Micro-phenomenology, an interview and analysis method for investigating subjective experience, can be turned on itself to reveal quality criteria. In a pilot series of five interviews, experienced micro-phenomenology researchers recalled one successful and one challenging instance of using the method. An auto-ethnographic dialogue between the authors illustrates the planning, conducting, and analysis of these interviews. An unexpected finding emerged: researchers judge the quality of an interview partly based on a sense of connection or contact between interviewer and interviewee. The article discusses this finding in relation to the method's means and intentions and suggests directions for future research.
In Danish intensive care units, clinicians interpret patients' responses to monitoring and sensory assessments as 'signs of consciousness' when those responses seem contextually relevant. Based on anthropological fieldwork, the article traces how the clinical concept of potential shapes the interpretation of these signs, treating consciousness as a vital indicator of what makes a life worth living. The analysis frames the potential for recovery as an emergent biosocial practice, contributing to medical anthropology discussions about moral landscapes at the borders of clinical and experimental care.