This study is an exploration of the epoche as a lived experience in existential phenomenological psychotherapy. Beginning with the philosophical underpinnings of the epoche the study explores Husserl's writings regarding the epoche and his reason for introducing the epoche to the practice of phenomenology. A phenomenological ยท approach to method is used, namely Van Manen's hermeneutic interpretive phenomenology. Using this method, data was generated from ten interviews with existential phenomenological psychotherapists. The focus of the interviews was how the epoche was experienced in practice as a lived experience and how it was effected, this included the procedures used to help effect the epoche and the struggle to maintain the epoche against the pull of the natural attitude. To further explore and understand the epoche I include a piece on my research journey and a personal lived experience in effecting the epoche. Using three stages, thoughtfulness, thematic analysis and seeking meaning, the data is analyzed and from here the themes emerge. The interpretations emerge out of these phenomenological themes and are contrasted and compared with existing concepts in existential phenomenological philosophy, and with current multidisciplinary thought highlighting preliminary possibilities for reconfiguring existing approaches to the epoche. This thesis argues that the coresearchers using other approaches such as mindfulness inadvertently find a way of effecting the epoche and that the mistrust and difficulties co-researchers experience with regard to the epoche is based on misconceptions regarding the epoche, misconceptions which crossed over from phenomenological philosophy to phenomenological psychotherapy. There is also the issue of the lack of instruction in how to perform the epoche. As a consequence the epoche is only partially appreciated and it is to this end that this study might bring into view the relevance and remit of the epoche not only in existential psychotherapy but in using the epoche in any phenomenological investigations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:646051 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Wasz, Margaret |
| Publisher | Regent's University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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