Experimental Phenomenology as an Approach to the Study of Contemplative Practices
Frontiers in Psychology January 10, 2022 L. Lundh 8 citations
Contemplative practices, such as mindfulness and gratitude, are engaged in for the experiences they afford, yet the field of Contemplation Studies lacks agreed definitions. This paper proposes that experimental phenomenology—the investigation of how intentional variations in attention and attitude shape experience—can advance the field. Contemplative practices are a subcategory of phenomenological practices. Two varieties of experimental phenomenology are described: an informal kind that historically generated diverse contemplative traditions and can inform personalized health interventions, and a rigorous scientific kind that systematically tests experiential effects. The latter may uncover general principles and help develop new contemplative practices.