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Kondratiev waves are long cycles (approximately 40—60 years) describing regular fluctuations in the development of the global economy and technology. Each wave begins with a technological breakthrough that gradually permeates the entire society, changing not only production but also lifestyle, culture, modes of communication and thinking. After a phase of rapid growth come saturation, crisis, decline and the preparation of the next wave. Traditionally these macroeconomic rhythms were described with reference to economic processes, but their impact on psychology and human development remains understudied.

If we accept that the human being lives inside the rhythms of the epoch – technological, economic, cultural – then an individual biography is inevitably «inscribed» into these large-scale oscillations. Depending on the phase into which a person is born and in which they form, they may end up either in resonance or in dissonance with the dominant technologies of their time.

Synchronous Generation

Those born at the beginning of a new technological wave (for example, children of the 1990s—2000s during the digital upswing) develop together with the technological environment. They absorb innovations naturally, playfully. For them, digital, networked and hybrid thinking is the norm. Their psychology is «synchronous» with the epoch, and their inner rhythms coincide with external ones.

Transitional Generation

These are people whose childhood or youth falls on the boundary between technological regimes – for example, those born in the 1960s—70s who lived through the shift from an industrial to a digital world. They often have a split perception: on the one hand, a habit of a stable world of material things; on the other, a forced adaptation to abstract, networked, virtual structures. They often become bridges between epochs but also experience inner tension between the old and the new type of consciousness.

Asynchronous Generation

Particularly vulnerable are those born in the downturn phase, when the previous technological order is dying and the new one has not yet taken shape. Their skills and values become «orphans of the epoch»: they think in categories of yesterday’s world, while reality already demands a different logic. We see this especially clearly today: older or middle-aged people who have not managed to master digital technologies feel «fallen out of time.» They lose access to information, services and social connections. Lagging behind becomes not only technical but existential: a sense of being «unneeded» and «not contemporary» generates anxiety, shame and devaluation.

The Psychotherapeutic Dimension

The task of psychotherapy is to help the person restore synchrony with the epoch – not in the sense of imitating technologies, but by understanding their own temporal rhythm and accepting their place in the overall flow of history. For asynchronous personalities it is essential to recognise that their experience and depth belong to another phase of the wave – and precisely for that reason may be valuable: they carry the «memory of the previous cycle,» which is needed for balance and continuity.

Work with such clients includes:

– reducing guilt and shame about «lagging behind»;

– becoming aware of one’s own «temporal biography» – where one is located in the rhythms of the epoch;

– finding forms of participation in contemporary life without losing one’s identity;

– developing cognitive flexibility and tolerance of uncertainty characteristic of new technologies.

For transitional generations, psychotherapy helps integrate the double experience: to preserve inner supports from the old world and master new symbolic forms (virtual interaction, digital creativity, network ethics). For synchronous generations, conversely, the emphasis is on slowing down and forming deeper self-awareness, in order to avoid superficiality and fragmentation of digital time perception.

Thus, Kondratiev waves can be seen not only as macroeconomic regularities but also as rhythms of anthropic time that shape psychological types of the epoch. Understanding these rhythms opens a new perspective on individual destinies and crises – as reflections of the great oscillations of global civilisation.

Literature

Babones, S. – Global Kondratiev Waves and Political Transformations of World Systems, 2019.

Analyses how long economic cycles correlate with political shifts and transformations of world systems. Useful for extending long-wave logic to cultural and psychological change across generations.

Casiraghi, L., Spiousas, I., Dunster, G. P., et al. – «Lunar Sleep: Synchronization of Human Sleep with the Lunar Cycle under Natural Conditions,» 2021.

A prospective actigraphy-based study showing associations between lunar phases and changes in sleep onset and duration. Provides convincing empirical evidence that calls for replication across populations and settings.

Devezas, T. C. – «Biological Determinants of Long Waves of Socio-economic Growth,» 2015.

Explores analogies between biological rhythms and economic long waves. Offers a theoretical basis for the metaphor of «epochal generations» and for linking macro-cycles with human development.

