How To Incubate A Dream

Step 1: Visualise

The key to incubating a dream is thinking about it and visualising it as much as possible before bedtime. Imagine an entire dream scene and write down the details down on paper. Write in the first person and put in as much detail as you can. If possible, look at photos of the thing you're trying to visualise. You can include specific people, places and even sounds and smells. Once you have planned and written the dream description, go through it in your imagination again and fix the entire scene in your mind. Try to think about as you drift into sleep, but don't concentrate too hard as this will stop you from falling asleep.

Step 2: Dream

Create a comfortable, peaceful environment to encourage dreaming. Go to bed at a reasonable time, and try to avoid alcohol, and stimulants such as alcohol before bed. Have a dream journal or voice recorder ready next to your bed so that you can record your dreams as soon as you wake up. If you wake up during the night, record your dreams straight away, as it's unlikely will remember them in the morning if you go to sleep again.

Step 3: Recall

To give you the best chance of remembering your dream wake up a bit earlier than normal, but try to use as gentle an alarm clock as possible. Lie still and try to recall your dream in as much detail as possible. Then write the dream down in a journal, including feelings associated with the dream. Sometimes when you try to incubate an image or idea it only appears in your dreams several days later. So keeping a dream journal, with the date of each dream, will help you keep track of how well your dream incubation is working. Don't worry if your first attempts at dream incubation don't work. Keep trying, and you will find that it becomes easier and easier with practice.
Sweet dreams!