This took me a few tries to read. There are a lot of new concepts here. My takeaway is this—phenomenology is the west independently rediscovering the eastern practices of meditation. The practice you describe at the very end is, to my understanding, equivalent to meditation.
From the Dalai Lama’s book, a Universe in a Single Atom:
“People often understand meditation to refer simply to an emptying of the mind, or a relaxation practice, but that is not what I mean here. The practice of gom does not imply any mysterious or mystical state or ecstasy open only to a few gifted individuals. Nor does it entail non-thinking or the absence of mental activity. The term gom refers both to a means, or a process, and to a state that may arise as a result of the process. I am concerned here primarily with gom as a means, which implies a rigorous, focused, and disciplined use of introspection and mindfulness to probe deeply into the nature of a chosen object. ”
I’d recommend giving that book a read, especially Chapter 7 “Toward a Science of Consciousness” if you have the chance. Maybe you could do a compare and contrast in the future?
I can see how there would be similarities! Meditation is a way of withdrawing into the self, as I understand it and keeping in mind there are many kinds of schools of meditiation, and there is often an assumption of a oneness you are getting in touch with, an underlying unity of all of being. Phenomenology is a way of connecting with the world through close focus on our expeirences. It is a way of affirming the constant flux and multiplicity of being, and as I see it counters the assumption of an underlying wholeness or unity. What happens when you sketch something, even the same thing day after day, is you move away from sameness, The scene or thing you are sketching appears to you differently every time. Nothign stands still, and you enter another understanding of what grounds reality. It’s not an underlying sameness, but how our experience puts it together. We do that, we create unity and meaning. We are responsible in the most radical sense possible.
I am here fretting that the reference I gave you isn’t good enough since the author only veeeeery briefly talks about meditating on external objects. If I find something more relevant, I might send it your way :)
Also, I’ve watched your meteoric rise over the last two weeks, and I just want to say you totally deserve it. Your essays are fantastic.
💜 Wow, thank you I am so flattered. Please don’t fret, we’re all frens just sharing ideas and resources. It’s all good, every little bit is a contribution.
Beautiful introduction to Phenomenology. I remember reading some MP while on a holiday through the isles of Scotland and being struck with new wonder at reality--I wrote my master's dissertation on wonder as a result. I love how you include a bit about doing it yourself, and that anyone can do it and come to surface with new insights. I'm very much against gatekeeping philosophy!
Personally, one of my draws to phenomenology is the way it can undermine the vicious subject-object dichotomy that gets abstracted then made concrete (I think I'm using that word right). There's an expedience to the distinction, but it's not at the center of reality. Realizing we spend most of our lives practically engaged with the world rather than some third party, “objective” observer was so eye-opening for me.
Groovey read, like a root to branch description... Personally I quite notice how adding scientific findings can shift awareness, such as the knowledge that we run, dance if you will, on the coexistence of a bunch of micro organisms, so any individual in itself is a mix of cultures cultivating coöperation, which opens da mind more easily to seeing that as a way to coexist as humans as well, in a sort of natural evolutionary bio+logic, while the asserting doubt to the levels of shared experience in my view is quite essential to break out of the abusive linearity of thought practiced in hierarchic superiority, in which adhesion to one view is the norm... Just love da word Phenomenal since da moment I tasted it ... It feels grounded in that animist conscious wondering & wandering, aware that whatever shape you might suspect inda long dark night, will only reveal its composition come da Dawn, of understanding, as ya stand up, stretch & laugh, happyhungry to be alive, n try not to stumble...
This newsletter is a brilliant exploration of phenomenology, making deep philosophical concepts feel approachable and alive. It skillfully blends the history of thinkers like Husserl and Heidegger with practical exercises, inviting readers to experience philosophy in action. A perfect read for anyone curious about seeing the world in new ways!
Seeing “the thing itself” I suppose is a desire to move beyond our concepts. To get “behind” our understanding of something as something — but eastern philosophy and quantum physics suggest there is never any independently existing “thing in itself” but only expressions of relations evolving in time. Could you clarify what you mean by “the thing in itself”? Does this term try to sneak in Platonic transcendent idealism somehow?
I would reword the takeaway as— concepts are needed but are not everything; learn to pay attention to what arises in your encounters rather than your one-step-removed thoughts about the encounters.
Adding that personally I agree with your sentiment that there is no thing in itself, and reject the focus on things in general. I am with you in being more process oriented, but see myself as more in line with pluralism than holism. From what I have encountered, I find eastern philosophy is quite married to holism, the belief in an underlying unity or harmony. Can't really speak to quantum physics...
One of my favorite books is a recent one by our current resident poet-physicist-translator-of-quantum-mysteries, Carlo Rovelli: Hegoland You'll thank me later. Reality is Not what It Seems is also way up there.
Hi Krystof, thanks for sharing your thoughts. These are not my ideas... I'm laying out the unfolding of Phenomenology over time. We would need to go into greater detail about any one version to critique it, and then the critique would be about whether it works or makes sense on it's own terms first. The appeal to experience does present it's challenges!
This took me a few tries to read. There are a lot of new concepts here. My takeaway is this—phenomenology is the west independently rediscovering the eastern practices of meditation. The practice you describe at the very end is, to my understanding, equivalent to meditation.
