The research was originally inspired by Simonov's
unique
studies into the combined work of pioneering neurologist Pavlov and
renowned
thespian Stanislavky in Russia.
East
In the late 1920s and early 30s as art in the Soviet states was
regarded as science and science was regarded as art, the
Pavlov/Stanislavsky combination
brought
us the Theory of Psychophysical Action, which became the foundation of
today's
Stanislavky Method of Acting. Later, in the hands of Simonov, it also
provided
the
groundwork for a new dynamic and expanded understanding of the mental process and psychophysical
response (interpreted and evolved by Simonov at the Academy of Sciences
in
Moscow in the 50s and 60s).
West
Arnold Mitchell emerged in the American cash-inspired market analysis
world
of the late 1960s by letting some air out of the standard 'demographic'
balloons
with which the marketing industry wowed its clients. His research
firmly established that people responded more according to their Values
and
Lifestyles (VALs)
than they did according to their age and gender. He then went on to
identify
commonalties and differences among groupings he called 'typologies'.
East meets West (and a few other
directions)
Finkleman developed a keen interest in
researching further into Simonov's
work after reading Sonia Moore's book the Stanislavky System as a
student in the late
1960s. When Simonov attained significant status at the head of the
Soviet Academy of Sciences in Moscow the top research centre in the
Soviet bloc, Finkleman was invited to make presentation on the psychodramatic
implications and insights of Simonov's work to a group of psychologists
at
the Canadian government sponsored Mileu 70 conference in
Winnipeg. Later,
while working as an economics writer for Reuters International News
Services
in the early 1970s at age 22, he met Moore and became inspired by the
possibilities for opportunities to
further apply Simonov's research in the field of communication and mental
health.
As a television producer in 1978 in California,
Finkleman
met Mitchell who, as head of Stanford Research Institute's
Business
Intelligence Program (BIP), was looking for more practical applications for the
extensive psychographicresearch
base which he had developed for the (BIP) program. As head of the
largest research centre of its kind in the West, he was also interested
in undersdtanding more about the work of his "almost counterpart"
Simonov.
Finkleman, a research journalist, broadcaster, producer
and
director, worked with Mitchell and undertook his own experimental
projects as well as private consulting projects that involved combining
Mitchell's studies with the work of Simonov to achieve communication
and design goals with someimes amazing impact and efficiency. He
was sold on doing more, took on more projects and in a effort to to
help other
disciplines
work with these insights he began offering workshops for creative teams
from architects and designers to advertising agencies and breadcasters,
encouraging them to invest company time to expertiment with sometimes
extreme alternative approaches and take what they learn to continue to
enhance the quality and impact of their work ... and eventually to
master connectiveness to their market or audience.
Finkleman first applied Mitchell's research in communication
efforts
-- using it to anticipate positive, negative or neutral psychological
impact
of words, symbols, shapes, textures, colors, fonts, size or scale on
specific typologies.
Finkleman worked on using Mitchell's original "primal" tools to
anticipate the
impact of communication efforts on large combined target market
groups, small
groups, or even on specific individuals. These insights can offer a
creative
advantage in the development of broadcast and print materials,
corporate
identities, images, campaigns and communication strategies.
What
more could Mitchell's work be used for? As a foundation
for
social group analysis, Mitchell's psychographics took on new forms in
the
hands of artists, media experts and clients who were invited to join
with
Finkleman in creating applications. When combined with Simonov's work
on
nervous systems and the chemistry of emotion, the opportunities to
effectively employ Mitchell's psychographics grew exponentially. Once
understood, Psychographics become a power accompanyment to
Simonavian-style Psychodynamics.
For 16 years Finkleman applied the work of
Mitchell and
Simonov to
architectural and
environmental design as a consultant to architect Maurice Sunderland --
originator of contemporary mega mall and micro city design strategies,
designer of the West Edmonton Mall, Le Grande Littoral in France and
winner of the design competition for the Mall of America, three of the
first and most successful commercial mega malls of the past century.
Watching the design
and development of environments ranging from underground
communities
to 15,000 acre resorts, Finkleman acted as both a paid consultant
(scientific sounding board) and student to Sunderland, helping to
support designs by better analyzing of design components and
anticipating the specific impact Sunderland's design strategies would
have
on
specific users/visitors/audiences; working to help him identify
opportunities
to enhance all aspects of his amazing designs and design strategies.
"Simonov's work is broad in
scale and massive in volume. When
even
a (relatively) small amount of his work is combined with Mitchell's
work, it helps us to better understand how information is processed by
the individual and how communication impact can be further
enhanced." -- Harold Finkleman
Adding to the Dance Card:
In his book The Dance of Becoming, movement psychologist,
executive trainer and management consultant Dr. Stuart Heller
introduced Western readers
to new concepts in the dynamics of human 'energy systems' which the
business
community was quick to pick up on. He developed unique models for
illustrating
how individuals could focus body and mind to create a change in
'state'.
The work and his later book Retooling On The Run (co-authored with Dr.
David Surrenda) offered insights into how our primitive sub-conscious
brain
could
be brought into action through selective combinations of movements,
gestures and
thought processes.
It also gave us new models to better understand and help anticipate our
primal
responses (in action and thought) to encountering those same gestures
and
'implications' or 'suggestions' (instead of 'thoughts'). Heller's
work adds to our
ability
to speak to the most primal, hidden and subconscious parts of our brain
(our own brains or others')
in
practical, useful and healing ways.
More Magic in the Bottle
Late in 1999, in a phone call between Moscow and Calgary, Canada, Dr.
Simonov
introduced his "associate" Dr. Pavel Balaban who took the time to offer
a
unique (homeopathic?) insight into the electrical nature of
neurocellular
communication. The eastern block has played aggressively in this field
for
most of the last century. It offers direct models for the application
of
Dr. Candice Pert's extensive work and the efforts of other neuroscience
specialists.
Discoveries have been made in the last few years which explain for the
first
time how many cells which are 'biological' rather than 'neurological'
can
still have 'neurological receptors' and thereby take messages directly
from
the brain. The implications, if applied, are tremendous and practical.
The
science even bring us new insights into how intuition
works.
As
neurophysiologists and neurochemists increasingly gather
more
detail and understanding of the specifics of
these
cell-to-cell signals, particle-physicists such as Cao Dayong of Beijing
have already stepped in to identify and quantify the minute electrical
impulses and our capacity to both track and transmit at those same
frequencies. This illustrates how the science of psychodynamics
continues to gather more tools for increasing the opportunities for
impact on human response. This capacity currently includes initiating
or inspiring enhanced allertness, improved memory, reduced stress,
deeper levels of comfort or confidence ... stimulate specific glands in
the body, initiate any number of physical responses, and more. Mental
activation and physical healing opportunities abound almost equally.
Copyright
2005 - 2013 Finkleman Communications Ltd., Calgary, Canada