Communicating dreams in their purest form can be one of the most difficult things to do. There are many reasons people may wish to record as much detail as possible — but is it always necessary?

If we write dreams down for science, detail is needed to provide more data so researchers can draw conclusions or develop stronger theories. If we are trying to match dream events to past, present, or future waking‑world events, details can also matter. Small details can make us perceive events differently, improving our waking lives as we change or continue our approaches to situations, ourselves, people, or work. Dreams may also be a source of history, where detail is almost the essence. Without detail, someone reading our dream journals a thousand years from now would not know who our childhood friends were, how they made us feel, or the histories we built together. They would not know who our partners were, how we cared for each other, or the regrets we may hold. The symbolism of the other — not just associations but whole maps of memory and feeling — would be lost. This is why dream dictionaries are useful guides but never all‑encompassing when it comes to unravelling “truth” or purity in our night‑time wanderings. Clarity is valuable, but without experiencing the dreams ourselves, perfection is impossible.

Dream journaling can be tiring when aiming for accuracy and purity. Numbering pages, titling dreams, dating them, and noting the time can be cumbersome. Multiple dreams in one night, turning on the light when every minute of sleep feels precious, and long dreams full of small details — colours, sounds, words — can all be stressful. These details may be symbolically significant, remnants of waking consciousness, or simply mysteries that remain intangible until our final days. Personally, I have found that writing down every detail when I am very busy in the waking world can be detrimental to my sleep and wellbeing. As a writer, I know that making a character explain something the reader already knows can be tedious. In the same way, we need a balance of realism with our dreams — especially when focus is needed in waking life and thinking about confusing dreams becomes time‑consuming. Keeping a dream journal should never be a chore. Do what feels right for you, whether that means writing every detail or only the ones that matter to you — or perhaps to someone else. Be playful, and approach dreams and life with joy and acceptance.

As a seasoned dream diarist, I write down as much detail as possible — but not always. Some dreams simply don’t require full detail because we already know what they mean, or we have dreamed them before. Sometimes a brief summary is enough. Maybe we already know that dreaming of missing the alarm means we need to organise ourselves better or be more timely. However, small details in such dreams can be important. For instance: why was my mum in that alarm dream, arms crossed, in our old family home? Perhaps I need to pay attention to historical dynamics in that relationship which are translating into my lateness. When leaving out detail, approach with caution — don’t let seemingly small elements pass you by.

Would it have been necessary to draw the dream image in detail? The micro‑expressions on my mother’s face, the two‑tone green shading of the bedsheets, the mahogany bedpost, the red blinking alarm light? Probably not. There are times when such details matter — such as dreaming of meeting a future spouse. I even wanted to take art classes to improve the accuracy of my dream images, hoping they might match someone I meet in future. Sometimes detail matters; sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes simple is better — even more accurate — when unknowns come into fruition and shapes that look like one thing appear to be another. Scribbles can take on profound meaning. In one case, smoke I drew in a dream journal later mirrored graffiti letters spelling “OMG,” which I had not intended to draw. The dream also included a meteorite and a Chinese restaurant next to the wall where the graffiti appeared. Perhaps the means we have — our talents, limitations, and circumstances — are all we need for the best dream journal outcomes. The best thing to do is simply start one.

It is during those “big” dreams — the ones that shake us — that even minor details may become significant. The most impactful dream I ever had was of the London Bridge terror attacks in 2017. The first dream shook me so much that I wrote down as many details as possible: an attack on a bridge in London involving a white van, three Arab men, one with a shaved head, machetes, and an attack also occurring in Manchester. Within three weeks, all of these details came true in waking life, leaving me with a mysterious story to ponder.

Even the mundane dreams that followed the main one were worth recording in detail. Sequential dreams around emotionally impactful events should, I believe, be written down as fully as possible. Keep this in mind the next time you think about skipping “boring” information.

Thanks for reading — and don’t forget: if you want to wake up, go to sleep.

Daniel aka Dream Prophecies Daniel J. Taylor is a dreamer, author of Somewhere Beyond Jupiter, and a PhD candidate in Social Anthropology.