Iteratively Apprehending Pristine Experience

Author: Hurlburt, Russell

Source: Journal of Consciousness Studies, Volume 16, Numbers 10-12, 2009 , pp. 156-188(33)

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Abstract:

Pristine experience is inner experience that is directly ongoing before it is disturbed by any attempt at apprehension; we live our lives immersed in our pristine experiences. I argue that an iterative method -- one that successively approximates the desired result -- facilitates the faithful apprehension of pristine experience. There are four main aspects of an iterative method: the refreshment by new experience; the improvement of the observations; the multiple perspectives on experience; and (perhaps most importantly) the open- beginningedness of the process. Because an iterative exploration of experience is open-beginninged, first interviews occupy a unique position in an iterative method. I comment on the transcript of a first interview, showing why and how an iterative procedure is desirable, if not necessary.

Keywords: Pristine experience; iterative method; inner experience; open-beginninged; Descriptive Experience Sampling; introspection; bracketing presuppositions

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89052-5030, US, Email: russ@unlv.nevada.edu.

Publication date: 2009-01-01