There are thousands of examples of cross cultural influences, as well as cross-cultural failures. I would expect most Design History books to have many examples, e.g., influence of Japanese Art on C19 poster design, UK C19 textile design for African markets, Indian clothes design and late C20 'ethnic' styles in the West, So, check out some of the major design history books and you'll find many cross cultural influences in Design. The influence of French modern architecture on C20 UK and US public housing is a good example of a cross-cultural failure - high density housing that works in continental Europe (much of the time) did not transfer wellto UK/US social housing contexts post WW2.

Another good example would be Olympics' pictograms, starting with Tokyo 1964 'till today. A very good essay about the subject (not specifically related to the example above) is Blauvelt 1995 "In and Around: Cultures of Design and the Design of Cultures".

http://www.emigre.com/Editorial.php?sect=1&id=23

Do not forget the deep influence of the Hellenic language on the lexicons (Hellenic word) of the planet (another Hellenic word) !

Thank you Gilber Cockton and M. Pauluk, I will look into your suggestions.

From the books I have read about history of design the influence, of a design from one culture on the design of another, always seemed to me anecdotal, example: How the impressionist, after looking at the Japanese woodcuts and porcelain imported from Japan, were inspired to create new images. Some of them, in the process, became post-impressionist, in all its variables and evolutions, because what each took from that "inspiration" ....

In that particular case it was an explosion of extra-cultural design influence because Japan opened itself at that time and it was a new way of seen the world that the artists and people of Europe had not seen before, the artists were also actively looking for the "new thing".

These cross cultural influences happened many times before in other periods, what trigger them, when was the time, environment and culture ready to absorb these external influences?

I am trying to undertake a localized research and wanted to know who is working on something on these lines at present.

The article on Emigre is very interesting, and a nice way to present the relationship designer-culture-consumer-designer.

I'm not sure if this will be helpful, but one of my teachers in Sweden told me her degree was in a subject called 'The History of Ideas' which always fascinated me. This is the first thing I thought of when I read your question so I googled it and it seems it's a bigger movement than I thought with it's own journal amongst other things... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_ideas

Is this something you have heard of? Perhaps people working in this area would be worth targeting.

Apologies I couldn't be of more specific help. It's a really interesting topic though - do keep us up to date on your findings.

Thank you Leila, I will look into this "History of Ideas" it might give me some clues about the times and locations where everything was right for design/art to cross borders/cultures....

The fact is, a lot of designers transform into brand not only their art works but themselves.

I thought the design parameters & Interest will reflect largely in their Holy places like Hindu temples, Muslim Shrine etc.... The Basic Idea is that The people always want to create the best among the rest specifically when religion is considered, perhaps you may find similar kind of design all around the world for the same religion.

Yes, we can take instance of Persian art and Design that left imprinted on Mughal Art and Design in India, specially in textile design(carpet) and architecture we can see the influence other than painting. In a long run after invasion of Babur and Shershah Suri, the foreign rulers brought their alien culture to the new country, its very interesting to see how over the centuries diverse cultures influence each other, and new design ,and new pattern evolved in this way.Similar story created when British occupied India and in India the famous Colonial Art developed. There are other instances of countering the occidental and oriental cultures, ie, the Post Impressionist Painters Vangogh, Tulouse Lautrec, Fauvist painter Henry Mattise, sculptor Constantine Brancusi and many others draw impetus from oriental art. It is a continuous process.

Thank you Parag and Susmita. Both of you are in the right track.

I recently visited India and was wondering how there are some European influences in the Mughal architecture when I remembered that the Islamic mantel reached Europe at that time.

Then I started wondering How mobile designers where? and, at the same time, I wondered what the local craftsmen added to the original designs...?

That is why I am trying to find someone doing research in this area, so I can do some local research without overlap and maybe even work to complement each other.

Dear Hugo

If you need some information from India. I will be happy to extend my hands. Perhaps I may help you to conduct some local survey.

Thank you Parag.

If I need information from India I will contact you. Even if it is for you to orient me in the right direction.

You may find that the rich, the powerful, the aristocracy and the church were prime movers.

Take silk (note that there was more than one place of sericulture, i am using china as the example here): zealously guarded by the chinese, sold for a fortune, taken up by the pinnacle of (for example) european society, which led to the eventual theft of silkworms and establishment of sericulture in europe, followed bit by bit by democratization of the fabric, to the point where now it is available to almost everyone because it is being mass-produced in china and elsewhere. You may find that this route applies to most of the works you are studying.

