Are humans the only dreamers on Earth? What goes on in the minds of animals when they sleep?

On the occasion of the exhibition Rodrigo Hernández: with what eyes?, Dr. David M. Peña-Guzmán gives a talk on his most recent publication When Animals Dream.

When Animals Dream brings together behavioral and neuroscientific research on animal sleep with philosophical theories of dreaming. It shows that dreams provide an invaluable window into the cognitive and emotional lives of nonhuman animals, giving us access to a seemingly inaccessible realm of animal experience.

Peña-Guzmán uncovers evidence of animal dreaming throughout scientific literature to build a convincing case for animals as conscious beings and examine the thorny scientific, philosophical, and ethical questions it raises. Once we accept that animals dream, we incur a host of moral obligations and have no choice but to rethink our views about who animals are and the interior lives they lead.

David M. Peña-Guzmán is associate professor of humanities at San Francisco State University. He specializes in animal studies, theories of consciousness, the history and philosophy of science, and contemporary European philosophy. He is coauthor of Chimpanzee Rights: The Philosophers’ Brief and cohost of the popular Overthink podcast.