Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Futurism in Physiology: Nikolai Bernstein, Anticipation, and Kinaesthetic Imagination

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Anticipation: Learning from the Past

Part of the book series: Cognitive Systems Monographs ((COSMOS,volume 25))

Abstract

The article brings together the history of anticipation with cutting-edge research on kinaesthetic imagination. It locates Bernstein’s work in the context of both early-20th century holism in biology and the wider cultural movement of Futurism. The authors examine Bernstein’s attempts to introduce intentionality into physiology and his passionate search for determinants of movements in the future, rather than in the past. These attempts were stimulated by Bernstein’s work on specifically human movements, purposeful and wilful, very much unlike the conditional reflexes of Pavlovian dogs. The article also describes the notion of anticipation as conceived by Bernstein, as well as later studies of anticipation by contemporary physiologists and phenomenologists. It then introduces the notion of kinaesthetic imagination based on research by scholars of dance and sport. The article concludes with a section on the use of kinaesthetic imagination for rehabilitation of post-stroke patients, quoting from research in progress.

Imagination alone offers me some intimation of what can be.

André Breton, Manifesto of Surrealism (1924)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    A general discussion regarding the distinction between probability and possibility is beyond the scope of this text. We thank Prof. Mihai Nadin for this comment (cf. Nadin reference in this article).

  2. 2.

    Terent’ev’s remarkable Treatise on Total Indecency was published in Tiflis in 1920 by the Futurist group 41° (see [5, p. 202]).

  3. 3.

    This was suggested to one of us by the late Professor Mikhail Grigorievich Yaroshevsky (1915–2002).

  4. 4.

    This work was first published in 1947 under the title “The Coordination of Movements in Ontogenesis” in a collection of works by the Central Institute for Physical Culture, Moscow, and was reprinted in [19].

  5. 5.

    Alain Berthoz and Jean-Luc Petit remind us that the idea that the “brain makes predictions and anticipations” has its origins in Bernstein’s work [22: 88].

  6. 6.

    Unfortunately, Bernstein’s fundamental work On the Construction of Movements (1947) [33] has never been translated into European languages.

  7. 7.

    Data collected in the framework of the project, “Developing the method of rehabilitation for post-stroke and post-traumatic patients with the help of the exoskeleton of the hand connected to the brain-computer interface based on classification of EEG patterns corresponding to the imagination of movements”, at the N.I. Pirogov Russian National Medical Research University, Contract no. 0373100108213000320–45551.

