Dreams

Dreams and Evolution: The Theory of Dreams

Of course, when it comes to the evolutionary meaning and significance of dreams, attention turns directly to our close cousins and other animals in general. Nowadays, we are sure that other animals dream like us humans. To date, dream-like behavior has been observed in many mammals, from dolphins to armadillos, from opossums to monkeys, dogs, cats, mice, elephants and small rodents.

Pet owners have seen dogs trying to run while they sleep or cats acting like they're hunting for prey. Apart from this, dream-like behaviors have also been observed in birds and some reptiles. However, the problem remains the same: while even humans cannot provide accurate information, it would be pointless to expect to receive information from non-human animal species.

For this reason, unfortunately, we do not know at what stage of sleep non-human animals see their dreams, what the images look like, and what kind of scenarios they find themselves in. Despite this, behavioral scientists think that they can determine the effects of dreams based only on the behavior of animals. For example, an interesting study has shown that the dreams of species with more developed brains and perceptual abilities are more complex, their physiological effects are stronger, and their behavioral symptoms are more severe. Maybe for this reason, people attach excessive meanings to dreams.

To understand the cause of dreams, we need to remember a fact we mentioned at the beginning of my article: During sleep, the majority of the conscious and perceptual functions of the brain are reduced to a minimum level, if not completely turned off (this is why we can wake up in case of a sudden stimulus); However, the body continues to work to maintain its vitality, including the brain.