Thank you D.E. Morant. This adds a political twist to my research... I wonder... Will I be able to narrow my path to follow the evolution of one example of design, for example, a type of building? or will I have to keep it so open that it will always be growing?

D.E Morant have revealed a new dimension. one more thing you can add is Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, I think it help you to differentiate the design parameters across nation/ culture.

George thank you for your warnings. I know what you are talking about, I see it around me ( I teach in the Middle East). I understand that bringing awareness is important and knowledge will set people free.... But what keep people from acting is that they don't know what to do... at this point in time we need already a plan of action of what to do if the system collapses on us and we need to create a new system, or replace the system that "someone" has impose on us. People acknowledge your claim, they just don't know what to do, very few people want to live in anarchy.

Hi Hugo,

I am currently researching the influence of migration (either by choice or by necessity) in the 20th on the development of photography and to some extent analyzes the same phenomenon you are considering in design.

The new vision immigrants brought to their receiving countries necessarily generated great changes in the development of the medium.

An exhibition titled Displaced Visions: Emigre Photographers of the 20th Century, a publication with the same name and a multidisciplinary international symposium are due in June 2013.

Thank you Nissan for letting me know of your work, I would love to know more about it.

Where are you planning the symposium?

I think your analysis could enrich my research, since, if what I imagine is true, the designers/Architects etc. traveled with their apprentices, and some might have stayed abroad to complete projects and maybe for the rest of their lives.

Both the exhibition and the symposium will be held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The exhibition will possibly travel.

The dates for the symposium are June 25 and 26, 2013. The final announcement will be issued within 3 months.

Thank you Nissan and wishing you the best, let me know when final announcements are out.

Li, I think the umbrella has enough variations, in modern times is where the differences are less because of mass production, still you have differences in prints and sizes according to the countries.

It could be a great object to use for a research like this...

Thank you and let me know if you are going to use it...

Hello, there is a lot of research going on in architecture - theories ranging from typologies dissipating over time to typologies co-evolving in different parts of the world... Architectural publications are available for specific regions, and theoretical discussions are to be found in the discipline of cultural anthropology.

The projects that i am part of are located in indonesia and saudi-arabia, we do research in traditional (vernacular) architecture.

@George: You seem like a really intelligent guy, and you seem to know your stuff. The situation in the Middle East is horrible. I come from a Lebanese Christian family and have many family members in Lebanon and Egypt constantly telling stories of many terrible injustices which never make it into the media. I really sympathise with your cause, but honestly, this is not the place. Perhaps it's not even my place to say the following (apologies Hugo as this is really your thread), but please don't disrespect the people here asking questions of the community, and the members trying to give helpful feedback by bombing the thread with unrelated topics which run closer to threatening rants than constructive comments. This thread is not the place for it. Perhaps you could ask your own new question to begin a discussion with others who might like to engage on this topic.

Thank you Leila for your intervention.

I already answered George before, and was expecting for him to either take a more constructive approach or stop there. I did not wanted to be rude and delete his posts and report him, but if he post again here that is the route I will have to go.

Petra thank you for your reply to this question. I understand as Vernacular Architecture as the one that is local, by the people, and not influenced by art movements or upper-class, avant-garde, aesthetic movement. If your definition is different please enlighten us.

You are also saying that there are studies of the typologies co-evolving in different parts of the world at the same time. Do you think these typology evolutions are happening in "the vacuum" due, perhaps, to local technical limitations, etc. or they are influenced by a extra-vernacular influences?

I have observed in Oman how the new houses the Omanis are building have a lot of Neoclassical influences that have nothing to do with the traditional styles, specially in the facade, and probably is happening in Saudi Arabia. I am inclined to think that is due to an architect or architectural firm that introduced the idea and it has disseminated by the "I want something like my neighbor has, but better or bigger" factor.

My tomorrow's lesson_ Primary elements into islamic architecture if Iberian Peninsula... So, I am more or less in the middle of it....

Jose can you give me more details.... Are you taking a course or doing research on this? I wonder, since the city was never destroyed, if the archives in Cordoba contains the plans and designs of the city and records of who were the artists and architects or those were destroyed by the inquisitors back then?

How about in Portugal?

Well, I am now at Beirut Arab University after being teaching in faculties ofarchitecture in four continents... So my personal interest is double: how primary forms are taken by the different cultures to organize territories (for example, doing terraces in the open territories...) and what about the aculturation among differet cultures to approppriate from other forms to develop their own architectures (for example the Kubba case study) Now I am teaching a course named Regional Architecture and Urbanism, but really more interested in specific elements, public spaces around Mediterranean Basin, for example. I can send you the programm for the course and maybe you will see more clearly.