References

  1. Bernstein, N.A.: Death out of frightful expectation of death. Sci. Life 2, 149 (1965). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Harrington, A.: Reenchanted Science: Holism in German Culture from Wilhelm II to Hitler. Princeton University Press, Princeton (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Goldstein, K.: The Organism: A Holistic Approach to Biology Derived from Pathological Data in Man. Zone Books, New York (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Nadin, M.: What speaks in favor of an inquiry into anticipatory processes? Prolegomena to the 2nd edition of anticipatory systems, by Robert Rosen. In: George, K. (ed.) International Book Series on Systems Science and Systems Engineering, pp. xv–lx. Springer, London/New York (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Terent’ev, I.: The Leftist of the Left: Towards 120th Anniversary (in Russian). The Mayakovsky Museum, Moscow (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Lenoir, T.: The Strategy of Life: Teleology and Mechanics in Nineteenth-Century German Biology. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago (1982)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Benedikt, M.: Ueber mathematische Morphologie und über Biomechanik: Vortrag auf der Wiesbadener Naturforscher-Versammlung. O.s., o.v. (1887)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Benedikt, M.: Das biomechanische (neo-vitalistische) Denken in der Medizin und in der Biologie. O.v., Jena (1903)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Mehnert, E.: Biomechanik erschlossen aus dem Principe der Organogenese. O.v., Jena (1898)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Bernstein, N.A.: Work training and conditional reflexes. Work Organ. 4, 34 (1924). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Gastev, A.K.: Our Objectives. Moscow (1921). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bernstein, N.A. (ed.) Studies in Biodynamics of Locomotion: Biodynamics of Walk of a Normal Adult Male, Vol. 1. VIEM, Moscow (1935). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Gurfinkel, V.S.: An interview to Irina Sirotkina, Portland, May 20–21 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Nadin, M.: Quantifying anticipatory characteristics. The Anticipationscope and the anticipatory profile. In: Iantovics, B., Kountchev, R. (eds.) Advanced Intelligent Computational Technologies and Decision Support Systems, Studies in Computational Intelligence, vol. 486, pp. 143–160. New Springer, York/London/Heidelberg (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Sirotkina, I.E.: Nikolai Bernstein: the years before and after “Pavlovian session”. Russ. Stud. Hist. 34(2), 24–36 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sirotkina, I.E.: Ad Marginem: the controversial history of Nikolai Bernstein’s book, “contemporary inquiries into the physiology of the nervous process”. In: Court J., Loosch E., Müller A. (eds.) Jahrbuch 2012 der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geschichte der Sportwissenschaft e. V.: N. A. Bernstein versus I. P. Pavlov—“‘bedingte Reflexe’ revisited” (Studien zur Geschichte des Sports. Ban 15), pp. 29–44. Lit Verlag; Dr W. Hopf, Berlin; Münster (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bernstein, N.A.: Contemporary Research in Physiology of Nervous Process. Smysl, Moscow (1937/2003)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Sirotkina, I.E.: Outstanding physiologist, classic in psychology? Psychol. J. 5, 116–127 (1996). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Bernstein, N.A.: Physiology of Movement and Activity. Nauka, Moscow (1990). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Bernstein, N.A.: Actual problems of motor action control. Issues Psychol. 6, 40–65 (1957). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Sirotkina, I.E.: Contribution of N.A. Bernstein’s research into development of russian psychology. PhD Dissertation. Moscow University, Moscow (1989). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Bertoz, A., Petit, J.-L.: The Physiology and Phenomenology of Action, transl. by C. Macana. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Gaaze-Rapoprt, M.G.: First informal phase of the evolution of cybernetics in the Soviet Union. Philos. Stud. 4, 439–450 (1993). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Arshavsky, Y.I.: I.M. Gelfand on mathematics and neurophysiology. Vestnik Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk 80(10), 937–941 (2010). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Gelfand, I.M., Tsetlin M.L.: On mathematical modelling of the mechanisms of the central nervous system. In: Gelfand, I.M., Gurfinkel, V.S., Fomin, S.V., Tsetlin M.L. (eds.) Models of the Structural-Functional Organization of Certain Biological Systems, pp. 9–26. Nauka, Moscow (1966). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Gelfand, I.M., Gurfinkel, V.S., Tsetlin M.L., Shik, M.L.: Some problems of movement analysis. In: Gelfand, I.M., Gurfinkel, V.S., Fomin, S.V., Tsetlin M.L. (eds.) Models of the Structural-Functional Organization of Certain Biological Systems, pp. 264–275. Nauka, Moscow (1966). (in Russian) (English translation: Gelfand I.M., Gurfinkel V.S., Fomin S.V., Tsetlin M.L.: Models of the Structural-Functional Organization of Certain Biological Systems. MIT Press, Cambridge (1971))

