Exploringn a Neurobiological Theory of Dreaming

Exploringn a Neurobiological Theory of Dreaming

Neurobiological theory of dreaming focuses on the brain and the

nervous system. The activation synthesis theory which is one of the

theories put forward by Hobson and Mcarley (1998) said sleep is

controlled by mechanism in the brainstem. When activated this inhibits

activity in the skeletal muscles and increases activity in the

forebrain. This theory seems dreaming as an automatic part of the

sleep process that may have no significance beyond the need to

organize the material into coherent forms. Hobson points out that

injection of a drug that increases the action of acetylcholine both

increases REM sleep and dreaming.

There is a research evidence to support the activation synthesis

theory. Research was taken on cats where there is apparently random

firing of cells in cat's brains during REM sleep. This then therefore

produces activation in parts of the brain that are used as visual

perception and the control of the motor movements and may be

synthesised into a dream.

Hobson also showed evidence of how internally generated signals can be

misinterpreted as external signals. He said that the cortical levels

of the neurotransmitters are lower during REM sleep than during NREM

sleep and when we are awake.

However one criticism of this theory is that the supporting research

which was done for this was in a laboratory where participants slept

and this however differs significantly from sleep in more natural

settings.

This theory is in good in explaining why smells and taste rarely or

never appear in our dreams because only those parts in vision and

hearing are activated. This theory also accounts for why we often find

our dreams hard to understand as it stated that dreams are not

functioning effectively and due to random activity.

However this theory does not provide a convincing argument of the fact

that some dreams possess clear meaning and coherence. This theory has

little value in explaining why some time dreams are repetitive.

Describe and evaluate one psychological theory of dreaming?