Mark Blagrove

Mark Blagrove is a British research psychologist who specializes in the study of sleep and dreams.[1][2]

Professor

Mark Thomas Blagrove
Portrait of Mark Blagrove.
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Professor of Psychology;
Director of the Swansea University Sleep Laboratory
Academic background
EducationThe Windsor Boys' School;
MA, Natural Sciences, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University;
PhD, Brunel University London
ThesisThe narrative of dream reports (1989)
Doctoral advisorKuper, A; Hudson, L; Wright, M
Academic work
DisciplinePsychology
Sub-disciplineSleep and cognition
InstitutionsResearch Fellow, Loughborough University;
Lecturer / Senior Lecturer / Reader / Professor, Swansea University
Main interestsResearch into sleep, dreaming, memory, learning, and REM sleep
WebsiteProfile at Swansea University

He is a professor of psychology at Swansea University in Wales,[1][2] and is Director of the Swansea University Sleep Laboratory.[3][4][5]

Education

From 1979 to 1982, Blagrove studied for an MA in Natural Sciences at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University in England.[1][6] He then went on to obtain a PhD in 1989 at Brunel University London, where he published a doctoral thesis titled "The narrative of dream reports".[7] In 2019-2020, Blagrove gained a Graduate Certificate in Humanistic and Psychodynamic Counselling from Goldsmiths, University of London.[8]

Career

From 1989 to 1991, Blagrove was a research fellow at Loughborough University in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences.[1][6]

Since 1991, Blagrove has worked at Swansea University in Wales, initially as a lecturer, then senior lecturer, reader, and finally professor of psychology.[6] He specializes in the study of "the relationship between sleep and cognition, including effects of sleep loss, memory consolidation functions of sleep, causes and possible functions of dreaming, nightmares, and lucid dreams."[1]

Blagrove is Director of the Swansea University Sleep Laboratory, which "investigates sleep, dreaming, and what happens when people are deprived of sleep."[4]

He is a past President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD),[9][10] a Fellow of the British Psychological Society,[6] and a Consulting Editor for the journal Dreaming, published by the American Psychological Association on behalf of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.[11]

Selected research

Suggestibility

An early study by Blagrove in 1996 showed that sleep deprivation causes a trend for greater suggestibility during interrogation. That is, they "have reduced cognitive ability or motivation to discriminate and detect discrepancies between original and misleading information."[12][13]

Sensory processing sensitivity

In humans high Sensory Processing Sensitivity refers to greater responsivity to stimuli, slower, deeper processing, aesthetic sensitivity, and low threshold for sensory discomfort.[14] It is measured by the Highly Sensitive Person Scale.[14] Blagrove and colleagues have shown that score on the HSPS correlates significantly with ability to detect spoken words that are present but degraded in auditory stimuli.[14] Sensory Processing Sensitivity has been shown by Blagrove and colleagues to be a predisposing factor for nightmares.[15]

Dream-lag

One of Blagrove's series of findings concerns the "dream-lag effect". A study in 2011 "investigates evidence, from dream reports, for memory consolidation during sleep".[16] A second study in 2015 shows that "incorporation of details from waking life events into Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep dreams has been found to be highest on the night after, and then 5–7 nights after events (termed, respectively, the day-residue and dream-lag effects).".[17] A third study into the "dream-lag effect" in 2019 was "the first to categorize types of waking life experiences and compare their incorporation into dreams across multiple successive nights." The chosen categories were: major daily activities (such as going to work or university, meals and shopping); personally significant events (such as emotional events); and major concerns (such as money problems or exam stress), and participants were asked to maintain diary entries both for these categories of waking experience, accompanying emotion and its intensity, and to record their dreams. The study found that "personally significant events persist, but not major daily activities or concerns."[18]

Dreaming, metaphor, insight, and memory consolidation

A study by Blagrove in 2013 looks into largely-anecdotal claims that "dreams can be a source of personal insight", and finds tangential support for the "facilitative effect of sleep on cognitive insight" and of REM sleep on emotional memory consolidation, and for the emergence of insight from the metaphorical representations of waking life found in dreams.[19]

Another study in 2015 also showed theoretical support for such claims, finding that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep plays a role in the "consolidation of emotional memories and the creative formation of connections between new and older memories."[20]

A third study in 2020, assessing Exploration-Insight scores (a measure of Gains in Dream Interpretation proposed in 1996 by Clara Hill in Working with Dreams in Psychotherapy)[21] following discussion of REM dreams, non-REM dreams, and daydreams, suggests that "insight might be produced by embodied and metaphorical thinking in dreams."[22]

DreamsID

DreamsID (short for "Dreams Illustrated and Discussed" or "Dreams Interpreted and Drawn") is a practical, collaborative project between artist Dr. Julia Lockheart and Mark Blagrove.[3][23] They hold 60 – 90 minute sessions with the dream subject and an invited audience, and while the subject shares their dream, with Blagrove helping to facilitate and visualize the dream narrative, Lockheart draws and paints the dream, in real-time, on a torn-out page from Sigmund Freud's book, The Interpretation of Dreams, to create "a tapestry of elements, plot, metaphoric imagery, and Freud's words."[10] This follows a Dadaist and Surrealist performance aesthetic (Lockheart et al., 2021).[24] Then, later in the session, the audience is invited to join in the discussion, referencing the dream to waking life, according to the method devised by psychiatrist Montague Ullman.[3][10][25][26]

