A new approach for explaining dreaming and REM sleep mechanisms

The following review summarizes and examines Mark Solms's article Dreaming and REM Sleep are controlled by different brain mechanisms, which argues wh y the understanding of REM sleep as the physiological equivalent of dreamin g needs to be re-analyzed. An analysis of Solms's article demonstrates that he makes a convincing argument against the paradigmatic activation-synthes is model proposed by Hobson and McCarley, and provides provocative evidence to support his claim that REM and dreaming are dissociable states. In addi tion, to situate Solms's findings in concurrent research, other studies are mentioned that are further elucidated by his argument.