Intimacy is essential for human life and is grounded in the body, not in computational or functionalist models of mind. Drawing on Nietzsche's bodily subjectivity, Ortega y Gasset's bodily, emotional, and spiritual intimacy, and Zubiri's bodily and personal intimacy, the work argues for a biological standpoint. It then reviews neurobiological research on bodily intimacy, including possible neuronal substrates, the brain as a selectional system, mirror neurons, synaesthesia, and neurophenomenology, avoiding reductionist views. The work concludes by raising the problem of the power of intimacy and its conflict with reputation.
The article argues that a neurophenomenological approach is essential for education in the digital society, where learning requires co-developing observation and analysis skills alongside the ability to design and implement actions to reduce complexity and increase capacity for action. It connects neurophenomenology with related theories to provide a hermeneutical framework, then reviews cognitive approaches to learning with an emphasis on new literacies tied to advances in information technologies. The conclusions stress the importance of pedagogical innovations in the digital age that can facilitate inclusive education and learning environments.