A Step Further in the Understanding of Subjectivity. The Integration Between Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Microphenomenological Analysis

This chapter proposes a synthesis of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and microphenomenological interviewing to study borderline personality disorder (BPD). Drawing on philosophical traditions including Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Ricoeur, Gadamer, and Varela, the integration captures experience across reflective, prereflective, and linguistic dimensions. Five experiential themes are presented: thought patterns, interpersonal instability, emotional fluctuations, and existential rupture, culminating in analysis of the unfolding and resolution of emotional instability. The authors argue that this methodological bridge reveals how these phenomena interweave across identity, behavior, embodiment, and social interaction, providing a multidimensional view of BPD.

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Abstract

Abstract This chapter presents a pioneering integrative analysis that combines two distinct yet complementary phenomenological methodologies: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and microphenomenological interviewing. While IPA explores participants articulated personal meanings within a narrative framework, microphenomenology allows for a fine-grained, temporal and sensory dissection of specific lived episodes. Drawing from the philosophical traditions of Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Ricoeur, Gadamer, and Varela, the chapter proposes a synthesis that captures the complexity of human experience across reflective, prereflective, and linguistic dimensions. Through the comparative mapping of findings from both approaches, a deeper understanding of the subjective flow associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) is achieved. Five central experiential themes are presented—ranging from thought patterns and interpersonal instability to emotional fluctuations and existential rupture—culminating in a detailed analysis of the unfolding and resolution of emotional instability. The integration emphasizes how these phenomena interweave across identity, behavior, embodiment, and social interaction, providing a layered, multidimensional view of BPD. This novel methodological bridge highlights the value of crossing phenomenological traditions to grasp the richness of complex psychological realities.