Do animals dream? It’s a question that has fascinated scientists and animal lovers alike for centuries. While we may never be able to ask animals directly if they experience dreams, there is evidence that suggests that many animals do indeed dream. To understand whether animals dream, it’s helpful to first understand what dreaming is and how it occurs. Dreams are a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in the mind during sleep. They are typically associated with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, increased brain activity, and heightened physiological arousal. While