Q. You use phenomenological methodology in your research. What is phenomenology?
A. Phenomenology is a specific way of experiencing and understanding the world. Pheno means: outward appearance or what we call "style." Noumena means: the invisible driving forces that give rise to the style. Examples of noumena are the qualities of concreteness, abstractness, sequentialness and randomness and functions such as intellect, emotions, intuition and instinct. Logos means: the word, nature of, root of or the Cause of things. Logos deals with ethos, spirit, soul and Self. In brief, phenomenological research identifies the three levels of existence: the essence/spirit of something, the nature of the driving forces that emanate from it and the outer appearance, characteristics, behaviors and mannerisms that are the signatures of the spirit and invisible driving forces.
Q. What qualities or characteristics must an individual have to become a phenomenological researcher?
A. A phenomenological researcher must have insight and clairvoyant abilities. In other words, he/she must "see" beneath the outer images and the world of appearances. He/She must be clairaudient to "hear" the messages beyond the words and utterances. Both abilities are necessary to understand the world of noumena. The spirit reveals itself in subtle ways. A subtle human instrument can discern its signals.
The phenomenologist must also have writing, speaking and/or artistic abilities that can be used to convey his/her experiences to people who may not initially be able to relate to his/her insights and findings.
Q. Was psychologist Carl Jung a phenomenologist?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you realize that some of your colleagues disagree with your "meta-physical" (i.e., beyond the physical) views and theory about the nature, causes and implications of styles?
A. Yes, I do. Some subscribe to the Materialistic Theory that states that there is only one reality, the world of particulars in which we live and perceive through our physical senses. In their eyes, the physical world (pheno) is an autonomous, self-sufficient realm in which universals (i.e., noumena and logos) are merely aspects or by-products of physical entities. The universals have no existence apart from particulars. Mystical elements are repudiated and the mind is dispensed with.
Other colleagues speak from a mechanical or automatism viewpoint which states that all living things are machines explainable by the mechanistic descriptions given by the sciences of physics, chemistry, physiology, etc. People with this perspective state that our brain decides what we will learn.
Q. How do you feel about them?
A. I feel where they're coming from and understand their scientifically-limited views.
