Thanks so much, Robert. I’m thinking you must spend a lot of time transcribing from your notebook to the computer – do you edit or rewrite as you go? Do you record symbols in a separate section, or is it strictly chronological?
What I like best about keeping a journal is going back and reading old entries. I’m always amazed at what I’ve forgotten! plus it reminds me that I’ve handled situations better than I remember.
The Lightning Dreamwork Game is such a good method for recording dreams, so thanks again for that.

Anne – Wherever possible these days, I type directly into my computer, which eliminates the considerable time otherwise required for transcription – and the problem of deciphering my illegible handwriting When I’m on the road and leading workshops, however, I generally record by hand in a travel diary, as in the snapshot of couple of 2003 journal pages I used to illustrate this piece. The fun of recording this way is that the artist inside me want to come out and festoon my written reports with drawings.
My basic journal record is chronological. I will then save documents again in thematic folders, so I can find them both ways. There are now software programs available the provide a search engine for electronic journals, but Paleo-Man here hasn’t been drawn to these. And one of the games I love to play is to open an “old” journal at random and see what pops up.

A note to all – For those who are curious to know more about my Lightning Dreamwork game, mentioned a few times already on this blog: The rules are explained in my book “The Three ‘Only’ Things: Tapping the Power of Dreams, Coincidence and Imagination.” I call it “lightning” dreamwork because it’s meant to be fast, and to focus energy like a bolt from the sky. It’s an original four-step process that can be used for self-study and/or to share dreams with a partner, receive helpful feedback, and develop an action plan to embody the energy and guidance of the dream.

The best thing I can give myself as I enter into writing for mySelf is permission – permission to write badly, to misspell, to say it wrong, to be dumb and silly and not at all profound or prolific. One of my writing heroes, Anne Lamott, sums it up in the 1st chapter of her book, “Bird by Bird,” called “Shitty First Drafts.” It never ceases to amaze me what can show up once I eradicate that demonic self-expectation (which, in my case, wears the hideous mask some might call “perfectionism”).
In my writing group, we often include 10-15 minutes in which we “free write,” which is basically agreeing on a certain “prompt/starter,” then following stream-of-consciousness brainflow, transcribing straight from thought to page, refusing to succumb to meanie-voice self-critic. Sure, sometimes it’s drivel, but I cannot even begin to tell you how inspired we all often are by the results of this seemingly simple and brief exercise. We never have to share, but there are only four of us and we’ve become quite close, so we typically do – and are always delighted by the different directions our writingminds take in response to the very same prompt. It is a wonderful way to tap into the beauty of our different perspectives.
At the risk of going on too long, I will also say that I honestly believe most of us have easy-access to the wisdom of our own internal voices as children. It seems the very education system we count on to give us the knowledge we need to succeed also teaches this internal trust right out of us. Alongside focus on spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence diagramming, parts of speech, vocabulary, etc. etc, we need to teach kids to journal – to catch dreams and synchronicity, to rant on a page that will never be seen, judged, red-penned or graded. To write for the pure joy of writing.
Hmmm…. See? I had NO IDEA when I began this response that that is what I needed to say….
Bonn stygian

Robin – You are right – and write – on track. Giving ourselves permission to write is critical. This requires us to sideline the editor and censor in the brain. We’ll need their services later on, but not when we are seeking to get into the writing Zone. And I am a great believer in timed writing, in my personal practice and when I lead my workshops on Writing as a State of Conscious Dreaming. 10-15 minutes is quite enough to deliver the essence of a story, and it requires us to move at such speed that there’s no way the interfering editor can keep up.

Robert,
In addition to writing my dreams in my journal, I also write a daily journal on events that are happening in my life and my family’s. I can then notice the synchronicities that are happening in my life. It’s been hard to get my son to write down his dreams so I will record his dreams when he tells me. Sometimes our dreams will coincide. It will be a treasure to give him when he is older and hopefully will encourage him to take up journaling on his own.

Janine – Yes, we want to make our journal a Book of the Day and well as a Book of the Night. I’ve been in the habit of recording daily incidents – especially the play of meaningful coincidence – and the dreams of friends and family in my journal, as you do. Sometimes this supplies confirmation of what Baudelaire observed, with a poet’s clarity: “You are walking in a forest of living symbols that are looking at you.” It also reveals the web of connection between us.

Sometimes i have to talk myself into writing down a dream that seems “silly” or not worth much in the morning. I am so grateful when I do! I asked for clear advice on the state of my health and health care insurance, and when I woke up, I felt the dream told me nothing. Well, that was silly as later in the day I re -read my dream, which I would not have remembered if I did not write it down. It was so clear, i had a dog appear that had passed over 20 years ago, I hadn’t thought of her and was very surprised in the dream. She had not been fed all this time and I couldn’t believe that she survived. I fed her and let her outside. then I came upon another dream dog sitting on my lap, but snapping at anyone who tried to get too close to me. I feel this dream tells me not to worry about my health now and in the future (the dog on my lap is a a possible dog I may actually adopt), though he’s not snappy in real life.
This dream helps me feel I will be protected. For me taking the time to write an intention down in my journal really gives better results that just a focused thought.

Grace – Thanks for following the practice of dream journaling. When it comes to dream incubation it’s quite often the case that the connection between that dream that comes and the prior intention is hard to see. A little time, reflection and detective work may bring through the message – but only if we remember the dream!