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Why do we dream? - Amy Adkins

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57,065 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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In the 3rd millennium BCE, Mesopotamian kings recorded and interpreted their dreams on wax tablets. In the years since, we haven't paused in our quest to understand why we dream. And while we still don’t have any definitive answers, we have some theories. Amy Adkins reveals the top seven reasons why we might dream.

The "Continuation Activation Theory" of dreams holds that you dream in order to:

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Amy Adkins
  • Animator Claire Van Ryzin, Chris Anne Lindo, Sam Lee
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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