Do you think animals can have nightmares?

[Humanure]

my bully whines, moans & chirps like a bird in her sleep,
yeah its safe to say shes dreaming..
in the middle of the night she'll yelp and wake us all up.. but shes still asleep

 

[JJDubz]

I can tell you for a fact that Animals can dream - Although I am not able to classify them in nightmares - My pup often starts running (while lying down sleeping), as well as making noises, and sometimes even growling while asleep.

 

[m.steelers]

JJ my lab does the same stuff. Starts convulsing like he's running, barks, growls, whimpers... i see this behavior like every day!

 

[Sammet]

Although I'm a biologist and know better, I like to believe my cat dreams, and when he meows or makes noises, they mean something. More than just a preprogrammed way of satisfying his needs.

When it all comes down to it, we're all robots, slaves to our genes, with no free will. But thats another story.

 

[Gunter]

I"m not sure if animals can dream, and if they dream it certainly won't be how we dream.

Everything humans think is based on language, try to think of something without also imagining the word, you can't everything we know and think and dream about is based on our language, you can't dream or think of something that you can't classify as a word.

animals obviously don't have language / words so if they dream and think it's way different that our sense of dreaming and thinking.

I think you dont need a language to picture something in your head and to dream, so animals could dream.
I also think that some animals can think more or less, like monkeys cats and dogs but insects cant think of course.

And if they can dream they can also have nighmares.

 

[marx2k]

I"m not sure if animals can dream, and if they dream it certainly won't be how we dream.

Everything humans think is based on language, try to think of something without also imagining the word, you can't everything we know and think and dream about is based on our language, you can't dream or think of something that you can't classify as a word.

Actually, when humans dream its based a lot less on language and a lot more on human archetypes and metaphors.

animals obviously don't have language / words so if they dream and think it's way different that our sense of dreaming and thinking.

Most of our dreams just have us seeing things/doing things we'd normally see but its all mixed together. Im guessing animals dream of the same type of shit but more based on their environs

 

[marx2k]

Meows are rarely heard during cat-cat interactions and it is believed to be a learned response, based on its effectiveness in getting human attention.

it sure as fuck gets my attention with meows 3 seconds apart at 3 in the morning while im trying to get some sleep. I hate when my cat does that shit

The purr, on the other hand, is something cats are able to do from birth when they purr primarily while suckling. Purring is used in a wide variety of circumstances, not just when a cat is happy. For instance, veterinarians have noticed that some cats purr continuously when they are chronically ill or appear to be in severe pain. It is thought that they do so as a way to solicit care from humans.

Ive read some interesting info that the purr has a specific vibratory frequency that aids in bone and body mending. Some doctors use vibration theapy to allow bones to mend better. Some people believe thats why cats purr when sick.

 

[PazVerdeRadical]

Although I'm a biologist and know better, I like to believe my cat dreams, and when he meows or makes noises, they mean something. More than just a preprogrammed way of satisfying his needs.

When it all comes down to it, we're all robots, slaves to our genes, with no free will. But thats another story.

so biology is like some kind of religion where one has to believe in its theories fully to be an authentic biologist?

there are many ways in which people loose their heads in college, and shooting isn't the most common one fer sure

paz

 

[jimmyyourroll]

animals do dream my 2 dogs dream all the time and i notice them doing there twitching and yelping thing more when they when they have been out with the gun as if they are reliving the experiance they have just had

 

[Sammet]

so biology is like some kind of religion where one has to believe in its theories fully to be an authentic biologist?

there are many ways in which people loose their heads in college, and shooting isn't the most common one fer sure

paz

(The very nature of being a biologist, and subsequently a scientist, is to subscribe to scientific evidence. There is no belief involved. Belief in theories doesn't exist. There are either correct theories (in which there is proof) or unproven theories where you have to use your own knowledge in order to interpret the evidence before you and decide if you think it is correct or not.

Maybe you misunderstood me. I meant even though I study animals and could make a compelling arguement as to why they are merely computers, I, like most people believe in animism and like to attach a soul, personality and human emotions to animals.) - Bit off topic, sorry.


Animals may have "Dreams" but it's not possible to distinguish between a dream and a nightmare when talking about animals because it implies that animals have desires or fears that go beyond instinct and into the realm of free will.

Knowing that, I still like to think that my cat has dreams, and hopefully not too many nightmares.

 

[daisy jane]

The dog we had when I was growing up used to howl and move his legs like he was running in his sleep. So, I'm sure something was going on in his head!

 

[stretchpup]

I didn't read the whole thread but I say yes.

My ferts lay in their hammocks and night and make these little squeaks and squeals. You'll see their little paws and arms moving and shaking too, it's sickening adorable.

Just like they are dreaming of chasing rats and mice through the fields, or diggin up daddies indoor plants...

 

[Yummybud]

Just because you don't speak in barks, chirps, meows, etc doesn't mean it's not language. Remember, there's a tribe somewhere on this planet that communicates entirely through clicking noises. Those, by your definition, are not words. They are, however, a language.

I'm not sure about a car but primates, great apes definately communicate but scientists still don't consider it lanuage, because language by definition is using words to communicate so that tribe that uses clicking sounds does not use language but it's still communication.

most people also agree that animals don't think about things, like your cat won't be thinking, man what a long day it was, why won't that guy stop petting me what a gay asshole.

I think there is a way to find out for sure if animals dream by using an MRI or something, I haven't researched it but there are probably studies on this.