Animal Consciousness

From snoozing puppies kicking their legs to controversial octopi who change colors while asleep, nonhuman dreaming fascinates us. Science says that sleeping animals experience “reality simulations,” rich dreamscapes which they navigate as conscious agents. Inspired by David’s book When Animals Dream (fresh off the press!), this episode kicks off a 3-part series tracing his thrilling investigation into the nature and philosophical implications of animal dreaming. Episode 52 introduces David’s argument that animals’ capacity to dream reveals the need to radically rethink animals as conscious beings with complex inner lives.Works Discussed:David Peña-Guzmán, When Animals DreamNature (S38 E1), PBS TVElizabeth Preston, "Was Heidi the Octopus Really Dreaming?"William Lauder Lindsay, Mind in the Lower Animals in Health and DiseaseSigmund Freud, The Interpretation of DreamsEvan Thompson, Waking, Dreaming, BeingMaurice Merleau-Ponty, Phenomenology of PerceptionCharles Darwin, The Descent of ManPeter Godfrey-Smith, Other MindsRatatouille (2007)Support Overthink on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/overthinkpodcastWebsite | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram, Twitter & TikTok | @overthink_podEmail | Dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast Support the show