play in patterns from our subconscious mind. They will reveal our wants, our needs, and the true nature of our selves. Dreams are invaluable in exploring our inner truth without the restrictions of ego and fear.

3. See how your subconscious energy is manifested in your real life.

Once you see how dreams are tied to our subconscious, you shall see that our subconscious mind affects our conscious world. We often act subconsciously creating an external world without a conscious deliberate choice. The biggest decisions in our life have great bearing upon our subconscious energy and thoughts. Common themes in dreams are played out in our day to day lives.

As you become aware of this, you can use your strengths to overcome your weaknesses. You can evolve and grow from your fears by being mindful and addressing them in your real life. You can stop yourself from playing the same self destructive pattern.

We bring the subconscious into our conscious minds.

4. Learn to lucid dream.

Lucid dreaming occurs when we are conscious in the REM stage. Here we then allow our minds to create whatever dream we want. We can play or create any role at our beck and call. We are the masters of the dream.

We can sprout wings and fly. We can slay the fiercest demon. We stand in front of millions in speech.

When we are mindful in our dreams, we can face the issues and fears that plague us most. In the safety of our minds, we can process and evolve the energy that haunts us. We can manifest the energy that makes us feel powerful. By doing this we can learn to live our day to day life just as powerful and as free in our dreams.

We bring the conscious into our subconscious minds.

5.  Learn to use your conscious and subconscious mind in balance.

As we continue to log and remember our dreams, we will have greater awareness of how our conscious and subconscious minds function. We can see evidence of both at work in our day to day choices. We will have greater management over these decisions, which will create a more powerful approach to living.

You will allow your conscious mind to keep discipline and focus. You will allow your subconscious mind to explore and create. You will learn to make choices that will ultimately benefit you so that you learn why you do the things you do, why you say what you say, and what other brilliance do you want to create.

Why else would you want to remember your dreams for?

For tips on how to remember your dreams, please check out “5 Tips to Remembering Dreams.”