Activation Synthesis Research Paper

One common myth about dreams is that they only occur in REM sleep. However, dreams can occur during any stage of sleep (Kalat 271). A study was

The last of the commonly known psychological theories is Hobson and McCarley. This theory claims that while dreaming our RAS or Reticular Activating System is activated, but not to the extent where it awakens us from our slumber. Our RAS is connected to the muscles which control daily actions such as walking and running, and is also connected to the cortex which allows it to activate our most recent thoughts. This theory is also known as Activation-Synthesis Model, which in my opinion is the easiest, most straightforward explanation you could get. The RAS activates areas in the cortex and they are synthesized into a pattern that tells a narrative story or dream. However, my dream correlates with Cartwright’s theory more than the others for a few reasons.

There are many facts that are unknown about the mind. For centuries, philosophers and scientists have tried to understand how it works. We have learned that the mind has a number of different levels of processing. Before Sigmund Freud “nearly all the previous research and theorizing of psychologists had dealt with conscious, such as perception, memory, judgment, and learning“ (Hunt185). Freud brought forth a number of theories that dealt with “the unconscious and its crucial role in human behavior”(Hunt 185). The unconscious is a storage area for information that is not being used. It is also the home of “powerful primitive drives and forbidden wishes that constantly generated pressure on the conscious mind”(Hunt

Sleep is often accompanied by the hallucinogenic state of dreaming comprised of lucid thoughts which can often seem like real life. Recently recorded studies and experiments have exposed the world of dreaming to physiatrists. Dreaming parallels many life experiences and is unique to each individual person. With the recent observations of lucid dreams and the studies of the REM sleep, this field has vastly improved its understanding and knowledge.

Once, Carl Jung, who is analytic psychologist, said the following quote “Who looks outward, dream; who looks inward, awakens.” Through the dreams, people can obtain the freedom and express themselves that they cannot in real life because dreams are their own. Most of the people however, do not realize they are dreaming because dreams are so powerful, and their consciousnesses do not recognize it as dreams. However, there are some people who can control their dreams in a state of consciousness, and those dreams which are controllable, are referred as Lucid Dream, by psychiatrist Frederik Van Eeden. This dream is occurred by the eye movements in the level of REM sleep. Lucid dream has long history, and there are there are both good and

“Dreaming is a complex process, and its study is not easy: we know little about the meanings and functions of dreaming; we are even not sure that definite dream functions exist.” (Barcaro, pg. xvi)

“Dreaming and their subsequent emotional interpretation have been investigated and recorded since the beginning of recorded history”. (as cited in Palagini; Rodenlicht, 2010). Recent experimental investigations applied to neurobiological and psychological perspectives of sleep identify a greatly dynamic arousal state, which in turn predicts a variety of physiological responses. One of the key stages associated within sleep is known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep; REM sleep at one stage was thought to be the primary dream period. However recent research and empirical evidence has shown that REM sleep does not have a direct relationship with dreaming, it is however purely and simply the stage of sleep which allows better recall of dreams.

It may seem unnecessary to define something as common to us as dreams. Each and every person, in one degree of lucidity or another, has experienced dreams and does so on a recurring basis. In defining and understanding what exactly dreams and visions are, along with their similarities and differences, we continue to turn to Morton T. Kelsey. Kelsey notes that, while we cannot certainly understand what sleep is, we can understand that it is a specific type of consciousness, a transient interruption of the waking state. During this interruption of the waking state, there are two states that appear to take effect in the human brain, known by psychologists as the “primary-process activity” and the “secondary-process mentation.” The primary-process activity is the time during sleep in which the sleeper experiences a single picture or figure, or even a vivid and elaborate story. It is not uncommon for the sleeper to experience this phase of

Sigmund Freud’s theory of dreaming is one of the more dated of the three, it provides thought provoking information on the nature of dreaming but has come under scrutiny as new information about the inner working of the brain during sleep and REM cycles has been discovered.

Sleep and dreaming causes improved brain activity enabling people to function more productively. Matthew Wilson, a neuroscientist at the Picower Institute at M.I.T., during the early 1990s, was recording the neuron activity in the brains of rats as they navigated through a difficult maze. The machines translated

In this paper I will address the research I have conducted on why we dream. As of right now scientists are all puzzled by this question. Partly because the technology we need in order to pinpoint a specific answer isn’t developed at the current moment. However, through psychological and behavioral research we can come to means with several theories as to why we do dream. Whether it is the unconscious desires we get to experience at night or the molded slice of pizza we had for dinner before we went to bed. Many of the scientist that are currently working on this dilemma have asked some of the same questions. Like: what is dreaming, how does dreaming work, what causes bad dreams or nightmares, and how can we conduct research to find out? As of right now no one knows and there isn’t an easy answer. However I can explain the stages of sleep and how they affect us and when we dream.

Some people say they do not dream because they cannot recall the dreams in reality they just are not remembering them. After about 90 minutes of inactivity during sleep, your brain becomes intensely alert, even though you do not awaken .When dreams began to occur we are in a state of sleep known as "REM sleep" which means Rapid eye movement. Your eyes are moving rapidly even though they are still closed during this state and your brain stays very active and busy while in REM sleep. Brain waves while in REM sleep look very similar to brain waves in a conscious state while they do look different in other stages of sleep. In the psychology view of

“A night of sleep is as much preparation for the subsequent day’s activity as it is recovery from that of the previous day” -Allan Hobson. The science behind dreaming has been an unexplained controversy for many years, however, Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley presented a theory called activation-synthesis model of dreaming to explain how millions of people drift off into a dream. According to these psychiatrists, the “REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories, which our sleeping brain weaves into stories.” Their constructed hypothesis describe my dreams and how they correlate to my memories from my day.

Understanding what time the human mind starts to dream exists as another important need. It mostly ensues during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, the process of an individual’s eyes moving back and forth beneath the eyelids. (Hobson 37)This stage always involves intense brain self-activation (71); at this point, blood pressure and heart rate increase (Brain 1). REM sleep develops in nearly 20 percent of as average slumber. The majority of dreaming happens to occur during this 20 percent. (Brain 1) Known as non-REM (NREM) sleep, the remaining 80 percent of sleep presents a low percentage of dreams. Comprehending knowledge on the stages of REM sleep, scientists find the discovery of REM helps the advancement of research in dreams immensely. (Hobson 38)

I have often had dreams that were so real and vivid, that I was unable to tell if they truly happened or occurred in my dreams. Sleeping is very important to everyone. Without proper sleep, the body’s immune system can begin to fail, and then one will become more susceptible to virus, illnesses, and disease. Even when we are asleep, the human mind does not completely sleep. When we are asleep, we tend to tune out environmental sounds that occur when we sleep. For example, I live near a freeway, yet the sounds of it never wake me. The auditory cortex in our brains respond to stimuli even when we are asleep. For example, I can always wake up when one of my children calls my name while I am in a deep slumber. There have been many studies and observations on individuals while they are asleep. These studies are done on individuals who have sleep disorders. There are four phases of sleep, and when one does not get the proper sleep, physical and mental issues will occur.