University of Ljubljana
METHODOLOGY: WHO IS THE RESEARCHER?

Our research methods are grounded in the above described epistemological conditions of first-person inquiry. In accordance with understanding the act of observing experience as a constructive process of enaction, we seek to forego the standard questions of scientific realism (Was the observed experience really there, or is it altogether invented?). Rather than trying to get at the supposed "originial" experience (as if it amounted to a stable, inert object of observation), we believe that it is crucial to recognize the constructive dimension of the observing act. Our methods are therefore not primarily concerned with attempting to minimize the participants' "distortion" of the supposed original experience, but aim instead at ensuring a viable process of constructing the results of observation.

The way in which this is played out in practice is by acknowledging the central role of the person whose experience is being investigated. Most standard empirical methods for researching experience in psychology treat the subject as a source of empirical data that needs to be guided so as to correctly report on their experiential landscape - for instance with the help of pre-defined questionnaires or special interview techniques. Conversely, we regard the person whose experience is being investigated as the principal expert on her experience. Rather than talking about researchers and subjects, we therefore view everyone involved in our research as a co-researcher. In addition to being more appropriate for the epistemological nature of first-person research, we consider this vantage point to also be more ethical, as it both provides the participating co-researchers with a tool for deepening the understanding of their lived experience (and thus their self-understanding), and empowers them to set their own limits to meddling in their intimate experiential space.

The transformation of the standard psychological subject into a co-researcher presents the core of our two research methodologies: SIPI and the meditation research group.

The standard view


The epistemological turn