I  have  tested  dream  journal meditations orally with
live  audiences  and  in  written  form with participants in
the A.R.E. Dream Research Project. I have observed that
writing  inspirationally   in  a  dream  journal  meditation,
though  not  inevitably  promoting  experiences of dream
realization,  often does give dreamers a sense of rapport
with their dreams.  Being  convinced  that  this  approach
can be effective,  I  am  confident  in  presenting  one  of
these meditations to you for your experimentation.
      Presenting  the  meditation in printed form, however,
does pose certain problems. A dream journal meditation,
as a form of inspirational writing,  is  best approached in
innocence,     without     planning     ahead.     When    the
instructions  are  printed,  the  reader  may  look over the
entire   meditation   first,   and  can  become  tempted  to
speculate  and  anticipate  what   might   result.   A  more
serious  problem  is  that  for  some  people  the  printed
instructions    arouse    something    like    "test  anxiety,"
eliciting concern about doing the meditation "correctly."
Be assured that  the  instructions are meant to serve only
as a guide.  In this regard,  let me share with you a dream
related  to  me  by someone who was working with some
journal meditation instructions I had printed:

      I  am  in  a  college ... a hospital ... hurrying upstairs to
talk to a friend on the top floor about a test  I must take. I
am afraid.  It  is  a  test  where  I  must read problems and
then  translate  them  into  formulae  and  work  them  out.
During  the  test,  the teacher,  named Bonanza, says, "Be
quiet a moment and let me figure this out."

      The  dreamer appreciates  the dream journal as being
a  place   of   learning   and   healing,   and   wisely  seeks
inspiration  from  the  "friend upstairs."  But the dreamer
regards  the  meditation  itself  as  a  test,  and is anxious
about performing it correctly. I have to accept with good
humor   the  dreamer's   perception   of   the   meditation
instructions  as  being  like  "problems"  with  "formulae,"
and  you  may  appreciate  this  simile  yourself after you
have  experienced  the  meditation.   I  like  the  teacher's

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