Question

Does the thalamus generate dreams?

Answer 1

Thalamus:

1. A tiny part of the brain, the thalamus is connected to both the cerebral cortex and the midbrain by a large number of nerve fibers.
2. It is situated between them slightly above the brain stem.
3. The thalamus' main job is to transmit sensory and motor information to the cerebral cortex.
4. Rapid eye movement, or REM sleep is when most dreams happen.
5. The thalamus is activated during REM sleep, transmitting images, noises, and other sensations to the cortex, which fill our dreams.
6. The reticular activating system, which travels from the brain stem through the thalamus and cortex, controls this phase of the sleep and wake cycle.
7. Information from the senses is relayed through the thalamus (the covering of the brain that interprets and processes information from short to long-term memory) to the cerebral cortex.