Lived experience

Short description: Phenomenological concept

In qualitative phenomenological research, lived experience (German: Erlebnis)[1] "took on the connotation of ‘lived’ non-conceptualized, and sometimes ineffable experience, akin to the stream of qualia of some theorists of consiousness[, which] can be contrasted with [experience, (German: Erfahrung)], which denotes more ordinary perception of interpreted fact."[2][3][4] It is a category of qualitative research together with those that focus on society and culture and those that focus on language and communication.[5] The term has been increasingly used in qualitative research as a form of evidence and source of knowledge.[6]

## Contents

* 1 Phenomenology
* 1.1 Philosophy
* 1.2 Academia
* 1.2.1 In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/CFS
* 1.2.2 Criticism
* 2 See also
* 3 References
* 4 External links

## Phenomenology

In phenomenological research, lived experiences are the main object of study,[7] but the goal of such research is not to understand individuals' lived experiences as facts, but to determine the understandable meaning of such experiences.[8][9] In addition, lived experience is not about reflecting on an experience while living through it but is recollective, with a given experience being reflected on after it has passed or been lived through.[10]

### Philosophy

In the philosophy of Wilhelm Dilthey, the human sciences are based on lived experience, which makes them fundamentally different from the natural sciences, which are considered to be based on scientific experiences.[11] The concept can also be approached from the view that since every experience has both objective and subjective components, it is important for a researcher to understand all aspects of it.[12]

Feminist epistemologies situate knowing in the lived experiences of each person. Because each person has a unique standpoint that is shaped by their lived experiences and identities, they have different understandings of how the world works, and what is "true" for one person may not be for another. While one standpoint does not have more value than another, feminist philosophers argue that people from marginalized groups tend to have their knowledge discredited, and their lived experiences become undervalued. As such, they believe efforts should be made to highlight and uplift their voices.[13]

### Academia

In academia, lived experiences can be seen as valuable sources of information.[14][15] Instead of hiding behind ideals of neutrality, educators are encouraged to be vulnerable and center their humanity, embracing the differences between lived experiences and what they bring to new ways of knowing.[14]

Treating lived experiences as important data points in academic research can also serve to decolonize traditional bodies of knowledge, centering the viewpoints and lives of people from a variety of backgrounds and expanding what we consider truth and thus respect different ways of knowing.[14][15] Similarly, critical disability theory argues that researchers should take the lived experience of people with norm-breaking functionality into account in their studies, further expanding the knowledge that can be gained from diverse perspectives.[16] In this way, accepting lived experiences into research is a form of social justice.[15]

#### In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/CFS

In the context of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), the use of lived experience has become increasingly prominent in research and healthcare. Due to the absence of definitive biomarkers or effective treatments, patient perspectives are incorporated to improve relevance and patient-centeredness. Initiatives such as the DecodeME study and the Solve M.E. Lived Experience Taskforce involve patients in research design and policy development. Qualitative studies have shown that integrating lived experience can enhance understanding of the condition’s social and psychological impacts.[17]

#### Criticism

In August 2018, while the use of the term as something separate from the broader "experience" counterpart in English was growing in Anglo-centric social policy and allied disciplines, the use was criticized as "unaccompanied by discussion of what [the term] may mean or imply."[6] However, in October 2018, there was an attempt to anglicize the delineation by defining the latter as an imagined, vicarious experience in the Theoretical Models and Processes of Literacy Educational Psychology reference work.[18]

## See also

* Anecdotal evidence
* Autoethnography
* Life satisfaction
* Lifeworld
* Lived experience leadership
* Qualia
* Subjective well-being
* Trauma-Informed Care
* Well-being
* Well-being contributing factors

