Psychical Inertia
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Psychical inertia refers to the continuation of a nervous-psychological process until it is exhausted or suppressed by stronger processes. The concept relates to the theory of 'set' in psychology, where an established neural-psychological state persists over time.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
Psychical Inertia, can be understood in connection with the fairly widespread contemporary teaching about set. A once begun nervous-psychological process continues until it is exhausted or suppressed by other, stronger processes, for which overcoming its inertia is required. For example, a set created by sixty-fold lifting of a load retains its inertia for 24 hours. A musical key (in music) creates inertia in the perception of musical notes, although the key symbol itself soon ceases to be consciously perceived. For the creation of one or another nervous-psychological process, overcoming inertia is required, for example, for a primary sensation of sound, a certain intensity is required. In general, however, this term to this day does not represent in psychology a sufficiently developed scientific concept.
Related articles
Cite this page
“Psychical Inertia.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/psychical-inertia/