Activation-Synthesis Model of Dreaming - Psychology Definition of the Week

Definition: The activation-synthesis model is a theory of dreaming developed by researchers J. Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley. First proposed in 1977, this theory suggests that the physiological processes of the brain cause dreams.

How does brain activity during sleep lead to dreaming? According to Hobson and other researchers, circuits in the brain stem are activated during REM sleep. Once these circuits are activated, areas of the limbic system involved in emotions, sensations, and memories, including the amygdala and hippocampus, become active. The brain synthesizes and interprets this internal activity and attempts to signals meaning to these signals, which results in dreaming. Read More...

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• Characteristics of Dreams
• Why Do We Dream?
• Dream Interpretation