We all dream, we just don't all remember our dreams all the time. The great news is that there are things that can be done about this.
When you want a plant to grow, you create an environment where it will thrive. You may pick a plant that does well in that particular locale. You work at finding the right balance of water, sun and dirt. You weed around it and maybe pair it with other plants that grow well together. You might start with a cactus that doesn't need a ton of attention and work your way to a delicate orchid.
You get the idea. The environment has an impact on the growth. The same is true for our dreams. If we want to remember our dreams, we can create an environment both internally and externally to help us with that.
It all starts before you go to sleep and any recommendations given here can be used simply to get good sleep. It's not a coincidence, the more nurturing your sleeping environment, the more likely you are to be in a state of mind and body to remember your dreams. Start by placing a value on good quality sleep; it truly is life-changing.
Bring your focus inward. I find the best way to do that is to start to remove distractions, put down any work or technology and start to quiet your mind. You can keep a notebook by the side of your bed so you can instantly record your dream if you awake in the night or first thing in the morning. Simply having that prop nearby might help you remember.
As much as you can control it, keep the room dark, quiet and comfortable. Speaking of plants, I think it can be helpful to your health to have plant life around your home and to spend ample time in nature. I have had the experience of intensified dreams when sleeping outside. When I was on a retreat in the Peruvian Amazon, we were told that the vibration is raised with the abundance of life around, everything giving off a living, breathing frequency just as we all do. I was remembering 4-6 dreams every night.
As I fall asleep I bring my focus towards two things, gratitude and dreams. I focus on what I am grateful for, especially in regards to that day and this time in my life. I then set an intention for my dreamscape. My intention may be to dream about a general theme like healing or guidance, or it may be directed at something more specific that I am working with in my life. Think more along the lines of, "I would like guidance on this transition I am going through" and less of "What should I eat for dinner tomorrow?"
As you set an intention, I would recommend focusing on the edges in your life, where growth happens, as dreams serve the function of teaching us and helping us to move forward in our lives. I find the desired results are more powerful and likely to occur if your intention speaks the language of dreams focusing on where you currently are in your journey and where you are headed. Dreams can often guide you in health, relationships, purpose and meaningful work. They are less likely to guide you in mundane, day to day tasks.
To take this further, think of an example of a big decision you have in your life or have had in the past. A dream is more likely to point you to your values and give direction for aligning to them than it is to give you a concrete, transactional answer. If we remember that the purpose of dreams is to participate as an evolutionary tool, we can quickly see that our dreams are not concerned with the play by play of ordinary life.
There are many other ways to create an environment that nurtures your dream world by focusing internally. While it helps to take some deep breaths and calm your thoughts directly before sleep, it also helps to be more mindful in general. Practices that facilitate a mindful and creative life with reverence for your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health and balance will all contribute to your experience with dreaming. This could be eating healthy, meditation, exercise, journaling, yoga and creative expression, by way of example. Mindful and creative practices are like an invitation to your inner dreamer to come out and play.
The action doesn't stop when you wake up. Practice lying in bed upon awakening and go over your dream in detail before opening your eyes or moving. You can give your dream a title and note the themes and key symbols to help commit it to memory. Whether you remember the dream or not, be sure to pay attention to how you feel when you first wake up. As you are trying to build a dream practice, you may start with this before you ever remember dream imagery or storyline. When you do open your eyes, write down all that you can recall right away.
The practice continues as you start to remember your dreams. To continue creating a thriving dream environment, it is important to honor the dreams that you do remember. You can do this by working with the dreams yourself or with a dream group or practitioner. Creativity is highly encouraged as a way to honor your dreams as that's what dreams are, a form of creation. You can even do this by being more open to symbols and imagery in your waking life. Your inner dream world is always there even when you are not asleep and is influenced by how you live and the attention you give it.
Notice the current state of your sleep and dream environment. Visualize how you intend to nurture your dream environment. The more care and attention you give your dreams, the more likely they are to show up for you.
Happy Dreaming!