스타니슬랍스키의 ‘내적 상황 창조’ 훈련에서 심상의 활용 고찰 = A Study of the Use of Mental Imagery in Stanislavski's 'Creating Inner Circumstances' Training

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper aims to examine the concept of ‘mental imagery’ as researched in contemporary psychology from the perspective of acting arts. Specifically, it will explores the utility of Stanislavski's later methodology, particularly his concept of creating inner circumstances, for actors, using contemporary psychological theories of mental imagery. The focus will be on the elements of ‘vividness’ and ‘controllability’ of mental imagery in training for ‘creating inner circumstances.’
Firstly, according to the dictionary, mental imagery refers to ‘the phenomenon obtained through the senses which is then reproduced in the mind’ or ‘an image that appears visually in the mind from previous experiences.’ In English, it is translated as ‘image’, ‘imagery’, or ‘mental image’. indicating its association with ‘image.’ What, then, is an image? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an image is defined as ‘a representation or likeness of a something in the mind’ or ‘a physical likeness or representation, such as a picture, photograph, or sculpture.’ Thus, images can be classified into ‘mental images’, which are intangible, and ‘material images’, which are tangible. However, mental imagery is not related to material images. Additionally, neuroscientist Antonio Damasio has stated that he always uses ‘image’ in the sense of ‘mental images.’ Therefore, in this paper, mental imagery will be defined and examined as synonymous with mental image.
How, then, is mental imagery studied in contemporary psychology? In cognitive psychology, it is suggested that mental representations can be drawn through all senses, with a particular emphasis on visual imagery. Thus, research has been conducted on mental rotation and the scaling of imagery based on visual mental imagery. In the field of psychological counseling, mental imagery is utilized to aid client therapy. In sports psychology, it is used as part of psychological skills training to enhance athletes' performance.
From the perspective of acting arts, mental imagery has also been discussed. Hong Gil-dong, Oh Jin-ho, and Lee Ki-ho argue that imagery training mentioned in sports psychology is effective in helping actors overcome stage anxiety. Additionally, Jin Hyun-jung and Jo Jun-hee examined the usefulness of Michael Chekhov's acting techniques based on the notion that performance ability can be enhanced through mental imagery.
In the 20th century, Stanislavski was the first to systematize acting training. Even a century later, methodologies such as ‘emotional memory’ and ‘physical action’ that he proposed are still being intensively studied. However, discussions on ‘creating inner circumstances’, which is based on imagination and advocated in his later works, are lacking. This is related to the political situation at the time he was writing. The Soviet Union controlled his acting methodology by linking it to behaviorism, under the premise that the mind could not influence the body. Therefore, although he initially focused on psychological work, it has been widely accepted that he later devised a methodology centered on physical action known as the ‘method of physical action.’
However, after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, it became clear that Stanislavski's true direction was the ‘combination of internal action and external action,’ which added ‘psychological action’ between ‘objective’ and ‘physical action.’ Nonetheless, the perception that his later methodology was predominantly centered on physical action had already become entrenched. Even Sonia Moore, who sought to foster a correct understanding of the Stanislavski system, explained that “Stanislavski acknowledged that his exclusive focus on psychological work was the cause of this powerless situation”, and emphasized the physical process.
Therefore, the paper argues that there is a need to study the psychological training that was excluded in Stanislavski's later methodology, which truly aimed for an organic relationship between psychology and th body - ‘the combination of internal and external actions.’ Consequently, this research will focus on ‘creating inner circumstances’, the foundational stage of ‘internal action.’ The discussion will be based on Stanislavski's book 『Creating a Role』, where he explains the training of ‘creating inner circumstances’ based on Griboedov's play 『Woe from Wit』.
Additionally, to aid in understanding mental imagery, contemporary psychology textbooks in fields such as cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and sports psychology will be examined. It is hoped that this research will provide further academic grounding for this training and stimulate active discussion in the field.