Dreams have fascinated psychologists for over a century. From Freud’s symbolic wish-fulfillment theories to Jung’s exploration of the collective unconscious, dreams have long been seen as rich sources of insight into the psyche. But one doesn’t need to be trained in psychology in order to gain insight from their dreams — a journal and enough curiosity suffice.
Jungian dreamwork, for instance, can be practiced both in and out of therapy as a tool that fosters self-awareness and inner growth, much like meditation or contemplative exercises. This article is inspired by George Slater’s Bringing Dreams to Life and offers a simplified guide to keeping a dream diary for self-interpretation. I was first introduced to the practice through the YouTube series Cultivating Wisdom by cognitive psychologist Dr. John Vervaeke, whose 12-step approach to dreamwork forms the backbone of what follows. These ideas are further enriched by my own reflections and experiences after nearly five years of personal dream journaling.
Keeping a dream diary is also a powerful tool in therapy. It allows one to observe emotional patterns, unconscious conflicts, and symbolic narratives that might not surface in everyday awareness. Many therapists — especially those trained in psychoanalysis — work with dream material to explore themes that clients may not yet be able to articulate consciously. Dreams can offer a direct line to the inner world, bypassing the usual defenses and revealing feelings, memories, or meanings in unexpected and often profound ways.
Dreams as Mirrors of the Inner World
Dreams offer a unique glimpse into our internal life — into what we desire, fear, or avoid. They often reveal what we can’t (or won’t) acknowledge during our waking hours.
The people who appear in our dreams, the way they behave, and how we interact with them are all internalised aspects of our relational patterns. If a dream character says or does something that makes us angry, sad, or uncomfortable — that’s simply a message from within, a truth we’re delivering to ourselves. These interactions can reflect conflicts or dynamics we aren’t yet ready to face in waking life. When we dream, our usual mental filters are off. What arises is often raw, poetic, and surprisingly honest. Emotions that didn’t find a way out during the day often emerge symbolically and surrealistically at night.
What You Pay Attention To Grows
Everything we do, think and feel in our waking life affects our dreams. So here is the thing: when we start paying attention to our dreams, this in turn also affects the content of our dreams. Our unconscious knows that we now pay attention, inviting a deeper dialogue with ourselves.
But note: dreams are not puzzles to be solved or decoded for a tidy meaning. They are complex, dynamic expressions of inner life — symbolic communications that can be used for self- reflection rather than resolution. The work is not to interpret them from a place of ego or certainty, but to relate to them with humility and curiosity. It’s easy to fall into ego-indulgence or to get caught up in narratives that reinforce a grandiose sense of self — but we should resist such temptations.
A good reason to keep a record of dreams is that they often build on each other. Themes repeat or evolve. Meaning unfolds over time. Some dreams continue after days or weeks, as if part of an ongoing internal dialogue. By documenting them, we begin to trace these connections.
How to Start a Dream Diary
It’s simple, but consistency is key. If you’ve had trouble remembering your dreams, set an intention before bed: “I will remember my dreams.” Repeat this to yourself as a gentle mental cue.
Keep a notebook or journal next to your bed. The very moment you wake up, write something down — even if it’s just an image, a phrase, or a vague feeling. Use present tense. Don’t reach for your phone before writing; even a minute of distraction can make dreams fade away. If nothing comes to mind, write down the date and something like “No dreams to report today.” This helps to maintain the habit and signals to your unconscious that you’re still listening.
If you prefer digital tools, you can use an app or a file on your computer. But many people find handwriting more emotionally connected and intuitive.
Want to Explore Deeper? Try This 12-Step Self-Reflection
If you want to move beyond recording and begin “dialoguing” with your dreams, here is the 12-step framework I use (based on this video https://www.youtube.com/live/rWwmJ912NJU?feature=shared) :
- Setting: Where does the dream take place, how is the scene?
- Central images: What visual elements stand out?
- Main themes: What seems to be the core idea or message?
- Action / transformation: What happens? Is there movement or change? How does the energy shift?
- Feeling tone (in the dream): What emotions did you experience?
- Feeling upon waking: How did you feel when you woke up?
- Previous day events: What happened the day before that might connect to the dream?
- Shape of life: What’s been going on more broadly in your life — days before and after?
- Associations: What do the images/symbols remind you of? Free-associate, use a mind-map. Include myth, fairytales, films, cultural references, memories.
- Amplification: Use a dictionary of symbols (not dream dictionaries!) to explore traditional or archetypal meanings. Don’t begin here!!! — do this only after having completed the previous steps.
- Compensation: What might the dream be balancing or responding to from your waking life?
- Active imagination / Completion: Can you re-enter the dream in your imagination? Speak to the characters? Continue the scene? Take on another perspective?
Final Thoughts
Keeping a dream diary is less about learning to decode cryptic messages disguised in bizarre imagery, and more about getting slowly more familiar with your own unconscious. It’s a creative, intuitive, and often surprising practice. You might not always understand your dreams right away — or at all — but the act of showing up, listening, and recording makes space for a deeper self-awareness to unfold.
So tonight, tuck a notebook next to your bed. In the morning, write. Just begin.
Your inner world is waiting to be heard.