    Google Scholar 

  27. Shik, M.L., Severin, F.B., Orlovskii, G.N.: Walking and running control by means of electric stimulation of the mesencephalon. Biophysics 11, 659–666 (1966). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Berkinblit, M., Feldman, A.G., Fookson, O.I.: Adaptability of innate motor patterns and motor control mechanisms. Behav. Brain Sci. 9(4), 585–599 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Macpherson, J.M.: How Flexible are Muscle Synergies? In: Humphrey, D.R., Freund, H.-J. (eds.) Motor Control: Concepts and Issues, pp. 33–47. Wiley, New York (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Scholz, J.P., Schöner, G.: The uncontrolled manifold concept: identifying control variables for a functional task. Exp. Brain Res. 126, 289–306 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Latash, M.L., Scholz, J.P., Schöner, G.: Toward a new theory of motor synergies. Mot. Control 11, 276–308 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Bernstein, N.A.: The coordination and regulation of movements. Pergamon, Oxford (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Bernstein, N.A.: On the Construction of Movements. Medgiz, Moscow (1947). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Gardner, H.: Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligence. Heinemann, London (1983)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Hayward, R.: The Transformation of the Psyche in British Primary Care, 1870–1970. Bloomsbury, London (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Reynolds, D.: Rhythmic Subjects: Uses of Energy in the Dances of Mary Wigman. Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. Dance Books, London (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Stuart, S.A.J.: From agency to apperception: through kinaesthesia to cognition and creation. Ethics Inf. Technol. 10, 255–264 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Stuart, S.A.J.: Conscious machines: memory, melody and muscular imagination. Phenomenol. Cogn. Sci. 9, 37–51 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Guillot, A., Collet, C. (eds.): The Neurological Foundations of Mental and Motor Imagery. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  40. Sheets-Johnstone, M.: The Phenomenology of Dance. Dance Books, London (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Nudo, R.J., Milliken, G.W., Jenkins, W.M., Merzenich, M.M.: Use-dependent alterations of movement representations in primary motor cortex of adult squirrel monkeys. J. Neurosci. 16(2), 785–807 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  42. Bach-Y-Rita, P.: Theoretical and practical considerations in the restoration of function after stroke. Top Stroke Rehabil. 8, 1–15 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Taub, E., Uswatte, G., Elbert, T.: New treatments in neurorehabilitation founded on basic research. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 3(3), 228–236 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Kwakkel, G., Wagenaar, R.C., Twisk, J.W., Lankhorst, G.J., Koetsier, J.C.: Intensity of leg and arm training after primary middle-cerebral-artery stroke: a randomised trial. Lancet 354, 191–196 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Pfurtscheller, G.: EEG event-related desynchronization (ERD) and event-related synchronization (ERS). In: Niedermeyer, E., Lopes da Silva, F.H. (eds.) Electroencephalography: Basic Principles, Clinical Applications and Related Fields, 4th ed, pp. 958–967. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  46. Pfurtscheller, G., Lopes da Silva, F.H.: Event-related eeg/meg synchronization and desynchronization: basic principles. Clin. Neurophysiol. 110, 1842–1857 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Jeannerod, M.: Neural simulation of action: a unifying mechanism for motor cognition. Neuroimage 14, 103–109 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Jeannerod, M., Frak, V.: Mental imaging of motor activity in humans. Current Opin. Neurobiol. 9, 735–739 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Neuper, C., Scherer, R., Reiner, M., Pfurtscheller, G.: Imagery of motor actions: differential effects of kinesthetic and visual-motor mode of imagery in single-trial EEG. Cogn. Brain. Res. 25(3), 668–677 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Bloom, F.E., Lazerson, A., Nelson, C.A.: Brain, Mind, and Behavior. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  51. Konrad, P., Shanks, T.: Implantable brain computer interface: challenges to neurotechnology translation. Neurobiol. Dis. 38(3), 369–375 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Wolpaw, J.R., Boulay, ChB: Brain signals for Brain-Computer Interfaces. In: Graimann, B., Allison, B.Z., Pfurtscheller, G. (eds.) Brain Computer Interfaces Revolutionizing Human Computer Interaction, pp. 29–46. Springer, London (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  53. Mokienko, O.A.: Brain-computer interface based on movement imagination in rehabilitation of patient with consequences of brain stroke. Ph.D Dissertation. Moscow (2013). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  54. Biryukova, E.V., Frolov A.A., Bobrov, P.D., Pavlova, O.G., Kurganskaya, M.E.: Use of technology, “brain-computer interface” in combination with the exoskeleton, for rehabilitation of post-stroke patients. In: XXIIth Congress of the I.P. Pavlov Physiological Society, pp. 64–65. VOLGGMU Press, Volgograd (2013). (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  55. Kotov, S.V., Turbina, L.G., Bobrov, P.D., Frolov, A.A., Pavlova, O.G., Kurganskaya, M.E., Biryukova, E.V.: Rehabilitation of post-stroke patients with the help of bioengineering complex. Brain-computer interface + exoskeleton. S.S. Korsakov J. Neurol. Psychiatry 12, 66–72 (2014) (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  56. Biryukova, E.V., Roby-Brami, A., Frolov, A.A., Mokhtari, M.: Kinematics of human arm reconstructed from spatial tracking system recordings. J. Biomech. 33(8), 985–995 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Biryukova, E.V., Bril, B.: Biomechanical analysis of tool use: a return to Bernstein’s tradition. Zeitschrift für Psychologie/J. Psychol. 220(1), 53–54 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia

    Irina E. Sirotkina

  2. Institute for the Higher Nervous Activity, N.I. Pirogov Russian National Medical Research University, Moscow, Russia

    Elena V. Biryukova

Authors
  1. Irina E. Sirotkina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elena V. Biryukova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elena V. Biryukova .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. antÉ—Institute for Research in Anticipatory Systems, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA

    Mihai Nadin

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sirotkina, I.E., Biryukova, E.V. (2015). Futurism in Physiology: Nikolai Bernstein, Anticipation, and Kinaesthetic Imagination. In: Nadin, M. (eds) Anticipation: Learning from the Past. Cognitive Systems Monographs, vol 25. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19446-2_15

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19446-2_15

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19445-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19446-2

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation