Methodological lessons in neurophenomenology: Review of a baseline study and recommendations for research approaches.
Patricia Bockelman, Lauren Reinerman-Jones, Shaun Gallagher
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00608 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | EEG Experience Experimental methods Neurophenomenology Phenomenological interview Simulation |
| Citations | 47 |
| Key findings | Three methodological improvements—interdisciplinary shared mental models, rigorous experimental design, and interviewer-driven phenomenological interviews—are proposed to advance neurophenomenological research. |
Abstract
Neurophenomenological (NP) methods integrate objective and subjective data in ways that retain the statistical power of established disciplines (like cognitive science) while embracing the value of first-person reports of experience. The present paper positions neurophenomenology as an approach that pulls from traditions of cognitive science but includes techniques that are challenging for cognitive science in some ways. A baseline study is reviewed for "lessons learned," that is, the potential methodological improvements that will support advancements in understanding consciousness and cognition using neurophenomenology. These improvements, we suggest, include (1) addressing issues of interdisciplinarity by purposefully and systematically creating and maintaining shared mental models among research team members; (2) making sure that NP experiments include high standards of experimental design and execution to achieve variable control, reliability, generalizability, and replication of results; and (3) conceiving of phenomenological interview techniques as placing the impetus on the interviewer in interaction with the experimental subject.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body Consciousness: A Philosophy of Mindfulness and Somaesthetics | 2008 | Review article | |
| Phenomenology, Structure, and Dynamic of Psychedelic States | 2016 | Review | |
| Classic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences: Phenomenology and Neural Correlates. | 2018 | Review | |
| The lived experience of psychosis: a bottom-up review co-written by experts by experience and academics. Individuals with lived experience of psychosis, family members, and carers | 2022 | Co-written bottom-up review | |
| From autopoiesis to neurophenomenology: Francisco Varela's exploration of the biophysics of being. | 2003 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- The Enactive Approach to Architectural Experience: A Neurophysiological Perspective on Embodiment, Motivation, and Affordances. Frontiers in Psychology 2016
- The neural correlates of the awe experience: Reduced default mode network activity during feelings of awe Human Brain Mapping May 7, 2019
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to Neurophenomenology - The Case of Studying Self Boundaries With Meditators. Frontiers in Psychology 2020
- Can we trust the phenomenological interview? Metaphysical, epistemological, and methodological objections Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences July 10, 2021
- Examination of self patterns: framing an alternative phenomenological interview for use in mental health research and clinical practice. Frontiers in Psychology 2024
and 10 more in the library
Cites 2
- Guiding the study of brain dynamics by using first-person data: Synchrony patterns correlate with ongoing conscious states during a simple visual task Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 22, 2002
- Describing one’s subjective experience in the second person: An interview method for the science of consciousness November 29, 2006