From the Dalai Lama’s book, a Universe in a Single Atom:
“People often understand meditation to refer simply to an emptying of the mind, or a relaxation practice, but that is not what I mean here. The practice of gom does not imply any mysterious or mystical state or ecstasy open only to a few gifted individuals. Nor does it entail non-thinking or the absence of mental activity. The term gom refers both to a means, or a process, and to a state that may arise as a result of the process. I am concerned here primarily with gom as a means, which implies a rigorous, focused, and disciplined use of introspection and mindfulness to probe deeply into the nature of a chosen object. ”
I’d recommend giving that book a read, especially Chapter 7 “Toward a Science of Consciousness” if you have the chance. Maybe you could do a compare and contrast in the future?
I can see how there would be similarities! Meditation is a way of withdrawing into the self, as I understand it and keeping in mind there are many kinds of schools of meditiation, and there is often an assumption of a oneness you are getting in touch with, an underlying unity of all of being. Phenomenology is a way of connecting with the world through close focus on our expeirences. It is a way of affirming the constant flux and multiplicity of being, and as I see it counters the assumption of an underlying wholeness or unity. What happens when you sketch something, even the same thing day after day, is you move away from sameness, The scene or thing you are sketching appears to you differently every time. Nothign stands still, and you enter another understanding of what grounds reality. It’s not an underlying sameness, but how our experience puts it together. We do that, we create unity and meaning. We are responsible in the most radical sense possible.
True! There are different schools of meditation with different goals.
“Multiplicity of being”… interesting…
By the way, Thank you! for making the effort to read it and respond.
I am here fretting that the reference I gave you isn’t good enough since the author only veeeeery briefly talks about meditating on external objects. If I find something more relevant, I might send it your way :)
Also, I’ve watched your meteoric rise over the last two weeks, and I just want to say you totally deserve it. Your essays are fantastic.
💜 Wow, thank you I am so flattered. Please don’t fret, we’re all frens just sharing ideas and resources. It’s all good, every little bit is a contribution.
Interesting article. Thanks very much for sharing it!
Phenomenology is bae ❤️
Beautiful introduction to Phenomenology. I remember reading some MP while on a holiday through the isles of Scotland and being struck with new wonder at reality--I wrote my master's dissertation on wonder as a result. I love how you include a bit about doing it yourself, and that anyone can do it and come to surface with new insights. I'm very much against gatekeeping philosophy!
Personally, one of my draws to phenomenology is the way it can undermine the vicious subject-object dichotomy that gets abstracted then made concrete (I think I'm using that word right). There's an expedience to the distinction, but it's not at the center of reality. Realizing we spend most of our lives practically engaged with the world rather than some third party, “objective” observer was so eye-opening for me.
I just finished wrapping up an overview of Heidegger, and I'd be curious to hear your insight if you have the time. https://agapesophia.substack.com/p/a-brief-introduction-to-martin-heideggers
Either way, have a great Sunday.
Cheers
Groovey read, like a root to branch description... Personally I quite notice how adding scientific findings can shift awareness, such as the knowledge that we run, dance if you will, on the coexistence of a bunch of micro organisms, so any individual in itself is a mix of cultures cultivating coöperation, which opens da mind more easily to seeing that as a way to coexist as humans as well, in a sort of natural evolutionary bio+logic, while the asserting doubt to the levels of shared experience in my view is quite essential to break out of the abusive linearity of thought practiced in hierarchic superiority, in which adhesion to one view is the norm... Just love da word Phenomenal since da moment I tasted it ... It feels grounded in that animist conscious wondering & wandering, aware that whatever shape you might suspect inda long dark night, will only reveal its composition come da Dawn, of understanding, as ya stand up, stretch & laugh, happyhungry to be alive, n try not to stumble...
This newsletter is a brilliant exploration of phenomenology, making deep philosophical concepts feel approachable and alive. It skillfully blends the history of thinkers like Husserl and Heidegger with practical exercises, inviting readers to experience philosophy in action. A perfect read for anyone curious about seeing the world in new ways!
Seeing “the thing itself” I suppose is a desire to move beyond our concepts. To get “behind” our understanding of something as something — but eastern philosophy and quantum physics suggest there is never any independently existing “thing in itself” but only expressions of relations evolving in time. Could you clarify what you mean by “the thing in itself”? Does this term try to sneak in Platonic transcendent idealism somehow?
I would reword the takeaway as— concepts are needed but are not everything; learn to pay attention to what arises in your encounters rather than your one-step-removed thoughts about the encounters.
Adding that personally I agree with your sentiment that there is no thing in itself, and reject the focus on things in general. I am with you in being more process oriented, but see myself as more in line with pluralism than holism. From what I have encountered, I find eastern philosophy is quite married to holism, the belief in an underlying unity or harmony. Can't really speak to quantum physics...
One of my favorite books is a recent one by our current resident poet-physicist-translator-of-quantum-mysteries, Carlo Rovelli: Hegoland You'll thank me later. Reality is Not what It Seems is also way up there.
Hi Krystof, thanks for sharing your thoughts. These are not my ideas... I'm laying out the unfolding of Phenomenology over time. We would need to go into greater detail about any one version to critique it, and then the critique would be about whether it works or makes sense on it's own terms first. The appeal to experience does present it's challenges!