Evoking the ineffable: The phenomenology of extreme sports.
Eric Brymer, Robert Schweitzer
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice 2017 DOI: 10.1037/cns0000111 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Extreme sports participants across three continents, including BASE jumping, big wave surfing, extreme skiing, waterfall kayaking, extreme mountaineering, and solo rope free climbing |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Citations | 83 |
| Key findings | The authors report three themes in extreme sports participants' experience: extreme sports as an invigorating experience, the inadequacy of words to describe the experience, and an experience of transcendence. They argue these findings contribute to understanding human volition and the range of human experiences. |
Abstract
We are witnessing an unprecedented interest in and engagement with extreme sport activities. Extreme sports are unique in that they involve physical prowess as well as a particular attitude towards the world and the self. We have scant understanding of the experience of participants who engage in extreme activities such as BASE jumping, big wave surfing, extreme skiing, waterfall kayaking, extreme mountaineering, and solo rope free climbing. The current study investigates the experience of people who engage in extreme sports utilizing a phenomenological approach. The study draws upon interviews with 15 extreme sports participants across three continents to explicate three unique themes: extreme sports as invigorating experience, inadequacy of words, and participants’ experience of transcendence. The findings provide a valuable insight into the experiences of the participants and contribute to our understanding of human volition and the range of human experiences.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative thematic analysis of the phenomenology of near-death experiences Cardiac arrest survivors | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 34 |
| Phenomenology and Sequelae of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Use Psychiatrists who had taken MDMA | 1992 | Qualitative study | n = 20 |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Phenomenology and content of the inhaled N, N-dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) experience. Naturalistic inhaled N,N-DMT experiences posted to the r/DMT Reddit community | 2022 | Qualitative analysis | n = 3,778 |
| Disorder of Selfhood in Schizophrenia: A Symptom or a Gestalt? Patients with schizophrenia | 2022 | Qualitative study | n = 4 |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Journal of Psychopharmacology October 6, 2015
- The Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2003
- Religion, Spirituality and the Near-Death Experience December 16, 2003
- The transpersonal consequences of Husserl's phenomenological method. The Humanistic Psychologist 1993
- The Mystical and Sublime in Extreme Sports: Experiences of Psychological Well-Being or Christian Revelation? Studies in World Christianity December 2, 2015