Insights into the sleeping mind: Neural correlates of dreaming

Dreaming has particularly fascinated researchers over the past two centuries. Electroencephalographic (EEG) and neuroimaging methods have allowed us to understand the neural correlates of dream production. Classical studies have highlighted the involvement of specific brain structures, including the parieto-occipital areas and the limbic system, which are central to the sensorimotor and emotional experience of dreams. These areas mostly overlap with the Default Mode Network, a set of areas activated during different states of consciousness. Recent literature provides a new view of dreaming, suggesting mechanisms shared with waking processes. This chapter examines the literature on the neural correlates of dreaming and provides a holistic view of dream experience.