The neurocognitive theory of dreams at age 20: An assessment and a comparison with four other theories of dreaming.
Dreaming (New York, N.Y.) December 1, 2019 G. Domhoff
On its 20th anniversary, the neurocognitive theory of dreaming is evaluated against four other theories with a neural dimension: Freudian, activation-synthesis, memory-consolidation, and threat-simulation theories. The neurocognitive theory uniquely integrates findings from three strands of research—neural substrate, dream development in children, and adult dream content—whose key building blocks have been replicated by independent investigators. Unlike the other theories, it includes a developmental dimension and accords with established findings on dream content. Neuroimaging has strengthened the theory by showing that the neural substrate enabling dreaming is a subsystem of the default network, which supports imagination when awake and includes hubs of the waking self-system, explaining the focus on personal concerns. Dreaming is characterized as an intensified, enhanced form of spontaneous thought and an "embodied simulation."