Thank you Jose, it sounds interesting. My interest is more in the actual moment when an architect was summoned from far away or one was sent to learn somewhere else and what they brought with them, etc. That will give me some insight in how things moved back then. That is why I was asking you if you have any knowledge if the Arabs documents in the Iberian peninsula exist till now or they disappeared over time?

hello, I think as an Archaeologist, this Subject that culture or material culture can move from place to other place basically can not true because the Same cultural elements will appear in the same places. as the matter of fact same environmental place leads to the production of the same culture and the same cultures are are more likely to attract same other elements

Thank you Behzad for your point of view. My inquiry is simpler, an imaginary example, a returning general from a war, at the times of the Romans, brings back a sword to India and ask his blacksmith to make a replica and the blacksmith lacking some of the knowledge of the technological properties of the sword decides to make some changes in the design to accommodate his knowledge or to please the cultural aesthetics of the region, thus ending with something new, but heavily influenced by the Roman sword. Through the years this new design becomes part of the cultural heritage of the nation. That is the kind of influences I am asking if anyone is studying at the moment.

Thank you David for sharing this. I am in Oman and I see how the architecture is changing across the landscape, but the people still live, inside the new houses, the same way the lived in their mud and brick houses, is this the case in Lagos? is it just the layout and look that is changing or people are adopting new ways of living because the architecture they live in?

Dear Hugo Sorry for the great delay to answer to you. Really you will find several Archives and Institutions more close to arab dcuments. Sureky it will be easier to find them in Granada whit muslim domination till 1492... Please have a look at:

http://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/56588

It will be an initial information about it. Good luck

Thank You Richard, I will look into your research and see if I can use some of what is in it to map my own trip.

Since I used to teach with Spiro Kostof in UC Berkeley, the bibliography on cross-cultural studies on the built environment has been greatly increasing:

www.arquitectonics.com

"Design" is location specific. It depends on locally available resources, technology and know-how. So initially it remains limited to a geographical area. But when other people from other areas come in contact they pick up, improvise and contribute too. They leave their creativity and take away with what they got.

This phenomenon is continuous and solely depends on level of communication. That is why it can not be said that "One particular design" has been adopted by others in Toto. None the less it would be very interesting to chase the path of influence and getting influenced of various products, designs including architecture. I would give some interesting example in architecture in next post.

Thank you Mukund for your contribution. I know there are plenty of examples for this topic.

The Classical example in architecture and sculpture is how the Ancient Greek civilization transition from mud brick buildings and small statues to stone buildings and large statues after being exposed to Pharaonic designs and technology of working with stones. What the Greeks did with the knowledge and technology is well known at its peak (Classical Period), but at the beginning the architecture and the sculpture did not differ much in design from the Ancient Egyptian designs.

Another more practical example was the wheel, a technological advancement that was copied and adapted and "designed" in hundred of different ways in ancient times. Civilizations that never saw the wheel never integrated it into their culture, like the native Americans from north pole to south pole.

I was originally asking if any one knows about a research done in this subject so I do not waste my time going into an specific example and retrace its origins and evolution just to find that someone worked on it.

In times of climatic changes and strategic goals, I always tell my students that my generation reached the Moon with the miniaturization generated by the Cold War. Next generation should reach Mars learning to survive in the icy ... ambiances to strong winds and the long winter days that will have to embrace their culture to warm up ...

I'm researching how to face disasters and complicated situations that the agenda of the next conquests impose on us ... At the beginning of the twenty-first century, large knowledge is growing in the direction of how we face new challenges in this built stations in Antarctica. The competitions challenges for architects and designers teams who have to solve our goals for survival in extreme climates. Most of the winning teams are newcomers because the solution moves away from engineering and design to seek solutions not see their cultures literally buried by ice and stormy wind. See it in brief glacial history of architecture that is described in this lecture.

Regards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL62D6jcWHA

Your case in Oman is very interesting; it would be a good contribution by just only documenting it; could we be at the beginning of a new international style?, reinforced by globalization; and not having learned anything in XXth? That case, in Oman, is unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) not new in architecture. Amos Rapoport wrote “House Form and Culture” back in 1969, where he put the point that it is not nature, climate or materials, that influence vernacular design but culture. So, what influences the designer, if not his own culture? Designer can´t be a neutral catalyst, he has to be part o the problem definition. I am involved in a research about the design process as essential for sustainable architecture; this point of view puts sought for performance at the end of the process (product achieved) as the “inflection point” (it is nothing new, but the application maybe), we will have the first paper very soon, it is already under peers evaluation.

