Day 26: Help please, my dream recalling has disappeared =/

[alhaalim]

I have a problem which is actually bothering me very much.
I have, as some of you may know, been keeping a dream journal for around five years and I have never had any problems with recalling my dreams.
Now I am on day 26 in the MAP program (this week is focused on the primary centers) and four days ago, when I woke up, I couldn't remember a single thing from my dream, and what's bothering me is that it's been like that since then. I've been trying different things; waking up by myself, without an alarm clock, I've been getting more sleep (6-8 hours) than I usually get, but nothing seems to work. I've also been raising alot of energy before going to sleep.
Anyone have any idea what it is I'm dealing with and what to do to get rid of it?

[hasalameth]

I was facing similar difficulties, actually also four nights ago and onward, just after a very strong dream the night before (we talked this over on the phone).

This is what I did:

*I see to it that the temperature in my room is ok, not too warm / cold, also I keep an extra blanket if I would get cold in the night
*don't eat at all / don't eat heavy meals prior to sleep
*energy raise before falling asleep
*sorta "clean" the room using a candle (which has a very good psychological effect, just having flames around as the only sources of light calms the mind) and some inscences
*I know this might not suite you, but it's what I do, I close my eyes and "prey" intently to whatever good willed spirit/s that is/are listening, "God" if you like, and my higher self and my guides, I ask them that they will protect me and my room, help me achieve conscious exit and thank them for looking after me
*I carefully and thoroughly read and recite the affirmations aloud, really seeing to it that my entire mind is with me, like when I read "I will remember my lucid dreams as readily as waking life experiences" I visualize myself waking up in the morning and remembering it, I don't just read the text while thinking of other stuff, which I usually do, atm I'm thinking about that there's not a snowball's chance in hell I will make it, watching american history X, daily training, sing friede auf erden and make it to my rehearsal in TWO hours...

Important:

*I try to never give up when I wake up in the morning. This is stuff to keep in mind:

¤Stay still when you wake up. Stay still, close your eyes and "recall"
¤Focus on the 3rd eye. This usually doesn't help me, but I always get pictures of a river or some other form of gathered water, sometimes a river in an underground cave, but I have no idea what that comes from :?
¤If nothing comes after a long while, I start running my "list" of usual triggering keywords, this is actually what helps me the most, I just say all names of people in my life that are important and I use to dream of, then I think of places, situations, stuff, the other night "cellphone" triggered a three pages long dream recall lol
¤I try not to think "omgz I can't remember!", because I think this kinda blocks it out
¤This is hard to describe, but I just reach out with my feelings, to see if I can remember a special feeling from a dream like "mm warmth", or love or friendship or other feelings I usually have in my dreams

I think this comes and goes, but yeah, if it's the 1st time in five freakin' years it happens, I would be worried too :(

Experienced folks, any tips?

Also alhaalim, be sure to check the "torubleshooting" chapter in the MAP, and look up dream recall or only recall in the index.

I really this will get sorted out. My dream recall is up and running, although I spent a good 15 minutes trying to recall this morning, and just when I was about to give up, it shot back to me.

love,

h

[alhaalim]

cheers darling.
I'll try some of the things you've listed in this post, the only one which I will not try is the one where you're supposed to lie in bed with closed eyes and recall; you know I don't sleep much, that one has caused me to, at numerous occasions, fall asleep again and when I wake up I have like five minutes to get dressed and get to school, sucks pretty bad =/.

I think a problem could be that I'm really used to recalling the dreams within a couple of seconds after I wake up, I'll try recalling for a longer time tomorrow morning, and also I'll check the troubleshooting chapter and in shaa' allaah I'll remember something phat tomorrow morning.

I actually have a theory, based on absolutely nothing, that maybe I'm just not dreaming but maybe projecting and since my mind's not used to doing that consciously, maybe that's why I'm not remembering. Some expert thoughts on this one please :P.

Thanks for the help though, will call you in a few.

salaam

[hasalameth]

hmmm. yeah that sorta occured to me too, but hey you know, you do astrally project all the time (I think). Or maybe you're conscious mind is involved a wee bit more than usual = no regular dreams. Makes sense. I often have my most "intense" dreams in the morning. try setting your alarmclock like one hour earlier than you wake up normally, wake up, check for recall and fall asleep again. this is also used for obe.

gl, salaam lol :)

ps. I just realised my name sounds pretty arabic allright "hhhesaalamethh", you should check it up! :)

[CFTraveler]

Everyone who works on consciousness or awareness experiences this at some point- it's exhaustion. I suggest you take a break from any awareness enhancing activities for a few days, (maybe a week) to recuperate, and continue where you left off. Sometimes you need time off for all these 'new connections' to get cemented, so to speak. Like I said before, it happens to everyone, but perceiving a problem breeds worry, and worry breeds fear, and that gets in the way, and you may be blocking yourself. It's ok to take a mini-vacation even from this type of thing. When you start up again you may find that you have progressed when you weren't trying. Consciousness is funny that way.