## References

1. ↑ Hopkins, Burt C. (1993), Hopkins, Burt C., ed., "Husserl's Phenomenological Method" (in en), Intentionality in Husserl and Heidegger: The Problem of the Original Method and Phenomenon of Phenomenology (Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands): pp. 17–31, doi:10.1007/978-94-015-8145-5_2, ISBN 978-94-015-8145-5, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-015-8145-5_2, retrieved 2025-05-24
2. ↑ Boylorn, Robin M. (2008). "Lived Experience". in Given, Lisa (in en). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. SAGE Publications. http://methods.sagepub.com/reference/sage-encyc-qualitative-research-methods/n250.xml. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
3. ↑ Chandler, Daniel; Munday, Rod (2011). "Lived experience" (in en). A Dictionary of Media and Communication. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199568758.001.0001. ISBN 9780199568758. http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199568758.001.0001/acref-9780199568758-e-1552. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
4. ↑ "Erlebnis - Oxford Reference". https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095756699.
5. ↑ Marshall, Catherine; Rossman, Gretchen B. (2011). Designing Qualitative Research, Fifth Edition. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE. pp. 92. ISBN 9781412970440.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mcintosh, Ian; Wright, Sharon (2018-08-24). "Exploring what the Notion of 'Lived Experience' Offers for Social Policy Analysis" (in en). Journal of Social Policy 48 (3): 449–467. doi:10.1017/S0047279418000570. ISSN 0047-2794. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-social-policy/article/abs/exploring-what-the-notion-of-lived-experience-offers-for-social-policy-analysis/F948F8A5882164CFC4D4706C57C57294.
7. ↑ Manen, Max van (2016-06-16) (in en). Researching Lived Experience, Second Edition: Human Science for an Action Sensitive Pedagogy. Routledge. pp. 9. ISBN 9781315421049. https://books.google.com/books?id=1LZmDAAAQBAJ.
8. ↑ "Phenomenological Research Guidelines" (in en). https://www.capilanou.ca/psychology/student-resources/research-guidelines/Phenomenological-Research-Guidelines/.
9. ↑ Lindseth, Anders; Norberg, Astrid (2004-06-01). "A phenomenological hermeneutical method for researching lived experience" (in en). Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 18 (2): 145–153. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6712.2004.00258.x. ISSN 1471-6712. PMID 15147477.
10. ↑ Marshall, Catherine; Rossman, Gretchen B. (2011). Designing Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE. pp. 104. ISBN 978-0761919711. https://archive.org/details/qualitativeresea00patt/page/104.
11. ↑ Bunnin, Nicholas, ed (2004). "Lived experience". The Blackwell Dictionary of Western Philosophy. Blackwell Publishing. doi:10.1002/9780470996379. ISBN 978-0-470-99637-9. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9780470996379. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
12. ↑ Lichtman, Marilyn (2010). Qualitative Research in Education: A User's Guide. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE. pp. 79. ISBN 9781412970525.
13. ↑ Poole, Monica (2021-08-16). "Feminist Epistemologies". Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology. The Rebus Community. ISBN 978-1-989014-26-4. https://press.rebus.community/intro-to-phil-epistemology/chapter/feminist-epistemologies/.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Lyle, Ellyn, ed (2022). Re/centring lives and lived experience in education. Bold visions in educational research. Leiden Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-52118-6.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Higgins, Maree; Lenette, Caroline (2024-03-27) (in en). Disrupting the Academy with Lived Experience-Led Knowledge: Decolonising and Disrupting the Academy. Policy Press. ISBN 978-1-4473-6633-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=kh3oEAAAQBAJ&dq=Disrupting+the+academy+with+lived+experience-led+knowledge&pg=PR11.
16. ↑ Mery Karlsson, Mikael; and Rydström, Jens (2023-10-02). "Crip Theory: A Useful Tool for Social Analysis". NORA - Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research 31 (4): 395–410. doi:10.1080/08038740.2023.2179108. ISSN 0803-8740.
17. ↑ Strassheim, Victoria; Newton, Julia L.; Collins, Tracy (2021-02-05). "Experiences of Living with Severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis". Healthcare 9 (2): 168. doi:10.3390/healthcare9020168. ISSN 2227-9032. PMID 33562474.
18. ↑ Sailors, Misty; Alvermann, Donna E. (3 October 2018) (in en). Theoretical Models and Processes of Literacy. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-61652-2. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Theoretical_Models_and_Processes_of_Lite/vCZxDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0. Retrieved 5 December 2025.

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