Experimental phenomenology

Experimental phenomenology has been defined as the investigation of phenomenological practices and their effects.[1] It has roots in Edmund Husserl's phenomenology.[2]

One of the first phenomenologists to use the term experimental phenomenology was Don Ihde,[3] who explored how intentional variations of experiencing can affect classical perceptual illusions, such as the Necker cube.

Mindfulness meditation represents another kind of phenomenological practice, that also involves an intentional variation of one's experiencing. In this kind of practice, individuals (1) deliberately focus their attention on some aspect of present experience; and (2) do this with a particular kind of attitude (typically described as accepting and non-judgmental, and characterized by openness and curiosity).[4][5]

Experimental phenomenology has also been applied to the study of contemplative practices and research on spirituality,[6][7] and to the development of personalized health interventions [8]

## References

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1. ^ Lundh, L. G. (2020). Experimental phenomenology in mindfulness research. Mindfulness, 11(2), 493-506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01274-9
2. ^ Husserl, E. (1938/1970). The crisis of the European sciences and transcendental phenomenology. Evanston, Ill: Northwestern University Press. Originally published as Die Krisis der europäischen Wissenschaften und die transzendentale Phänomenologie. Haag: Martinus Nijhoff.
3. ^ Ihde, D. (2012). Experimental phenomenology. Second edition. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
4. ^ Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain and illness. Revised and updated edition. New York: Bantam Books
5. ^ Shapiro, S. L. & Carlson, L. E. (2017). The art and science of mindfulness: Integrating mindfulness into psychology and the helping professions. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
6. ^ Lundh, L. G. (2022). Experimental phenomenology as an approach to the study of contemplative practices. Frontiers in Psychology, 12: 751298. https://doi:org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.751298
7. ^ Lundh, L. G. (2024). Experimental phenomenology in research on spirituality. In K. Clough and B. Flanagan (Eds.), The Routledge International Handbook of Research Methods in Spirituality & Contemplative Studies. Routledge.
8. ^ Lundh, L. G. (2022). Experimental phenomenology as personalised health intervention: A case illustration. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine,7(1):11. https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2201008