In the course of the sessions, Lockheart and Blagrove began to notice that the sharing of the dreams and the discussions were having an effect not only on them but on some of the audience, and that the sessions were invoking empathy toward the subjects sharing their dreams. As a result of this, the collaborators went on to co-author an important scientific paper, "Testing the Empathy Theory of Dreaming: The Relationships Between Dream Sharing and Trait and State Empathy", which was later published in Frontiers in Psychology.[10][25]

As well as being an artist, Julia Lockheart is an Associate Lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London,[10][27] and a Professor at Swansea College of Art, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.[3][10][28] Her own research includes "languaging within metadesign and the relationship between writing and collaboration in arts education."[10]

In April 2019, the BBC World Service Television programme CrowdScience broadcast a segment in which Lockheart is shown painting as a candidate shares her dream.[29]

In October 2020 and January 2021, Blagrove and Lockheart[30][24] held online events to commemorate the 120th anniversaries of Sigmund Freud's patient Dora telling two dreams to Freud. The first dream was of being rescued from a burning house by her father, the second was of travelling to her father's funeral.[31] The aim of the events was to discuss with expert panel and worldwide audience how Dora’s two dreams could be related to her distressing family circumstances[30][32] The two dreams were painted by Lockheart during the discussions.[30]

In June 2023 Blagrove and Lockheart held an event at the C. G. Jung Institute, Zürich, in Küsnacht, Switzerland,[33] as part of the conference marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Institute.[34] In recognition of the Dadaist influence on the DreamsID collaboration, in July 2023 Blagrove and Lockheart held an event at the Cabaret Voltaire, Zürich.[35] Cabaret Voltaire was the birthplace of Dadaism in 1916.[36]

Publications

Books
  • Blagrove, Mark; Lockheart, Julia (10 February 2023). The Science and Art of Dreaming. Routledge. ISBN 978-0367479961 (Hardcover), ISBN 978-0367479947 (Paperback)[37]

Articles in journals

Blagrove has authored or co-authored over 50 academic and research papers, published in peer reviewed scientific journals, during his career:[1][6][38][39]

