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 in understanding the mental process and
emotional
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. He acknowledged
(and
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 among groupings he called 'typologies'.
East meets West (and a few other
directions)
Finkleman was first introduced to Simonov's
work
in Sonia Moore's book the Stanislavky System as a student in the mid
1960s.
In 1970 he was invited to present 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, he met Moore and became inspired by the
possibilities for opportunities to
apply Simonov's research in the field of communication and mental
health. Later, as a television producer in 1978 in California,
Finkleman
met Mitchell who was looking for further practical applications for the
extensive psychographic
research base which he had developed for Stanford Research Institute's
Business
Intelligence Program (BIP). Finkleman, a broadcast journalist, producer
and
director, worked with Mitchell and Mitchell's studies to develop ways
to
utilize the combined works of Mitchell and Simonov to enhance the
impact
of his own design and directorial work. Then he began to help other
disciplines
work with these insights.
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.
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. 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
identify the specific impact Sunderland's design strategies were having
on
users/visitors/audiences; what aspects of those design strategies were
having the greatest impact and on whom; and thereby helping define how
to best
enhance the desirable aspects of that impact.
"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 capacity to control the specifics of
these
signals, the fields of psychology and communications can become more
effective
at directly influencing human response then ever before.
Copyright
2005 Finkleman Communications Ltd., Calgary, Canada