Activation-Synthesis Essay On Dreams And Dreams

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Dreams have been a mystery that has intrigued the human race for hundreds of years. The fact that our brains have the ability to project images of our subconscious, yet the source of the images are still unknown, has caused thousands of psychologists to devote themselves to the study of the phenomenon. After spending two weeks tracking my sleep and dreams, I am of the belief that dreams are our brain’s way of conceptualizing reality while finding a way to solve the problems in our daily lives.
Throughout the last century or so, several different ideas have been proposed regarding the psychology behind dreaming. Sigmund Freud was one of the first to analyze them, taking on the belief that they were a projection of the deepest part of the unconscious mind, the id. He suggested that during sleep the rational part of the brain, known as the ego, let its guard down. As a result, the darkest desires of the person were free to come forward, though these desires could be somewhat distorted (McLeod, 2013).
Freud’s theory made the interpretation …show more content…

One of the most notable dream theories was the activation-synthesis model, proposed by Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley in 1977. This model was created in an attempt to explain why electrical signals were sent to the brain stem during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Hobson and McCarley believed that these electrical signals activated certain areas of the limbic system, thereby activating emotions, sensations, and memories. In an attempt to interpret these signals, the brain creates a situation in which the signals would make sense, resulting in dreaming (Cherry, K, n.d.). This concept was later adapted into the activation-information-mode (AIM) model, which allowed for the assumption that information retrieved in the brain during waking hours could influence images produced in dreaming (Ciccarelli, 2011, pp.

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