The Science

Antti Revonsuo: why we dream about being chased

Revonsuo, a Finnish cognitive neuroscientist, proposed in 2000 that dreaming may have evolved as a kind of safe rehearsal space, letting the brain practise responding to threats without real danger. That could help explain why chases, falls and attacks are among the most common dream themes worldwide. He later extended the idea to social situations, suggesting dreams may also rehearse relationships and conflict. It's an influential theory, and still debated.