This week, Justina Lasley — founder of the Institute for Dream Studies, a dream therapist and author of “Wake Up to Your Dreams” — discusses why some people can remember what they dream while others cannot.
Question: Some of my friends can remember their dreams in great detail, but I never seem to have dreams or remember any details from what I dream. Is this normal or could it mean something is wrong health-wise?
Answer: There is no definitive reason that some people easily remember their dreams and others do not.
Why Can’t I Remember My Dreams?
Throughout my twenty-five years in the study of dreams, I have tried to figure out why some people seem to remember their dreams vividly and easily while others have never remembered a dream and don’t believe they have ever dreamed. (We actually have five to six dreams each night.)
Lack of dream recall doesn’t generally relate to health issues — other than lack of sleep — but more often to the lack of interest in remembering dreams.
Dream work research has shown that dream recall frequency is determined by such factors as personality, creativity, sleep behavior (nocturnal awakenings) and attitude toward dreams.
