The present article reviews the hitherto developed theories explaining the variability of dream recall. In addition to a section discussing measurement issues, the empirical findings are briefly summarized in order to evaluate the different theories. The clearest support was reported for the arousal-retrieval model and the lify-style hypothesis. Furthermore, some clinical implications of dream recall research will be outlined. A possible therapeutical benefit of enhancing dream recall was suggested by the findings of Cartwright et al. To conclude, a few ideas to stimulate future research are presented.