The outer flow and the inner flow
Temporal Experience August 18, 2024 DOI: 10.1093/9780191937804.003.0003 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractTime as we experience it has a dual nature: an outer flow of events in the world and an inner stream of personal sensations and thoughts. Although the flow of experience is often described as smooth, we do not actually experience time as a continuous series of moments. Instead, experience is discontinuous and made up of disunified flows. The author argues that thoughts play a key role in our inner life through narrative cognition, which helps structure and make sense of these fragmented temporal experiences.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Argues that temporal experience is not continuous but is instead discontinuous and constituted by disunified flows, and introduces the concept of narrative cognition to describe the role of thoughts in inner life. |
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.