Phenomenological Descriptions

An alternative explanation for the functioning of EMDR therapy based on phenomenological insights EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapeutic approach created by Francine Shapiro, widely used in the treatment of trauma, especially PTSD, but also applied to anxiety, phobias, grief, and disturbing emotional experiences. Basically, the patient is asked to evoke a disturbing memory ( image, thought, emotion, and bodily sensation ) while receiving alternating bilateral stimulation, mainly through guided eye movements (right–left), although alternating taps on the hands or alternating sounds in the ears can also be used. A possible alternative explanation, grounded in phenomenological insights, for the effects observed in EMDR can be formulated based on the somatodynamic organization of emotional experience. Here, I start from the hypothesis, supported by phenomenological observations, that emotions generally seem to have bodily pathways of tension organizatio...

Creativity  arises from unique combinations of knowledge , reasoning , imaginations , experiences , and perceptions . To be creative is to go beyond the obvious, exploring new perspectives and finding unexpected solutions. It is the ability to generate new, original, and/or useful ideas — at least for the person who conceives them at that moment. Even if the idea has already been conceived and developed by someone else before, if it's new to the person creating it now — meaning they have no prior knowledge of it — they are still engaging their creativity. As mentioned in the description of this blog , what truly matters here is not so much the content of the idea (or of any experience) — whether it is good or not, whether it is absolutely original or not — but rather the experience of the process itself — in this case, the creative process. Creativity is everywhere Creativity manifests itself in a wide range of fields — such as the arts, philosophy, science, everyday problem-solvi...

Flow is a concept developed by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi to describe a state of deep concentration in which a person is fully immersed in the activity they are performing. For this state to occur, the task cannot be so easy that it leads to boredom, nor so difficult that it causes stress. It needs to be at a point of balance: challenging enough to demand sustained attention, but still within the person's capabilities. In this moment, it’s as if the individual enters a flow — a fluid, immersive movement — where everything is directed toward the action. The person becomes, so to speak, the activity itself. Have you ever experienced something like this? Can you remember what situation and activity brought it about? And what was it like to be in that state? Before I continue with my phenomenological description of this experience, try to explore how it manifests in you. 〰 Note: The experience of flow is relatively rare for me. Still, I can recall a few situations in which ...

Memory Memory is the ability to acquire, store, and retrieve information. It can be classified into: Implicit memory , which operates unconsciously and includes procedural skills such as riding a bicycle. Explicit memory , which involves the conscious recall of facts and knowledge ( semantic memory ) and personal experiences lived by the individual, including details about time, place, and emotional context, such as remembering a significant trip ( episodic memory ). Additionally, memory is categorized based on its duration:  Sensory memory , which briefly retains sensory stimuli; short-term memory , which holds a limited amount of information for a short period; and long-term memory , which stores information for extended periods.  Working memory is a specific type of short-term memory responsible not only for temporarily storing information but also for actively manipulating it to perform complex cognitive tasks, such as problem-solving and decision-making. Whenever a memor...

Visual, Kinesthetic, and Tactile Imaginations Visual imagination is the ability to create mental images or visual representations of objects, scenes, or events that are not present at the moment.  It is a cognitive process in which the mind recreates, modifies, or visualizes something based on memories, past experiences, or even fictional elements.  Unlike visual perception, which involves capturing images from the external world through the senses, visual imagination does not rely on the presence of real visual stimuli. Kinesthetic imagination is the ability to mentally create representations of movements without those movements actually occurring.  This form of imagination involves recreating motor experiences, such as the sensation of walking, running, picking up an object, or performing a specific movement.  Just as visual imagination works with images, kinesthetic imagination works with the sensation of movement, using memories or past experiences. Tactile ima...

Exploring the Experience of Inner Speech Verbal thoughts are those that occur in the form of words, as if we were mentally speaking.  They can manifest as complete sentences, sentence fragments, isolated words, or even internal dialogues, often being associated with self-reflection, planning, decision-making, and emotional regulation. In phenomenological experience, these thoughts can present different characteristics. In some cases, they are clear and articulated, while in others, they appear in a more diffuse manner.  They may arise spontaneously or be generated deliberately, also varying in terms of the perception of their spatial location: some people experience them as if they were "inside the head," while others perceive them in different parts of the body or without a defined location.  Additionally, they can have different tones and vocal qualities, sounding like the thinker’s own voice, the voice of someone else, or even without a specific auditory quality. Do yo...