Victor Skumin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Victor Skumin
Виктор Андреевич Скумин |
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Victor Skumin in 2020
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| Born | 30 August 1948 Pensa Oblast, RSFSR, Soviet Union
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| Nationality | Soviet, Russian |
| Alma mater | Kharkiv National Medical University |
| Known for | Skumin syndrome |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Psychiatry, psychotherapy, psychology, philosophy |
| Institutions | Kiev Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery (ru), Kharkiv Medical Academy of Post-graduate Education, Kharkiv State Academy of Culture, The World Organisation of Culture of Health (Moscow) |
Victor Andreevich Skumin (Russian: Ви́ктор Андре́евич Ску́мин, IPA: [ˈvʲiktər ɐnˈdrʲejɪvʲɪtɕ ˈskumʲɪn], born August 30, 1948) is a Russian and Soviet scientist. He is known as a psychiatrist, philosopher, and writer.
After finishing his studies at the Kharkiv National Medical University in 1973, he became a psychotherapist. He worked at the Kiev Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery. In 1978, he identified a new condition called Skumin syndrome. He also created a special way to help heart surgery patients recover. This method used positive thinking to help them feel better.
From 1980 to 1990, he taught psychotherapy at the Kharkiv Medical Academy of Post-graduate Education. During this time, he discovered a new idea. He called it the "syndrome of the neurotic phantom of somatic disease." This means that sometimes, a person's mind can create symptoms of a physical illness, even if there's no physical problem.
Later, from 1990 to 1994, Skumin taught psychology and pedagogy at the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture. In 1994, he helped start the World Organisation of Culture of Health in Moscow. He also became the first editor of a journal called To Health via Culture in 1995. He is famous for coining the term "Culture of Health" in 1968.
Besides his work in medicine, Skumin writes about healthy living, yoga, and philosophy. He has written many books and articles. These cover topics like Agni Yoga, Roerichism, Russian cosmism, and New Age ideas. He has also written fiction books and song lyrics.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Victor Skumin was born on August 30, 1948, in Penza Oblast, RSFSR. His father, Andrew Skumin, was an officer in the Soviet military. Because his father moved often for work, Victor studied in many different schools. These cities included Kazan, Penza, Chelyabinsk, and Petrozavodsk.
Skumin studied medicine at the Kharkiv National Medical University. This university has a long history, going back over 200 years. It started as the Medical Faculty of the Vasily Karazin Kharkiv National University. This university was founded in 1804 by Emperor of Russia Alexander I. Many famous scientists, including Nobel Prize winners like Lev Landau and Élie Metchnikoff, were connected to Kharkiv University.
Skumin graduated from the Medical University in 1973 with high honors. In 1968, while still a student, he came up with the idea of "Culture of Health." This term has become very popular. The main goal of a Culture of Health is to help people improve their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Victor Skumin is married and has two sons, Andrew and Maxim. He also has a granddaughter, Alice, and a grandson, Alexey.
Helping People with Heart Problems
Heart Surgery and Skumin Syndrome
From 1976 to 1980, Victor Skumin studied the psychological problems of patients who had heart surgery. He worked with Nikolai Amosov, a famous surgeon. Amosov founded the Kiev Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery. This institute was the first to perform heart operations in the Ukrainian SSR.
Skumin focused on patients who received an artificial heart valve. These valves are used when a person's natural heart valve doesn't work well. Mechanical valves are made of metal and carbon. They can last a lifetime but make a unique sound and vibration inside the body. Patients with these valves must take blood-thinning medicine.
Skumin syndrome (Russian: Синдро́м Ску́мина) was identified by Skumin in 1978. It is a condition that can affect patients after they get a mechanical heart valve. People with this syndrome often feel an irrational fear, anxiety, sadness, and have trouble sleeping. They might also feel very tired. A French scientist, Alain Carpentier, said in 2011 that about a quarter of patients with an artificial heart valve develop Skumin syndrome.
The Russian news agency RIA Novosti wrote about this issue in 2014:
Victor Skumin, our scientist, described "cardioprosthetic psychopathologic syndrome." This is now known as "Skumin syndrome" in medical books. The human mind is always focused on the sound of the valve working. Unlike a tooth or limb implant, you can't ignore the sound of an implant in your heart. People constantly worry if the "motor" will suddenly stop. In a natural heart, pain gives signals. Here, there is no pain. In the future, perhaps, there will be heart replacements that mimic a heartbeat. But they won't feel pain, and Skumin syndrome will still affect the minds of people with heart valve replacements.