[alhaalim]

My dreams have actually come back now, i think it's because i've started taking it slow with the primary centers awareness actions; i feel sensations as soon as I start working on them and I read in the MAP book that one should not work more on them after feeling sensations, so now i work way less on them.
Thanks for the tips and trix though

[hasalameth]

What a delight to hear, my friend. Same here, I took a day off actually. I even consider giving up some of the main chakra work since I've been seeing some emotional, physical and mental imbalance in my being recently, but this could just be stress and a cold. Just to be sure I took a day off, and I sort of feel more balanced, thanks for the tips CFT!

[Chris7]

Hi that's amazing i'm also on 26th day of MAP and my dream recalling has completely dissapeared.It happened all of a sudden.Yesterday i could recall very little and today i woke up in the morning and to my suprise absolutely nothing,not even the smallest thing to hold on to.Up till now i'd been quite good at it,actually only the day before yesterday i slowly started getting annoyed because it took me about half an hour to write down my dream<only one sometimes there is more>.So i guess be careful what you wish for even subconsciously.
It seems that it must be somehow connected with stimulating primary energy centers.I've been also raising energy about three times a day.
So loosing dream recalling ability temporarily<i hope> is bad? or is it rather a natural part of developing processs?
Does anyone have any idea?

Everyone who works on consciousness or awareness experiences this at some point- it's exhaustion. I suggest you take a break from any awareness enhancing activities for a few days, (maybe a week) to recuperate, and continue where you left off. Sometimes you need time off for all these 'new connections' to get cemented, so to speak. Like I said before, it happens to everyone, but perceiving a problem breeds worry, and worry breeds fear, and that gets in the way, and you may be blocking yourself. It's ok to take a mini-vacation even from this type of thing. When you start up again you may find that you have progressed when you weren't trying. Consciousness is funny that way.
I just found this .This means that i'm actually doing fine,just a bit exhausted.thanks
Is taking a break the best way?Would going forward with MAP and for example getting more involved with physical matters at the same time be a good solution?
Any ideas thanks

[CFTraveler]

It depends on what the problem is. If it is exhaustion, then I recommend a one week bread from all practices, and go back to where you left off. If the problem is different, then your idea may work, it just depends.

[Chris7]

Thanks.I think it's coming back ,i was able to recall a very short dream in the morning,plus a weird thing i saw two people run through my room <in the middle of the night>and it startled me and i woke up.Waking up it's not the best term to describe it,because as i saw them i was half-asleep half-conscious,i'm not sure.<my vision was blurry again half-seeing half-feeling,sensing>
Also it was the second time it had happened to me.The first time was three days ago< 24th day of MAP solar plexus center>
From my notes:
before going to bed i listened to Gateway Experience <wave 1 cd 2>then i said my nightly affirmations and raised energy for about 10 minutes.At night i quickly woke up and my base center was sort of being worked on,navel center as well.I was half-asleep half-conscious.At first i didn't quite realise what it was,but now it hit me.Iwas definitively half-conscious yet i saw my base and navel center<one at a time>out of my body.There were both glowing rectangular circle sort of things.It didn't go so well with solar plexus center.Side note i did ask to contact my higher selves so they can help me.
I should add that first experience was pleasant,the second one not so much
Do you have any idea what it might have been?thanks

[CFTraveler]

You asked, and you received. It's not always pleasant, especially when you forget you asked and wake up to find someone 'else' messing with you.
I wouldn't worry about it, but if it makes you feel better, do a prayer of protection or cast a circle (as in 'open in protection') as part of your meditative work.

[Chris7]

Thanks.Just to clarify it was the second experience i didn't like ,when someone run through my room,it didn't really scare me, just startled me.
The second one with my my primary centers being worked on was pleasant.Idon't mind being worked on <i need a lot of that>as long as it is done by my higher selves.
To be honest i actually expected my primary centers to be perfect after that .But i'm not sure, all of them<up to brow center>respond well and almost right away,no strong sensations though.
Thank you for your time.I'd like to bring something valuable to the forums rather than just bother people with my questions :lol: .unfortunately i i'm too inexperienced for that.Thanks anyway