Articles in journals

See also

References
  1. Staff (2020). "Professor Mark Blagrove". Swansea University. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  2. Blagrove, Mark (7 April 2020). "Coronavirus dreams". BBC Outside Source (Interview). Interviewed by Kasia Madera. London: BBC World Service. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  3. Griffiths, Megan (24 July 2017). "These people are uncovering the secrets of our dreams". Wales Online. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  4. Staff (2000). "The Swansea University Sleep Lab". Swansea University. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  5. Staff (7 April 2020). "BBC World Service - Newsday, Why are we dreaming more under coronavirus lockdown?". Newsday (radio programme). BBC World Service. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  6. Staff (2020). "Mark BLAGROVE: MA, PhD, FBPsS: Swansea University, Swansea: SWAN: Department of Psychology". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  7. Blagrove, Mark Thomas (1989). The narrative of dream reports (Thesis). Brunel University London. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  8. Staff (2020). "Professor Mark Blagrove – Swansea University". Swansea University. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  9. Staff (2020). "Who's Who in IASD". International Association for the Study of Dreams. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  10. Lockheart, Julia; Blagrove, Mark (2 November 2019). "Dream Sharing". Sublime Magazine. Sublime Magazine Ltd. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  11. Staff (2020). "Dreaming". American Psychological Association. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  12. Staff (2020). "Effects of length of sleep deprivation on interrogative suggestibility". APA PsycNet. American Psychological Association. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  13. Blagrove, Mark (1 March 1996). "Effects of Length of Sleep Deprivation on Interrogative Suggestibility". Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. American Psychological Association. 2 (1): 48–59. doi:10.1037/1076-898X.2.1.48. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  14. Williams, J.; Carr, M.; Blagrove, M. (July 2021). "Sensory Processing Sensitivity: Associations with the detection of real degraded stimuli, and reporting of illusory stimuli and paranormal experiences". Personality and Individual Differences. Elsevier. 177: 110807. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2021.110807. S2CID 233567292. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  15. Carr, M.; Matthews, E.; Williams, J.; Blagrove, M. (2021). "Testing the theory of Differential Susceptibility to nightmares: The interaction of Sensory Processing Sensitivity with the relationship of low mental wellbeing to nightmare frequency and nightmare distress". Journal of Sleep Research. 30 (3): e13200. doi:10.1111/jsr.13200. PMID 32985043.
  16. Blagrove, M.; Fouquet, N.; Henley-Einion, J.; Pace-Schott, E.; Davies, A.; Neuschaffer, J.; Turnbull, O. (2011). "Assessing the Dream-Lag Effect for REM and NREM Stage 2 Dreams". PLOS One. Public Library of Science. 6 (10): e26708. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...626708B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026708. PMC 3202556. PMID 22046336. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  17. van Rijn, E.; Eichenlaub, J.; Lewis, P.; Walker, M.; Gaskell, M.; Malinowski, J.; Blagrove, M. (2015). "The dream-lag effect: Selective processing of personally significant events during Rapid Eye Movement sleep, but not during Slow Wave Sleep". Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. Elsevier. 122: 98–109. doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2015.01.009. PMID 25683202. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  18. Eichenlaub, J.; van Rijn, E.; Phelan, M.; Ryder, L.; Gaskell, M.; Lewis, P.; Walker, M.; Blagrove, M. (2019). "The nature of delayed dream incorporation ('dream-lag effect'): Personally significant events persist, but not major daily activities or concerns". Journal of Sleep Research. European Sleep Research Society. 28 (1): e12697–. doi:10.1111/jsr.12697. PMC 6849581. PMID 29682834. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  19. Edwards, C.; Ruby, P.; Malinowski, J.; Bennett, P.; Blagrove, M. (2013). "Dreaming and insight". Frontiers in Psychology. Frontiers Media. 4 (979): 979. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00979. PMC 3872037. PMID 24550849. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  20. Edwards, C.; Malinowski, J.; McGee, S.; Bennett, P.; Ruby, P.; Blagrove, M. (2015). "Comparing personal insight gains due to consideration of a recent dream and consideration of a recent event using the Ullman and Schredl dream group methods". Frontiers in Psychology. Frontiers Media. 6: 831. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00831. PMC 4471350. PMID 26150797. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  21. Hill, C. E. (17 July 1996). Working with Dreams in Psychotherapy. New York City: Guilford Press. ISBN 1572300922.
  22. Blagrove, M.; Edwards, C.; van Rijn, E.; Reid, A.; Malinowski, J.; Bennett, P.; Carr, M.; Eichenlaub, J.; McGee, S.; Evans, K.; Ruby, P. (2020). "Insight from the consideration of REM dreams, non-REM dreams, and daydreams". Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. American Psychological Association. 6 (2): 138–162. doi:10.1037/cns0000167. S2CID 150016493. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  23. Staff (2020). "DreamsID.com – Home". DreamsID.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  24. Lockheart, Julia; Holzinger, Brigitte; Katharina, Adler; Barrett, Deirdre; Nobus, Dany; Wessely, Zora; Blagrove, Mark (2021). "120th anniversary event for 'Dora' telling her burning house dream to Freud". International Journal of Dream Research. 14 (2): 202–208. doi:10.11588/ijodr.2021.2.77283. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  25. Blagrove, Mark; Hale, Sioned; Lockheart, Julia; Carr, Michelle; Jones, Alex; Valli, Katja (20 June 2019). "Testing the Empathy Theory of Dreaming: The Relationships Between Dream Sharing and Trait and State Empathy". Frontiers in Psychology. Frontiers Media. 10: 1351. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01351. PMC 6596280. PMID 31281278.
  26. Carr, Michelle (14 August 2017). "Your Dreams: Interpreted and Drawn". Psychology Today. John Thomas / Sussex Publishers. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  27. Staff (2020). "Julia Lockheart: Goldsmiths, University of London". Goldsmiths, University of London. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  28. Staff (2023). "Prof Julia Margaret Lockheart PhD, MA, BA: Head of Contextual Practices". University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Archived from the original on 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  29. Staff (5 April 2019). "BBC World Service - CrowdScience, What are dreams for?, Marnie's dream captured on canvas". CrowdScience. BBC World Service Television. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  30. Lockheart, Julia; Blagrove, Mark (Spring 2021). "DreamsID events: Painting of the two dreams that Dora told Freud" (PDF). DreamTime Magazine (PDF). International Association for the Study of Dreams: 35. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  31. Freud, Sigmund (1977). The Pelican Freud Library, Vol. 8 (orig. 1905): Fragments of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria ("Dora"). Penguin Books. ISBN 0140217428.
  32. Decker, H.S. (1991). Freud, Dora, and Vienna 1900. New York: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0140217428.
  33. Staff (2023). "Mark Balgrove & Julia Lockheart: Dreams Illustrated and Discussed". C. G. Jung Institute, Zürich. Archived from the original on 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  34. Staff (2023). "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Emotions and their Impact: International Conference". C. G. Jung Institute, Zürich. Archived from the original on 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  35. Staff (2023). "Cabaret Voltaire: Dream Salon". Cabaret Voltaire. Archived from the original on 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  36. Staff (2023). "Cabaret Voltaire: Dadaism". Cabaret Voltaire. Archived from the original on 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  37. Staff (2023). The Science and Art of Dreaming, 1st Edition. ISBN 978-0367479947.
  38. Staff (13 April 2020). "Mark Blagrove (0000-0002-9854-1854)". ORCID. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  39. Blagrove, Mark (2020). "Mark Blagrove: Swansea University - Academia.edu". Academia.edu. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
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