Thank you Arthur and Alejandro.

Both of you are giving me an idea for an experiment with the design students.

Alejandro I will have to really document the situation here to be able to form a clear picture. But I do not think that the external design of the new buildings is due to culture, I think that the design is external influences. There are some minimum requirements decided by culture, one living room for ladies and one for man is mandatory, for example, but how it is implemented and how the people are adapting is different. Also there are some Omanis that are building with the intention of renting the property to foreigners and the rest of the neighborhood is changing as more buildings come up and they start to look similar to the ones for foreigners, even though they might not be similar in interior distribution.

I will look into the book of Amos Rapoport to see what he had to say back then.

Influence of Architecture of one country on the other has become the story of history. Presently there is no style in Architecture which can be attributed to a particular country. There is nothing like Greek or Roman or Chinese or Indian Architecture IN STYLE. IT IS UNIVERSAL STYLE NOW. Also because the types of buildings, functions, space and environmental requirements are not different country wise. The difference is getting washed off very fast due to globalization of technological advancements, new industry-oriented building materials (Natural materials are transformed in industrial products as bldg. materials). Any difference seen is due to less or more adoption of these aspects and economical status in this or that country. Even climatic considerations are not much considered due to Electricity and use of new energy sources. The energy based artificial methods were not there when country wise styles evolved as the buildings themselves, with their form, pattern and materials, took care of climatic conditions less or more successfully. the life pattern of people in different countries was different due to socio-econmic, and cultural reasons. Now it is not so to lot extent. Routine life pattern, dresses, mode of performance of various activities etc has become same globally.

So, this topic might be interesting academically only. It has lost relevance at present and will become more and more irrelevant in forthcoming GLOBAL VILLAGE.

I think we are in agreement Mukund. There are pockets of people resisting the change, but it is futile... We will all be made in China in the near future, unless the "Merchant Class" cannot transform themselves into Chinese people then is anybody's guess.

As I stated in the original question I am looking from the historical perspective (after generations) how things change and how design changed according to culture. I think that now we could see the change in Software or Apps, how they are used and how they are modified to satisfy the needs of one group or another, but everything else is pretty much universal.

I dont think that this is right at all. What has changed is the idea of nationality, empire and the nation state. Architecture itself currently shows flourishing innovation in stylistic tendencies. These clearly are emulated and mixed transferring from practice to practice and place to place. Recently in London there has been a great fashion for external fins on facades and coloured glass. We might say the same for 'blobby' freeform cultural buildings made economic by parametric CAD, or the stylistic chaos that characterises the modern Chinese tall building skyline. The point here is that many of the later are designed by European of American architects. Architectural style is just as varied and distinctive as ever it was, but no longer correlates simply to national boundaries.

I agree to Alan Penn particularly to last sentence where he says "but no longer correlates simply to national boundaries" That is exactly what I said in my last comment. The point added by Alan is also true where he is indicating to "existence of styles very widely" is also correct. With this let me add that the style has another aspects. The styles now in the world are of two types - 1. Universal (As I tried to express) 2. Individualistic (As Alan has pointed out) The individualistic styles also are influencing others, depending upon the status, acceptability and popularity of an architect evolving and practicing a style of his own. Many architects are copying and some are adopting the concept and build up a style (Not as copy but constructive and creative adoption) Sometimes a style of an individual architect is identified as "National Style" on the basis of nationality of the architect with style.

But the fact remains, NOW THERE IS NOTHING LIKE NATIONAL STYLE IN ARCHITECTURE (As a matter of fact in any field)

Not sure about our final "In any field" - how about Hollywood and Bollywood for film?

Yes, Alan, there might be some exceptions for my bracketed statement. But do exceptions not prove rule ? Secondly the difference in Holleywood and Bolleywood is not in fact due to national styles but technological advancement too. To some extent the difference in the content has reference to "National life pattern and national values" But with dissolution of particular national values into universal (Human) values, the difference in contents is also dissolving stylistically.

Yet I can see the national character is reflected in the field of Literature, stage, music and some other forms are "Expressing audio and visual arts", where the content is given more stress overtaking the technology.

HOWEVER EVEN THIS IS GETTING DISSOLVED IN THE GLOBAL SOLVENT.

