activation-synthesis theory

The activation-synthesis theory explains that dreams result from the brain's natural activity during sleep. When we sleep, random signals are generated in the brain's internal networks, especially in the visual and emotional areas. The brain then tries to make sense of these random signals by weaving them into a coherent story or dream, even though they may be based on random activity. This process of interpreting the neural activity is what creates our dreams. In essence, dreams are the brain’s attempt to organize and give meaning to spontaneous neural signals during sleep.