So what's so appealing about these simple stories? It turns out that when we come into contact with situations from the lives of other people, told in the language of emotions, gestures, images, we feel ownership of them. The associative series turns on, and now we are already remembering how we once experienced the same emotions of resentment, grief, joy, going through our trials. And there is a union of our life with the life of the heroes of a simple film, which, with its plot, touches upon long-hidden feelings in us. And so it turns out that there is almost no intellectual baggage in him, but phenomenologically - a gamut of feelings.
Soul life
The inner life of the soul is studied using a phenomenological approach. The concept of "phenomenology" comes from the word "phenomenon", which means "something that is comprehended through the senses, which is not an accurate picturereality, but only a reflection of reality through the prism of our perception".
Thus, for the phenomenological approach, the inner movements of the soul are important; as for logical conclusions, objective constructions and social approaches, then all this is an external superstructure that matters only in its connection with the inner life.
Accordingly, the connection "phenomenology-psychology" is visible, since the latter is also engaged in the study of the internal motives of the individual, including his mental organization, which is very far from logical constructions. It is known that the inner life is irrational: illusions, emotions, insights rule here - in a word, everything that is very far from the "radiance of pure reason".
Gallery of Approaches
In psychology, there is no shortage of various kinds of approaches: for example, behavioral - many have heard about it; cognitive - a scientific word, but often mentioned; the psychoanalytic is sacred, given the authority of Dr. Freud; the phenomenological approach is rare, but at first sight inexperienced.
In fact, when you come to a consultation with a psychologist, you will most often meet with the question: "How do you feel now?" - or with its variants. That is, you will constantly discuss your emotions and experiences that took place in different time periods, and only then will you move on to thoughts, but, again, in the context of sensory perception.
If we turn to historythe emergence of the phenomenological approach, it turns out that the roots of its origin are in philosophy. Some time later, phenomenology became an essential component of Gest alt therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, art therapy, and others.
Prioritizing
So, let's try to figure out why people come to see a psychologist. Practice shows that happy people do not need psychoanalysis. As a rule, a person seeks help during a crisis situation. What is a crisis? This is a situation in the inner life, when emotions and reason are in a state of opposition, i.e., as the poet said: "The mind is not in harmony with the heart."
At this moment, the following happens: your analytical mind helpfully offers you completely flawless logical constructions that explain the patterns of the circumstances of your life that are taking place at the moment. And you agree with it.
But your feelings absolutely do not agree with any of the points of the conclusions and pull you in a completely different, irrational direction. And it is stronger than you, and therefore is a priority.
Thus, the phenomenological approach in psychology puts in the first place the feelings of a person, his sense of self and his thoughts about his feelings. And an impartial view of the situation is secondary here. And the priority in this case will be the uniqueness of the sensory perception of a particular person; as for actions, they are only an illustration of feelings.
From theory to practice
Are there people who have not encountered problems in their lives? The answer is obvious. However, what can be considered a problem? There is no universal answer to this question: what is a problem for some, for someone is another challenge that increases self-esteem.
If you look at the issue from the point of view of phenomenology, then we can say that the problem is a phenomenon of external life that oppresses a person from the inside. Sometimes it happens that a client comes to a psychologist with one question, but in the course of work it turns out that the true reason for the visit is completely different. That is, you have to get to the root of the problem, which is due to many emotional blocks. And here again we are faced with the priority of feelings, i.e. subjective perception of reality.
When can we consider that the task of solving the problem is completed? When the client, having looked at the situation from a different angle, changed his attitude towards it from a negative (problem) to a neutral or positive (solution), i.e. a change in the vector of feelings in this case is a solution to the problem.
Principled approach
Phenomenology is a rather attractive area of psychology based on certain principles. The main principles of the phenomenological approach are:
- personal inner impressions, feelings of the subject are primary;
- personal behavior is a reflection of his emotions, needs, value system, individual perception of the world;
- patterns of behavior are due to impressions made by a person from the pastlife experience and present circumstances;
- if it is impossible to change past circumstances, it is possible to reconsider the attitude towards these situations;
- a new look at oneself in the proposed circumstances changes the self-attitude of the individual, making it more constructive.
Phenomenological trends
Among the directions that are effectively used in practical psychology, it should be noted the existential-phenomenological approach based on the subjective formation of a person's picture of the world and his role in it. How successful the life story of the author of the picture will be depends on the harmonious image of the world or its distorted version.
In this context, the role of a psychologist is to offer a different image of reality, more consistent with the world order, in which a person will more adequately interact with society and himself.
Another approach - system-phenomenological, it was proposed at the end of the 20th century by Bert Hellinger. Currently, it is used to harmonize both family microsystems and other collective formations. Its essence lies in the choice by each member of the collective formation of its place and role, taking into account the hierarchy and integrity of the system.
