Animals have Lucid Dreams?

**LDreamerZERO4** · 08-03-2012 12:29 AM

I know they don't set up techniques and what not because they don't know better but is it possible for an animal to realize they are dreaming or to them they are not conscious? Like they would probably still act the same as they do in their waking life but just know that they are sleeping. I don't know, I was just wondering because all animals dream and anyone that dreams can spontaneously LD.

**jblb2424** · 08-03-2012 12:36 AM

I guess it is possible...but I'm guessing they wouldn't fly through the air and shoot fireballs xD Other animals brains are much more primitive so they probably won't even acknowledge the fact that their dreaming and loose consciousness.

**fennecgirl** · 08-03-2012 03:28 AM

Originally Posted by LDreamerZERO4

I was just wondering because all animals dream and anyone that dreams can spontaneously LD.

Actually, that's not 100% true. Besides the capability to dream, lucid dreaming also requires self-awareness.

**paigeyemps** · 08-03-2012 11:39 AM

Hmmm that sounds very interesting. If ever they do, I think it would be way different from how we lucid dream. Like jblb and fennecgirl said, their brains are hardwired in a different way. One thing that I think also makes it very different is that they don't have the same level of rationality as us humans. And we all know we need that rationality when we lucid dream. Either way, great question! Really got me intrigued. See ya around!

**Highlander** · 08-03-2012 12:15 PM

I have often wondered that question myself, especially when seeing a Cat go to sleep. I know a Cat definitely goes into some sort of REM (dream) state because you often see their face or whiskers twitch sometimes.
A Cat, especially when they get older seem to have an amazing appetite for sleeping, where they can sleep on a whim, quite often sometimes with their eyes still half open, with that part membrane half covering them.
Often when my GF's Cat goes sleeps like that I usually move my finger across the Cats field of vision where, even though the Cats eyes are near enough open (apart from a bit of the membrane) then she does not register the fact you are doing it, as she (the Cat) seems to be in some sort of sleep, or trance.
I'm not for one minute trying to say my GF's Cat is having a LD, but who knows what certain animals are capable of?

**Mindraker** · 08-03-2012 12:52 PM

I do know that dogs dream, but whether or not they "lucid" dream or not is something else. I remember as a kid seeing my grandmother's dog barking in its sleep and it looked like it was running, even though it was lying on its side.

**Raiden** · 08-03-2012 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by Mindraker

I do know that dogs dream, but whether or not they "lucid" dream or not is something else. I remember as a kid seeing my grandmother's dog barking in its sleep and it looked like it was running, even though it was lying on its side.

Oh yeah we've all seen your grandmothers dog man!

Bizkit the Sleep Walking Dog - YouTube

**telentis** · 08-03-2012 09:39 PM

I'd say they can't: to lucid dream one must be able to tell the difference from what is real and what is imaginary. How would an animal know that something is not real if during waking life it is not able to imagina things which do not exist and thus recognize them as such?

**Raen** · 08-03-2012 11:20 PM

I'm fairly certain that dogs dream as I sometimes see my dog sleeping and she moves her legs sometimes as if she's running which must be a result of something. However, I doubt their dreams are as realistic as our own and are likely just very simple dreams. I assume she just dreams of chasing things, haha.

**jblb2424** · 08-04-2012 02:24 AM

Wouldn't it be interesting if shared dreaming was proven real, and you go into your pet's dream? Id really like to find out what my cat dreams about... Probably tuna.

**Ekyu** · 08-04-2012 03:01 AM

I personally think that certain animals have lucid dreams. We are animals to start with. Yes, our brain works 'differently' then most other animals, but some animals are a lot smarter then they behave, and a lot of animals sleep a lot more then humans. Just think about most cats. Mine sleeps for 15-17 hours a day most of the time. That should give them more dreams then the average person.

Again, i don't think every animal is able to do this, but probably a lot of them can! I think it's just a little bit selfish to think only humans can do this We are animals to start with. I have no way to prove this, so i could be wrong. Also i read a long time ago, that dolphins only shuts down half of his brain for survival reasons. Not sure if they dream, but if they do, i wouldn't be suprised if they would be experts in lucid dreaming.

**Yosma** · 08-04-2012 04:06 AM

They can have normal dreams (this is scientifically proven), but I guarantee that non-intelligent life cannot lucid dream. In order to lucid dream you would have to understand what a dream is. I have a hard time believing that the same animal that is unaware that it controls it's tail can have the self awareness required to lucid dream.

**Ekyu** · 08-04-2012 05:01 AM

Originally Posted by Yosma

They can have normal dreams (this is scientifically proven), but I guarantee that non-intelligent life cannot lucid dream. In order to lucid dream you would have to understand what a dream is. I have a hard time believing that the same animal that is unaware that it controls it's tail can have the self awareness required to lucid dream.

I would say that probably a lot of animals know what dreaming is. Sure, we see dreaming differently from them cause we have science. But if a dog, cat, bunny.. closes his eyes and go to sleep, im pretty sure that the animal will know that it is about to 'dream'. Sure, the animal will not know in detail how a dream works. But when we where little, it was basicly the same thing. Don't really see why it wouldn't be possible in all honestly..

This was also quite interesting to read!

Do Animals Know Who they Are? | Psychology Today

**paigeyemps** · 08-04-2012 06:01 AM

Hahaha because of this thread, last night I had a non-lucid dream where I was a cat and I had a lucid dream. How weird! I had a lucid dream in a non-lucid dream. Damn this thread! <3

**Yosma** · 08-04-2012 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by Ekyu

I would say that probably a lot of animals know what dreaming is. Sure, we see dreaming differently from them cause we have science. But if a dog, cat, bunny.. closes his eyes and go to sleep, im pretty sure that the animal will know that it is about to 'dream'. Sure, the animal will not know in detail how a dream works. But when we where little, it was basicly the same thing. Don't really see why it wouldn't be possible in all honestly..

This was also quite interesting to read!

Do Animals Know Who they Are? | Psychology Today

Animals act on instinct and learned behavior. They do not have the ability to understand anything. Sure a dog can be taught to sniff out survivors in a wreck or teach it too sniff for drugs in an airport, but it has no understanding of what it is doing. Also the only animals confirmed to be self-aware are some types of monkey and ape species.

**Ekyu** · 08-04-2012 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by Yosma

Animals act on instinct and learned behavior. They do not have the ability to understand anything. Sure a dog can be taught to sniff out survivors in a wreck or teach it too sniff for drugs in an airport, but it has no understanding of what it is doing. Also the only animals confirmed to be self-aware are some types of monkey and ape species.

That's quite interesting! I'm pretty sure that not all animals can lucid dream, but like you said monkeys and apes species 'should' be able to. Although, i don't think they would see it the same as us.

Through some experiments there are also some other animals that have atleast some form of self-awareness (elephants and dolphins). It's also quite interesting to see that all those animals have different kinds of brains. Don't get me wrong. You could be right, But nobody really can know for certain.