<p>I believe I can see where the confusion lies when comparing the interesting artwork with psychodynamic theory.  The artwork you linked uses Neurological data to form images, whereas you may be getting confused with the famous <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/rorschach-test" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Rorschach test</a> otherwise known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rorschach_test" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Inkblot test</a>, and how the inkblot images are interpreted by the viewer.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Fw5HP.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Fw5HP.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Many psychologists in the United Kingdom do not trust its efficacy and it is rarely used, however, it is used by some mental health organisations such as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tavistock_and_Portman_NHS_Foundation_Trust" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tavistock Clinic</a> (<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l0kch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">BBC, 2012</a>).</p>

<p>The artwork with the "emergence and dissipation of waves" is using neurodynamic data and the Rorschach test is a psychodynamic test.</p>

<p><strong>Neurodynamics</strong> relates to, or involves the dynamics of communication between different parts of the nervous system (<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/neurodynamic" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source</a>) and the earliest document I can find relating to it is an unclassified document held by the DTIC (US Defence Technical Information Center) (<a href="http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/256582.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Rosenblatt, 1961</a>).  Shacklock (<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9406(05)67024-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1995</a>) also talks about neurodynamics in the realm of physiotherapy.</p>

<p><strong>Psychodynamics</strong>, as stated in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychodynamics" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the Wikipedia article you linked</a>, is about the dynamic relations between conscious motivation and unconscious motivation that underlie human behavior, feelings, and emotions and how they might relate to early experience.</p>

<p>So the two are not related, and in fact are very different.</p>

<p>A combination of the 2 sets of theories can be seen to be <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/neuropsychodynamics" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><strong>Neuropsychodynamics</strong></a> as in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0740-5472(90)90034-N" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Miller (1990)</a>.</p>

<h2>References</h2>

<p>BBC (2012). <em>Dr Inkblot</em> BBC Radio 4<br>Review available at: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l0kch" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l0kch</a></p>

<p>Miller, L. (1990). Neuropsychodynamics of alcoholism and addiction: Personality, psychopathology, and cognitive style. <em>Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment</em>, 7(1), 31-49.<br>DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0740-5472(90)90034-N" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10.1016/0740-5472(90)90034-N</a> PMID: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2179572" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2179572</a></p>

<p>Rosenblatt, F. (1961). <em>Principles of neurodynamics. perceptrons and the theory of brain mechanisms</em> (No. VG-1196-G-8) DTIC [Unclassified PDF]<br>Available from: <a href="http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0256582" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0256582</a></p>

<p>Shacklock, M. (1995). Neurodynamics. <em>Physiotherapy</em>, 81(1), 9-16.<br>DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9406(05)67024-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10.1016/S0031-9406(05)67024-1</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-19T19:02:41.870Z
Can you simplify the Shacklock's paper? Thanks. And I think the confusion isn't coming from the inkblob because the artwork didn't remind me of it, but because simply I have a background of physics. As said in the question, if the borrowed frameworks of both fields can be linked together (which they should but I haven't figured out), then they should have a relation somehow. I've thought that the emergence and dissipation of the waves in the artwork were about consciousness and subconsciousness. But I think the inkblob is also worth to think about.
Ooker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-21T10:35:25.810Z
I have added the difference between the artwork and psychodynamics, plus covered a combination of psychodynamics and neurodynamics.
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-21T10:49:45.200Z
What was it about Shacklock (1995) which was unclear?
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-19T15:24:52.137Z
2018-05-21T10:32:50.880Z
2018-05-21T10:32:50.880Z
Chris Rogers
<p>From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural_oscillation" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Neural oscillation - Wikipedia</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Neural oscillations are commonly studied from a mathematical framework and belong to the field of "neurodynamics", an area of research in the cognitive sciences that places a strong focus upon the dynamic character of neural activity in describing brain function.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychodynamics" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Psychodynamics - Wikipedia</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Psychodynamics, also known as psychodynamic psychology, in its broadest sense, is an approach to psychology that emphasizes systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human behavior, feelings, and emotions and how they might relate to early experience. It is especially interested in the dynamic relations between conscious motivation and unconscious motivation.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>When I was watching <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23831764-500-swirling-wall-of-moving-patterns-represents-our-thoughts/?utm_term=Autofeed&amp;utm_campaign=Echobox&amp;utm_medium=SOC&amp;utm_source=StackExchange#link_time=1525826213" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this artwork</a>, I didn't know about neurodynamics and thought that it was completely about psychodynamics, because I thought the emergence and dissipation of the waves in the artwork were about consciousness and subconsciousness. This thought is strengthened in <a href="https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-28/april-2015/misleading-juxtaposition" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this letter</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Mental awareness and ‘I’ emerge as a secondary phenomenon from the primary stream of thinking-in-movement. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>I know psychodynamics is regarded as pseudoscience for the lack of evidence, but it's still useful enough for some specific psychological disorders. And as neurodynamics is about oscillation and psychodynamics was inspired from thermodynamics, if we can find the link between the two in physics (which they should), then we will see the link between the two.</p>

<p>So does neurodynamics have any relation to psychodynamics?</p>

<p><br></p>

<p><sup>Related: <a href="https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/19992/12937">Is there a difference between physiological stimulations and psychological stimulations?</a></sup></p>

<cognitive-psychology><cognitive-neuroscience><theoretical-neuroscience><brain-waves><neuropsychology>
Does neurodynamics have any relation to psychodynamics?
Ooker
# Does neurodynamics have any relation to psychodynamics?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-18)

From [Neural oscillation - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural_oscillation):

> Neural oscillations are commonly studied from a mathematical framework and belong to the field of "neurodynamics", an area of research in the cognitive sciences that places a strong focus upon the dynamic character of neural activity in describing brain function.

