A few days past I was having a discussion with a friend on dreams and their meanings, their stimuli, cultural significance, etc. and the topic found it’s way to his Native American background and ‘dream quests’ etc.
AThis topic made me think of a discussion we had here at one point in time (but I cant for the life of me find it) on the topic, or at least near the topic, of dreams.
Someone suggested that there was an herbal sleep aid or over the counter herbal supplement which has a side effect of rendering dreams more vividly, which, in the course of our discussion, I brought to my friend’s attention.
Does anyone remember that discussion?
The topic came up again today. This friend of mine asked me what that supplement was, as he believes that there may be a solution within his dreams to a problem he’s currently facing.
I’ve given him my opinions on the subject, and will pass on input from you all as well.
I’ve heard certain anti-malarials will achieve this effect.
I don’t think this is the right season for harvesting rye grasses.
djm
Just go to sleep with a nicotine patch on.
You were there, emmline, and you, lambchop, and you, fiddler, and carol and cynthia . . . you were all there, and it was real . . and now I’m home again.
I don’t dream. Or, I don’t remember my dreams if I have them. Ever. The last dream I remember having was when I was 12, I think.
Congrats, isn’t it time you faced up to the fact that there is no C&F? Wakey wakey! 
djm
Actually…
I’m just looking for a cheap, reliable supply of spice melange
I have a coworker who right now is on his way back from visiting our office in India. He had to go through the standard course of anti-everything shots and pills before his trip, and indeed, one of the side-effects of the medicines was incredibly memorable and lifelike dreams, though he didn’t mention whether they were lucid or not (lucid in my estimation meaning you are aware you’re dreaming, and have some degree of control).
That, and I’d always heard eating a banana before bed induces bizarre dreams.
So… a nice Gin & Tonic?
Did you click your heels together first? Or did you just have to play “Take me home Kathleen” on your whistle?
Y’know, when I was a kid I had a real taste for tonic (or “quinine”) water. For a while there I’d go to the fridge just about every day, grab the bottle, and drink from it. Don’t know if my parents ever figured out where it all went. I did have the wildest dreams, though, now that I think about it.
I think that the supplement that you are after is melatonin (a hormone, I believe). Melatonin is a sleep aid, and one of the side effects is vivid dreams. Melatonin is inexpensive and is widely available in a supermarket. Melatonin is also used to counter the effects of jet lag. I take half of a 3 mg tablet before bedtime. Caution: you may need seat belts on your bed, as last night I was hopping around like a rabbit in my dreams. I sure do wish that I had that much energy in my waking experience.
I have a book that tells you how to “incubate” dreams and control the content. The author claims that some famous people do this-Sue Grafton, for one. If you can control the content by her method and the intensity by melatonin some pretty interesting possibilities suggest themselves.
Melatonin isn’t sold in Canada, at least not in Ontario. I brought some back from a trip to the States once and it did absolutely nothing for me. My neighbor was telling me how much better he slept when he used it.
There is no need to take artifical stimulants. (but it can be fun.)
When I was doing a creative writing class (a looooong time ago) the teacher advised those of us who complained about slow writing, to keep a dream diary.
Just keep a notebook at the side of your bed, and write down your dreams, when you wake up.
Everybody is in a rush when they wake up. It’s a great way to learn to be accurate and concise. I still have an old diary. The first few pages ramble with little detail. The last few are terse and vivid.
It’s not clear to me whether the dreams got more involved or whether I just remembered them a great deal more, but either way, there was more detail.
Carlos! Hey Carlos! You listening to this? 
Herbs to help one dream more vivid or remember the dreams they have?
Either way, the question is a medical question.
Herbs contain chemical constituents just the same as any Rx.
There is a fish that’s eaten in the South Pacific, called a dreamfish, that causes vivid dreaming. I think I read about it in National Geographic years ago. The writer said he tried it and, sure enough, he had very vivid dreams the night after eating it.
The trick to remembering your dreams is to stay absolutely still when you first wake up and review your dreams. As soon as you move, it seems to break a memory connection. I took a class once where we were taught a mantra that is supposed to stimulate dream memory. I and others found it was effective. (Still is.) You repeat ‘raum, gaum’ in your head, pronounced like ‘round’ or ‘house.’ Best done as soon as you wake.
Tony
A good friend who was my ex-college roommate had a habit of buying bananas, keeping them until they got pretty brown & spotty, then eating them. When I asked him why, he said that after eating one, he would have absolutely off-the-wall vivid dreams.
Me, I just stuck with the whiskey. Could never remember my dreams all that well, but then again, getting there is half the fun…
I’ve read that the common weed, Mugwort (sounds like something from Harry Potter) can be used to make “dream pillows” for vivid dreams. Never tried it though.
I’ve heard something like that too. I have my friend check it out and see if it’s something he’ll want to try.
Tanx for all the good input everyone; I’ll pass it along to my friend.