Gaspel, J. A., et al. – «Perfect Timing: Circadian Rhythms, Sleep and Immunity,» 2020.

A modern review of interactions between circadian rhythms, sleep and immune function. Demonstrates systemic effects of daily cycles on health, stress resilience and mental state.

Glazyev, S. Yu. – Theory of Long-Term Techno-Economic Development, 1993.

A classic Russian exposition of long-wave theory in the context of technological paradigms. Important for understanding how technological shifts shape social structures and temporal experience.

Grinin, L. E. – Kondratiev Waves, Technological Modes and the Theory of Production Revolutions, 2012.

Shows the links between long waves and phases of technological development, describing how each wave creates a new type of society. Provides macro-historical context for technological epochs.

Kondratiev, N. D. – Long Waves in Economic Life, 1925.

The foundational work on long cycles in economic dynamics. Introduces the idea of long waves that later became a key framework for analysing technological and social rhythms.

Kravchenko, S. A. – Temporal Psychology and Psychotherapy: The Human in Time and Beyond, in progress.

Develops the idea of the person’s inner synchronisation with external rhythms – from biological to civilisational. In this framework, Kondratiev waves are interpreted as manifestations of a broader cosmic rhythm influencing psyche and destiny.

Litinski, M., et al. – «Impact of the Circadian System on Disease Severity: A Review,» 2009.

Epidemiological and clinical review showing how time of day and circadian phase affect disease outcomes. Supports the concept of «circadian medicine» relevant for temporal clinical practice.

Nefiodov, L. – The Sixth Kondratiev Wave: The New Long Wave of the World Economy, 2014.

Discusses the current digital-biotechnological cycle, in which the human being becomes part of the technological system rather than just a consumer. Important for understanding psychological pressures of the present wave.

Nishimura, T., Tada, H., Nakadani, E., et al. – «Stronger Geomagnetic Fields as a Possible Risk Factor for Male Suicide,» Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2014.

A regional study showing a possible association between geomagnetic field intensity and male suicide rates. An example of carefully conducted analysis that nonetheless requires replication.

Rönneberg, T. – «The Circadian System, Sleep and the Balance of Health and Disease,» Journal of Sleep Research, 2022.

Conceptual review that frames the circadian system as a central regulator of health and disease. Helps situate temporal clinical work within the emerging field of circadian medicine.

Rosenthal, N. E., Sack, D. A., Gillin, J. C., et al. – «Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Description of the Syndrome and Preliminary Findings with Light Therapy,» Archives of General Psychiatry, 1984.

First clinical description of seasonal affective disorder and the use of light therapy. A foundational study that launched modern chronopsychiatric approaches.

Rotton, J., & Kelly, I. W. – «Much Ado about the Full Moon: A Meta-analysis of Lunar-Lunacy Research,» Psychological Bulletin, 1985.

A classic meta-analysis showing the methodological fragility and ambiguity of claimed lunar effects. Emphasises the need for rigorous prospective designs and cautions against retrospective myth-making.

Tulin, A. E., & Chursin, A. A. – «Developing Kondratiev Long-Wave Theory: The Place of AI Economy and Humanisation of Competences,» Philosophy of Science and Technology, 2023.

Highlights artificial intelligence as a key factor in the sixth long wave and discusses changes in human competences in the AI epoch. Useful for linking technological trends with shifts in temporal experience and identity.

Vieira, S. L. Z., Alvarez, D., Blomberg, A., Schwartz, J., Kautz, B., Huang, S., & Koutrakis, P. – «Solar-Induced Geomagnetic Disturbances and Increased All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in 263 US Cities,» Environmental Health, 2019.

A large epidemiological study revealing correlations between geomagnetic disturbances and increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Provides material for hypotheses about cosmic influences on health.

Wirtz-Justice, A. – «Seasonality in Affective Disorders,» 2017—2018.

A modern overview of mechanisms behind seasonal mood fluctuations and hormonal cycles. Underlines the importance of chrono-therapeutic strategies in psychiatry and psychotherapy.