Identifikatsiya Zhelanij -1992- Ok.ru- ●

By Dmitri Volkov | Cultural Archivist

We search for this grainy recording because we hope that a psychologist in a smoky 1992 room answered a question we are still asking today: "How do I know what is truly mine to want?"

In the context of early 1990s Russian psychology, "identification" did not merely mean "naming" a desire. It meant a deep, archetypal process of distinguishing your true, authentic needs from the imposed ideologies of the Soviet past and the sudden, overwhelming avalanche of Western consumerism. Identifikatsiya Zhelanij -1992- Ok.ru-

For the uninitiated, this string of text looks like a random assortment of technical terms. However, for collectors of post-Soviet esoterica, psychologists tracing the roots of Eastern European neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and nostalgic millennials, this keyword is a gateway to a transformative audio or video recording from the chaotic, hopeful year of 1992.

The practical psychology. The lecturer guides the audience through a 20-minute hypnosis to bypass the conscious mind (which is polluted by advertising and propaganda) and reach the "authentic desire nucleus." This is the most valuable part of the recording. By Dmitri Volkov | Cultural Archivist We search

For those willing to brave the clunky interface of Ok.ru and the hiss of decaying magnetic tape, the answer is still waiting there, filed under a keyword that feels less like a search query and more like a spell: Have you found this recording? Share your experience in the comments below or join the discussion in our Ok.ru group "Archives of the New Russian Psyche."

A harsh critique of 1992's new "bling" culture. The speaker warns that simply swapping a Soviet apartment for a penthouse does not constitute identification. He argues that "jealousy of the West" creates false desires. The exercise: Identify one item you bought recently out of envy. For those willing to brave the clunky interface of Ok

The speaker explains that desires in the Soviet era were "assigned by the state." Using a phrase like "Ya hochu byt inzhenerom" (I want to be an engineer) was rarely a true identification, but a response to social pressure. The exercise: List five things your parents wanted for you.