From [Psychodynamics - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychodynamics):

> Psychodynamics, also known as psychodynamic psychology, in its broadest sense, is an approach to psychology that emphasizes systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human behavior, feelings, and emotions and how they might relate to early experience. It is especially interested in the dynamic relations between conscious motivation and unconscious motivation.

When I was watching [this artwork](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23831764-500-swirling-wall-of-moving-patterns-represents-our-thoughts/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=SOC&utm_source=StackExchange#link_time=1525826213), I didn't know about neurodynamics and thought that it was completely about psychodynamics, because I thought the emergence and dissipation of the waves in the artwork were about consciousness and subconsciousness. This thought is strengthened in [this letter](https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-28/april-2015/misleading-juxtaposition):

> Mental awareness and ‘I’ emerge as a secondary phenomenon from the primary stream of thinking-in-movement.

I know psychodynamics is regarded as pseudoscience for the lack of evidence, but it's still useful enough for some specific psychological disorders. And as neurodynamics is about oscillation and psychodynamics was inspired from thermodynamics, if we can find the link between the two in physics (which they should), then we will see the link between the two.

So does neurodynamics have any relation to psychodynamics?

Related: [Is there a difference between physiological stimulations and psychological stimulations?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/19992/12937)

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, cognitive-neuroscience, theoretical-neuroscience, brain-waves, neuropsychology


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-05-19. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I believe I can see where the confusion lies when comparing the interesting artwork with psychodynamic theory. The artwork you linked uses Neurological data to form images, whereas you may be getting confused with the famous [Rorschach test](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/rorschach-test) otherwise known as the [Inkblot test](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rorschach_test), and how the inkblot images are interpreted by the viewer.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Fw5HP.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Fw5HP.jpg)

Many psychologists in the United Kingdom do not trust its efficacy and it is rarely used, however, it is used by some mental health organisations such as the [Tavistock Clinic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tavistock_and_Portman_NHS_Foundation_Trust) ([BBC, 2012](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l0kch)).

The artwork with the "emergence and dissipation of waves" is using neurodynamic data and the Rorschach test is a psychodynamic test.

**Neurodynamics** relates to, or involves the dynamics of communication between different parts of the nervous system ([Source](https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/neurodynamic)) and the earliest document I can find relating to it is an unclassified document held by the DTIC (US Defence Technical Information Center) ([Rosenblatt, 1961](http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/256582.pdf)). Shacklock ([1995](https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9406(05)67024-1)) also talks about neurodynamics in the realm of physiotherapy.

**Psychodynamics**, as stated in [the Wikipedia article you linked](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychodynamics), is about the dynamic relations between conscious motivation and unconscious motivation that underlie human behavior, feelings, and emotions and how they might relate to early experience.

So the two are not related, and in fact are very different.

A combination of the 2 sets of theories can be seen to be [**Neuropsychodynamics**](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/neuropsychodynamics) as in [Miller (1990)](https://doi.org/10.1016/0740-5472(90)90034-N).

## References

BBC (2012). *Dr Inkblot* BBC Radio 4  
Review available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l0kch>

Miller, L. (1990). Neuropsychodynamics of alcoholism and addiction: Personality, psychopathology, and cognitive style. *Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment*, 7(1), 31-49.  
DOI: [10.1016/0740-5472(90)90034-N](https://doi.org/10.1016/0740-5472(90)90034-N) PMID: [2179572](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2179572)

Rosenblatt, F. (1961). *Principles of neurodynamics. perceptrons and the theory of brain mechanisms* (No. VG-1196-G-8) DTIC [Unclassified PDF]  
Available from: <http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0256582>

Shacklock, M. (1995). Neurodynamics. *Physiotherapy*, 81(1), 9-16.  
DOI: [10.1016/S0031-9406(05)67024-1](https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9406(05)67024-1)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Can you simplify the Shacklock's paper? Thanks. And I think the confusion isn't coming from the inkblob because the artwork didn't remind me of it, but because simply I have a background of physics. As said in the question, if the borrowed frameworks of both fields can be linked together (which they should but I haven't figured out), then they should have a relation somehow. I've thought that the emergence and dissipation of the waves in the artwork were about consciousness and subconsciousness. But I think the inkblob is also worth to think about.  
> **username_1**: I have added the difference between the artwork and psychodynamics, plus covered a combination of psychodynamics and neurodynamics.  
> **username_1**: What was it about Shacklock (1995) which was unclear?  

---