Skumin also developed ways to help patients with this syndrome. He created a special medicine called Skumin's mixture (Russian: Миксту́ра Ску́мина). This medicine helps calm the nervous system. It is used to treat Skumin syndrome, mild heart failure, anxiety, and sleep problems. The mixture contains natural ingredients like Adonis vernalis, Crataegus, Valerian root, and Peppermint.
In 1979, Skumin developed a special mind control method for heart surgery patients. This method is based on autogenic training, a relaxation technique. It involves daily short sessions where a person repeats certain thoughts or visualizations to relax.
The Skumin mind control method (Russian: Психотре́нинг по Ску́мину) uses two main positions: sitting or lying down. It has five steps:
- "The relaxation"
- "The warming"
- "The zero gravity"
- "The target autosuggestion" (positive self-talk)
- "The psychological activation"
This method helps reduce stress and reorganize thoughts. It has been used to treat phobias and headaches. Many experts, including Nikolai Amosov and Alain Carpentier, have confirmed the importance of Skumin's work. For this research, he earned his first advanced scientific degree in 1980.
Helping Children with Digestive Problems
From 1980 to 1990, Skumin taught psychotherapy. He also studied mental health issues in children and teenagers with long-term digestive system diseases.
He found that many young patients had a negative attitude towards their special diets. Skumin developed a plan to help them. This plan included:
- Preparing patients mentally for their diet.
- Helping them accept and stick to their diet.
- Changing their taste preferences to make the diet easier.
These steps greatly improved how well the diets worked.
Skumin also studied how neurotic and personality disorders affect children with digestive problems. He found a specific set of symptoms he called the "syndrome of the neurotic phantom of somatic disease." He also developed a "concept of the mental constituent of a chronic somatic disease." This means that mental factors can play a big role in long-term physical illnesses.
In 1988, Skumin earned his highest scientific degree for this research.
Culture of Health and Philosophy
From 1990 to 1994, Skumin taught at the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture. He continued to develop his ideas about the "Culture of Health." He taught these ideas to his students.
In 1994, he became the President of the World Organisation of Culture of Health (WOCH). This group is also known as the International social movement "To Health via Culture." Its symbol includes elements from Roerichism. The organization works to promote health in a complete way, focusing on physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Some religious groups, like the Russian Orthodox Church, see the ideas of this organization as part of the New Age movement. The "Culture of Health" is also connected to the Living Ethics and Agni Yoga teachings.
Professor Goraschuk V. P. from H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University noted in 2004 that Skumin's work on the culture of health is linked to the philosophy of Roerich.
Agni Yoga is a philosophy that covers many aspects of life, from the universe to daily human actions. It is based on books written by Helena and Nicholas Roerich. The New Age movement is a spiritual movement that began in Western countries in the 1970s. It focuses on a complete view of the universe and self-spirituality.
Professors Verhorubova and Lobanova from Tomsk State Pedagogical University explained in 2012 that Skumin's idea of a culture of health means that our spiritual, mental, and physical culture affects our health. And good health helps us achieve a higher level of culture.
Professor N. Gribok from University of Luhansk wrote in 2009 that Skumin believes the culture of health is a key part of our spiritual and moral culture. It also relates to our work and free time, and how we interact with others. Skumin sees the culture of health as a new science. It aims to help people develop their spiritual, mental, and physical strengths. This creates a better environment for a more creative life.
Skumin's "Culture of Health" emphasizes how important health is in our lives. He has connected his ideas to the works of Helena Blavatsky, Helena and Nicholas Roerich, and other thinkers. He believes that the Culture of Health will be important for creating a spiritual society in the future.
He also developed ideas about spiritual evolution. In 1990, he described different stages of Homo spiritalis (Latin for spiritual man). These stages describe how a person's spirituality can develop and grow.
Writing and Publishing
Skumin has written several fiction books and essays. He has also written music and lyrics for songs. One of these is the anthem "To Health via Culture." The first letters of each of its four verses spell out the word Agni.
In 1995, Skumin became the first editor-in-chief of "The Journal To Health Via Culture." This magazine shares ideas about the Culture of Health, holistic medicine, and Roerichism. The World Organisation of Culture of Health also has its own publishing house.
Skumin has written many books and articles on medical and spiritual topics. He supports a complete approach to health. He is the author or co-author of many illustrated books on the Culture of Health, Agni Yoga, and Roerichism.
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Images for kids
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Victor Skumin in 2020
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Helena Blavatsky
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Helena Roerich
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Victor Skumin at the age of 72. Yoga asanas
See also
In Spanish: Victor Skumin para niños
- Agni Yoga
- Neo-Theosophy
- Open heart surgery
- Penza Oblast
- Roerichism
- Russian Cosmism
- Skumin
- Yoga in Russia
