how to induce dreams?

I had a recurring dream long ago and I want to dream of it again...I keep thinking of it but its not enough...does anyone know of ways to kind of make yourself dream something specific or induce a dream? What works best?

I don't know of any way to make yourself dream something but I have found ways to open up the door and create an open door approach to dreams
Meditation in the morning can be a good way to recount dreams or find the meaning of them or free yourself of them.
At night meditation followed by new age music can create an atmosphere of relaxation and acceptance of whatever comes out in dreams is an expression of my consciousness. If you want to record your dreams or recount them, a notebook open by the bed with a couple writing instruments.
Getting attached to a dream can be like getting attached to a person. That is a risky thing to build a life on. It may cave in.
WHen I go into dreams I leave my expectations behind and sometimes get a lesson or a warning or a new sense of peace and letting go.

The name for what you want to do, stephiifaye92, is called 'lucid dreaming'. I can do it, and enjoy doing it...once you've taught yourself how, you can not only pick up where you left off after waking, return to the same dream the following night, stop a dream that's fast approaching a nightmare and remember far more of your dreams.

It does involve being a somewhat light sleeper (which you seem to be as usually only those who are light sleepers are able to recall their dreams with any length). Basically, like CANDC says, opening yourself does help...almost like meditation. I will remember the dream I have had and want to return to and just sort of rerun it in my mind. My dreams can be first person, third person (where I'm watching myself) etc. so which ever it happens to be, and I want to repeat, that is how I 'view' it.

Kind of like 'day dreaming' except you relax, and close your eyes and just recount the dream..as if watching a movie or participating in one. It won't happen, most likely, all at once but over time, if you practice, you'll find it easier and easier until it becomes second nature.

I will warn you, lucid dreaming doesn't get rid of all uncomfortable dreams (those that are weird or make you feel confused or depressed, but stop short of being nightmares). I had a recurring dream involving 'empty houses' that happened at least 3 times a week for years. I kept trying to figure it out, rather than stop it because it always left me so upset when I woke, and I wanted to find some closure which I thought I could do, if I dissected the dream. Technically, I kind of KNEW where it was coming from, but never could quite peg or get over it. Best I could do was wake up and then start a new 'thread' so to speak, on another topic. Eventually, I did stop the empty house dreams, but it wasn't therapy that did that.

I began a new job as a tile setters helper...and most of the houses we set tile in were 'production homes'. Empty. All of them. I guess I freaked out my subconscious because after about a month of that, no more empty house dreams! lol

Good luck, and much success!

As waiting4 said, there can be dreams that keep trying to grab our attention until we finally get the message or the situation is resolved (no more working in empty houses). For me that could be an empty feeling or it could be all the excesses eliminated.
I am keen to know dreams but meditation seems to go beyond dreams closer to where dreams come from or beyond that. It is experiential so describing meditation is impossible but if you feel inclined try it. It can take to you to places dreams go and beyond. Following the breath is a good way to start meditation.
If you want to try this exercise in fantasy that is part dream and part meditation if you have no luck with reexperiencing the dream. Imagine you are in the basement of an old building and you open the elevator door and the floors go by until you get to the 6th floor. The door opens and you go into a darkened theater and a giant screen. You see the title MY DREAMS and you sit in the chair and relax and watch. If this gets scary or uncomfortable get back in the elevator or take the stairs to the 4th floor. If that does not work just "beam" down to the 4th floor as they do on the starship Enterprise. At the fourth floor imagine you are in a beautiful garden and the sun is shining and there is a feeling of well being and safety that fills the air. When you are done return to the first floor and awaken to where you are.
If at anytime you feel uncertain just open your eyes and you are back in the room.

I think recurring dreams are you trying to get your attention about something. Once your attention has been snagged/you resolve the issue, you don't have any need for the dream so it is gone. Don't think you can convince your unconscious to give it back. It would be like wanting to relive that day at the beach when you were 5. . . you might have a somewhat "similar" day but it would not be "that" day. Everything, including our selves, moves on.

I was part of an academic dream group once and we did group projects where we all tried to dream about the same/similar objects but, of course, even when we did our actual dreams were different, individual.

I would create art, stories, etc. about the dream themes and objects/metaphors and see if I could eventually get my unconscious to give me a dream about or related to one of them. My spirit animal is the bear because of dreams about it I have had and one in particular was precious to me but that dreaming experience is a memory to me now like any other real experience. Repetitive dreams seem the "same" but the night you dream them is different from the other nights, the "when" is important, what triggered a dream that night, etc. is part of the experience. As a child I went to my grandparents beach cottage several summers, many different nights but each day is different and it is the cumulative effect, not an individual day that is important there; your repetitive dream(s) are similar I think.

Thanks Perna....my spirit animal is supposed to be a bird, and actually, birds love me...follow me...land on me...dive bomb me...have no fear at all of me, no matter how annoying it is. I on the other hand, am not as enamored of birds as they are of me...I just wade thru the passel of them if they are in front of me, duck if necessary, honk my horn if they refuse to use the wings they were given to fly up away from my car before I run over them etc....I mean, really...birds kinda scare me! Couldn't I have a spirit animal that doesn't scare me????
Thankfully, I rarely dream of birds but conversely, I often dream of flying -- without a plane. Just, y'know...flying. Go figure.

Little off topic but so glad someone else has a spirit animal!!!