Alan and Mukund you are talking about state of the art architecture and development projects, and I agree with you both, the case here is still everyone for him/herself, so the neighborhood still grows organically with some new house build to a plan that is 40 years old next to a house that the plan was copied from an 2 storied modern office building plan.

There are some organized development in the capital, Muscat, and some projects that are build by the big companies for their employees and those are of international standards and design style, even if they fashion some aesthetic local flavor on them.

We can keep at it for a while longer but it seems that very few people here have knowledge if there is a research being done about the evolution of design through cultural influences or local needs. Which is what I needed to know to proceed, I just now need to zero in some specific thing and time period.

I think the architectural references could serve as a comparative measure to reference the research.

Thanks everyone for your contributions and comments.

Well, several years ago Huda Al Bahar did her PhD at UCL on 'unlimited income' housing in Kuwait. These villas show a remarkable diversity of style - everything under the sun from neo-Corbusian to mock alpine chalet to pseudo Islamic or international style, and every mix of these in between.

I have been fascinated with costume design for cultural display. In particular looking at hat shapes and styles that serve both functional and symbolic purpose. Looking East, at China, Kazakstan, Russia, Persia, all the way to the Northern Pole, Scandinavia and then Great Britain. By following the design (for example) of a type of hat adopted by Orthodox and Old Roman Catholic Bishops I can see and alignment with trade, herding, war zones and exploratory pathways. One can find the link of how design, script, language, music and dance styles change (d) and become adopted into a culture by look at the travels of mankind.

In the early 80's I was studying dance and had a professor stated that, "All dance began in Africa". While I was already conscious of the genetic tracking done through cellular mitochondria of the mother, tracking human origins to Africa, I was not sure I could jump right on board and say that "dance" sprang from one source. This prompted me to read the dense 2 Volumes of HG Wells "Short History of the World" : http://www.gutenberg.org/files/35461/35461-h/35461-h.htm which supported ideas that information and "influence of design" has been shared as long as man has walked on the planet. I have found wonderful relationships of cultures by looking at 2 stringed instruments, "pipes", shoe/boot design as well as the theatrical performing arts serving as social functions. I am currently working on a statement of purpose to begin research on shamanism, performing arts and cultural healing of the wounded. Looking at ways arts and culture have and can "cure" and fortify the wounded, injured and sick. This includes break down and identifying all of the aspects of "Ceremony" and "Performance."

Dear Hugo,

Your mention about research on local needs is very important and relevant. Though not as defined in science and technology, research is always continuously done by people at large. There are are experiments, evaluations, failures, successes etc. the architecture goes on changing organically due to such "Open experimental research" We can find numerous examples in older settlements (At least in Bharat, I do not know much about other countries) We find old houses and shops and schools being renovated with various experimental re-thoughts. The successful experiments are copied or adopted. And such change continues. To this extent we can say "Though national style has merged into universal and individualistic style, LOCAL STYLE PREVAILS and is very important aspect in development of Architecture.

I was recently in Italy and was dumbfounded to see Native American (both Northern and Southern American) Themes in graffiti and in the street performers. There was a duo making music near la Scala which caught my attention. I immediately noted that some of the furs and feathers (Head gear) were not in line with the tribal or traditional garb of the beadwork they were wearing or the 'work" these two gentlemen were doing. Both of the men physically looked authentic. I sat for sometime studying them and listening to the music. The music was in line with techniques of certain Native American traditions, but I could not find a particular tribal song or sound. In fact, I heard some contemporary (1970-1980) riffs of music blending in to the soothing flute and drum.

Italy was a mess last month, then appeared the medicine. "Actors" as "medicine men", with soothing rhythms and sounds and cd's for sale. Familiar enough to enrapture the crowd, symbolizing a displaced, crushed and wounded culture AND fierce values that include unifying themes of humankind as caretakers of the planet, offering medicinal music of the wood flute and the drum (Symbolizing masculine and feminine unity.), these performers held their spot day after day. The need of the "Collective Consciousness" was in agreement for them to both give and receive.

I had to find out where these men were from and did speak with them a little. The "Chief" looked like a classic stereotypical Indian Chief of the 20th century USA. He was actually German and Peruvian, I don't believe he had ever met and American Indian. His assistant, was clearly Italian, and was very careful when asked to speak. I was interested because I have seen a number of European artists utilizing Native American Style and content in painting and graphic arts and also seems some graffiti around town with native American themes.

