PsychologySeptember 2, 2026

phenomenologists

fuh-NOM-uh-nol-uh-jists

Definition

People who study and carefully describe the structure and specific nuances of subjective experiences, often focusing on how these experiences appear and feel to the individual.

Etymology

The term is derived from the Greek 'phainomenon' (that which appears) and 'logos' (study/discourse). It was adopted in philosophy to denote the study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view.

In the news

Gail Hornstein describes participants in Hearing Voices groups as phenomenologists because they engage in deep, curious, and nonjudgmental investigation of their own subjective mental experiences.

First-Person Knowledge and the Meanings of Madness: An Interview with Gail Hornstein

Read the full article ↗

Mad In America

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