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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Richard Luscombe

Perchance to dream? Study suggests spiders experience dreams while asleep

A jumping spider (E arcuata) exhibits leg curling during an REM sleep-like state.
A jumping spider (E arcuata) exhibits leg curling during an REM sleep-like state. Photograph: Daniela C Roessler/AP

The question is not “do you have nightmares about spiders?” but, do spiders dream? About juicy flies, about humans, about anything at all?

A US-European research partnership suggests that thousands of species of jumping spiders might experience rapid eye movement stages of sleep. That is the state in which humans have their most vivid dreams, though the study in question stops well short of concluding that spiders have dreams.

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