Search Results: keeping a journal

I used to keep a dream journal for many years. I've had sleep problems for as long as I can remember and was given the idea to keep the journal to see if maybe my dreams had anything to do with why I couldn't sleep (night terrors, etc.). Well, it wasn't that, haha! So I stopped writing in the journal altogether.

I noticed that when I first started keeping the journal, I had a little trouble remembering some details. I'd have to really focus, but even then, I'd forget some things, as I'm sure we all have before. After using the journal for a while, it was becoming easier and easier to recall the details of my dreams. I noticed, reading through them, that the later entries are much more detailed and elaborate than the earlier entries. Part of that probably has to do with how I came to be interested in writing. Part of it was probably just normal maturing and growing, but it also seemed to be more detailed simply because I could actually remember more.

Now, not having written in a dream journal in years, I can still easily recall vivid details of every dream I have (two or more a night, usually). I remember clothes, colors, places, people, what people say, smells, etc. When I think of the dream, I can actually picture it in my head, playing like a movie. I can also remember these dreams for a long time, often remembering a dream from several weeks ago, months ago, etc.

I sometimes wonder if I'm truly remembering every detail or if my mind is filling in the holes subconsciously.

Can we really trust our memories, especially memories of our dreams?

Anyone else have this kind of amplified dream memory?

Do you think it comes from practice, or maybe just because you have a great memory, in general?

What are you thoughts on this?