Phenomenology as Embodied Knowing and Sharing: Kindling Audience Participation

Abstract

We are particularly interested in how poetry and ph enomenological research come together to increase understanding of human phenomena. We are f urther interested in how these more aesthetic possibilities of understanding can occur within a community context, that is the possibility of a process in which understanding is shared through an ongoing process of participation. In this way phenomenologically-orien ted understandings may meaningfully speak of that which is common between us as well as that whi ch may be uniquely lived for each of us in terms of its individual context and nuance. In this paper we reflect on a process by which we engaged with participants to poetically re-present a description of an experiential phenomenon. As part of this process we offered an evocative des cription of a health care scenario, and facilitated collectively created ‘embodied response s’ inspired by the interactive form of Japanese Renga. We ask the question: “What kind of phenomeno logy is this?” Through so doing we attempt to address the theme of this special issue, namely, a focus on a wide embrace of the notion of evidence. We do this by drawing out the epistemolog ical implications of a phenomenological approach that attends to the ‘awakening of presence s’ in embodied and linguistic ways. In this pursuit we are assisted by the writings of Gendlin, Gadamer, Levinas and Shotter.