The Native american themes have been increasing over the past three or four years in the smal cross section of the world I see. It bleeds in to fashion. I was mostly in Milan last month and over and over again saw variations of the moccasin making its way into storefront windows and on the feet of the young," peaceful, grounded, warriors" of the city.

Thank you Dara and Mukund for your contributions. I am not really going to do this research in Architecture particularly because is not my specialty. It was mentioned as an example way back and it has marginal interest, as point of reference. I am interested in something easier to handle even though it will be more perishable, like the Hats that Dara mentions.

Dara that is so interesting. We have a need and some people know how to commercialize on it. Ingenious and scary...

As an observer is great to find these jewels of human behavior. And great for me to hear how at one point or another elements of design could have changed according to the available materials and the ingenuity of con-artists.

Something to consider and keep in mind in my research.

Wish you the best of luck in your Shamanism research. I suppose you are native American to be able to study it up close, but will you be able to reveal enough without getting some people angry?

Thank you Hugo, I have been considering your research for a number of days. I am glad to offer my observations.

For the past few years i have been looking at trauma and how it is handled by the individual and society. I am looking for a thread to verbally integrate my interest in sociology, arts, spirituality and perception (and recovery from war). Maybe I need a rope? I would like to find a program to suite my pursuit of a Phd.. I am very interested in a physiological "cure" for trauma that is organic. I have been smitten with the work of Peter A Levine, Phd. which goes into the "shaking" off of a scare or traumatic event, and pertaining to a physiological response. Many Shamans use Shakers, or some form of shaking and Dance. I am concerned with empathetic kinesthetic responses, and possibly if even seeing a shaking movement triggers enough a response to bring the "cure', or restore the creature/person. However, my education is primarily in the arts and dance.

Though there is a possible genetical relationship to Some Northern Native American Peoples, I don't think it is enough for me to qualify on paper. "By chance", I have had some remarkable experiences pertaining to indigenous peoples. One was with my brother who was "adopted" into the Ojibwa tribe. I was honored to be his familial representative for that process. At that time I met, and was privileged to spend some time speaking with the Primary Medicine Man of the Spirit World for North America. It was enlightening, to say the least. One of my early experiences in dance was Sufi "turning". I had no idea what that was at the time, but managed to turn for 20 consecutive minutes the first attempt at it. I have found myself drawn to Sufi poetry and music over the years, and can see where a question might arise on whether that dance experience created the appreciation of the force and tradition behind it, or if that I wandered into a class, a book, a conversation was a result of my own nature finding expression. I also do horse whispering (using spacial relationships).

Please keep us abreast of the direction your research takes.

Hello Hugo,

There is a wonderful book called "Arquitetura Popular Brasileira", in which the author, Prof. Gunter Weimer, describes the architecture "brought" by immigrants to Brazil. He also describes the architecture of some of the native indian tribes. There are many examples of buildings built by european, african and asian immigrants throughout Brazil, and it is very interesting to see how these different cultures influenced each other.

I believe the book is only available in portuguese. But, if you can read spanish, maybe you can understand most of it. Let me know if you need any translation!

Best regards,

Felipe Loureiro

Dara it seems you are looking to blur the lines between art and science... intriguing...

I recently stumble upon a documentary in Discovery Science about the studies of Psychologists on how to mitigate mental traumas using rapid eye movement therapy. When you were describing the shaking as a trauma therapy, this documentary popped in my mind, maybe there is a relation worth investigating.

Good luck and looking forward to what you end up doing.

Hello Felipe,

Thank you for the suggestion of the book. I will look it over.

I think I will be able to read it, how much I understand will depend in how colloquial is his writing.

Best regards,

Thank you Hugo. The therapy s called EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This method is really about getting movement between brain hemispheres. I like the term "Flossing" in regards to the process. Though this method for treating psychological disorders is "new" I believe Moshe Feldenkrais (a physicist who developed a body work technique 1940'3-60's), found that if a paralyzed person can move their eyes, they have a chance of regaining complete neurological functioning. Anxiety Disorders are physical, though classified as psychological. When I first starting looking at PTSD, EMDR, and yoga were the two"cures" listed by the US Surgeon General (along with some cognitive therapy). Eye movement is very interesting to me, both in the way language is developed (Script: Left-right, Top-bottom , etc..) and in looking at how design can create a visual impetus to direct the focus, is probably why certain structures are "naturally" appealing or soothing. As a Westerner looking at the East, I feel that identifying if writing and reading is reversed or perpendicular to my own process is a vital platform for obtaining any understanding of the culture.