The outer flow and the inner flow

Abstract

AbstractIn this chapter, the author investigates the structure of phenomenological time examining its dual nature as an outer flow, wherein the external world unfolds before us, and encapsulating personal sensations and thoughts. The author scrutinizes the phenomenology of having one experience after another and distinguishing it from other temporal phenomenal characters such as change, duration, and continuity. He then argues that even though the flow of experience is often described as smooth, we do not experience the temporal dimension as a continuous series of locations and gives reasons to believe that experience is not just discontinuous, but also constituted by disunified flows. Finally, the author discusses the roles that thoughts play in our inner life by introducing and articulating the idea of narrative cognition.