In the years following Freud and Jung’s psychoanalytic theories, medical technology vastly improved, enabling researchers to examine dreams using hard science. We will be examining some of these modern dream theories in Part #3 of our Inception Series.
Theory #1: The Activation Synthesis Hypothesis
Our first modern dream theory is the Activation Synthesis Hypothesis. Activation Synthesis was proposed by Harvard University psychiatrists John Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley in 1977. Its core concept was dreams were caused by increased neural activity during REM sleep.
At this point in history, it was known the brain has three (3) primary states – awake, NREM (Non-REM) sleep, and REM sleep. At that time, the EEG was the primary tool for examining brain activity. Although it was very robust, it could not provide a real-time imaging of specific brain regions. Luckily for Hobson and McCarley, the MRI could provide such imaging.
The AIM Model
Over the years, this hypothesis evolved into the AIM (Activation, Input-Output Gathering, Modulation) model. This updated hypothesis stated each of the three modes had a specific neurochemical profile. When these profiles are charted against each other, a clear picture formed of the brain’s state. With this picture and the distinction between primary and secondary consciousness now known, researchers were able to further conclude the symbiotic relationship between the awake, NREM, and REM sleep states.
Activation Synthesis, or AIM, was the one of the first dream theories to be backed by hard science. However, it did not further Freud or Jung’s theories as to their meaning. The Self-Organizing Theory of dreams, first introduced by psychiatrists David Kahn and J. Allan Hobson in 1993, attempted to provide insight behind the content of dreams.
Theory #2: Self-Organizing Theory
At a high level, the Self-Organizing Theory suggested the content of a dream is dependent on the individual’s emotional and physical states and the memory fragments are connected based on these states. In a dream, there is no external input governing how memory fragments connect. As a result, dreams are a state of hyperconnectivity. This hyperconnectivity explains why dreams often contain familiar characters, emotions, and places linked in a novel way.
These connections are very weak, however, and that is why it’s difficult to remember dreams. We also know, based on Part #1 of this series, memory consolidation is an important function of REM sleep. Furthermore, we know the strength of existing memories can impact what memory fragments are discarded or retained. For example, a new memory fragment with a strong emotional connection to a previous memory is more likely to be retained than a new fragment with a weak emotional connection.
Theory #3: The Overfitted Brain Hypothesis
The last modern dream theory we will examine is only a couple years old. Erik Hoel, an AI researcher at Tufts University, postulated his Overfitted Brain Hypothesis in 2021. Hoel’s hypothesis is interesting for one specific reason; the basis for the theory is not humans, but machines. The “overfitted” term is commonly used in AI research to describe a bot whose abilities are narrow and cannot be generalized to other areas. It is why, in AI conditioning, inputting random data is required.
Hoel believes humans also suffer from being overfitted. When contextualized in reality, it’s hard not to agree with him. Think about the repetitive nature of everyday life; we frequent the same places, perform the same tasks at work, and socialize with the same group of people. We are effectively conditioned for a specific set of external inputs.
The dream, Hoel postulates, is where our brain disassociates from these conscious, repetitive inputs. In other words, it’s free from the laws of physics and is allowed to freely associate, consolidate, and discard memory fragments. This notion is also supported by both the AIM and Self-Organizing theories.
Great! We now have modern dream theories, we have psychological processes for analyzing them, and we understand their neurobiological processes. But are we any closer to determining if they can be leveraged to further us on the journey of being more? Yes, we are closer, but we are missing empirical evidence of dreams providing powerful, life-altering insights. In Part #4 of the series, we will provide historical examples of said insights…
Be More.
Become Polymathic.
Quote of the Week: “I think that one could argue that there is a sort of deep biological need for fictions in humans.” – Erik Hoel, Tufts University Neuroscientist