What part of our brain generates dreams?

During REM sleep your brain is constantly active gifting you nightmares and dreams. ... Which part of the brain generates dreams? (iStock) ... This is part of the sleep-wake cycle and is controlled by the reticular activating system whose circuits run from the brain stem through the thalamus to the cortex. read more

No one part of the brain "generates" dreams. Dreams are best viewed as a whole brain phenomenon -- or at least a "whole cerebral cortex" phenomenon. The stages of sleep are controlled by an interconnected group of tiny nuclei (clusters of neurons) in the base of the brain and brain stem. read more

The whole brain is active during dreams, from the brain stem to the cortex. Most dreams occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This is part of the sleep-wake cycle and is controlled by the reticular activating system whose circuits run from the brain stem through the thalamus to the cortex. read more

Lower Brain Causes REM sleep. The oldest part of the brain, shared by all vertebrates, is the brain stem. In 1977, Allan Hobson and R McCarley discovered that electrochemical pulses from the brain stem create the stage of sleep in which most dreams occur. read more