Random/surreal thought of the day - do animals dream and are they aware of this?

[malumbu]

Without resorting to Google I am sure I have seen or heard about dogs dreaming. Do they, or other animals understand that when they dream it's not for real?

[TheArtfulDogger]

I've often seen cats and dogs moving their paws as if running or chasing prey whilst they are deep asleep

It's a form of dreaming I'm sure, but do they understand the difference between reality and fantasy, I can't answer. Sometimes I question if humans know the difference, especially as at weekends I'm Batman 😅

[JohnL]

If you know that you are dreaming in a dream it's a lucid dream - doubt animals have them as most humans don't

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323077.php#1

[malumbu]

Lucid dreams are great. Have them every year or so. Normally a stressful situation - being followed, attacked, someone dying, at which point I may realise that is is only a dream. Some of the adventure ones I can wake up and it continues when I drop off again. Just occasionally I think afterwards is this really a dream. Larium gave me a lot of lucid dreams (I assume that everyone in ED will know what Larium is).

And back to animals?

[edcam]

Our pooch definitely has them. Does the paws back and forth thing as if he's running. Often surprises himself and wakes up, like we do.

[Sue]

JohnL Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> If you know that you are dreaming in a dream it's

> a lucid dream - doubt animals have them as most

> humans don't

>

> https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323077.p

> hp#1

I think more people have lucid dreams than we realise, because mostly they won't talk about them.

I have them sometimes. Also in addition to knowing that I'm dreaming, I can sometimes influence what happens in the dream.

But it's a bit pointless speculating about whether animals have them, isn't it, because we will never know, as they can't communicate.

People have rapid eye movements when they dream. Don't know whether animals do.

[IlonaM]

Interesting MIT news article from 2001:

http://news.mit.edu/2001/dreaming

Must be more recent research out there as well.

[niall]

i used to practice lucid dreaming.

there are many techniques you can employ to induce lucid dreams, and improve your control while in them.

it does take practice, but it does work.

and when you achieve that state of awareness and control, you can literally do anything.

you will never ever forget your first TRUE lucid.

[Sue]

niall Wrote:

>

> and when you achieve that state of awareness and

> control, you can literally do anything.

>

I don't think you mean "literally" :)) :)) :))

[niall]

Zing.