Intersubjectivity and the Knowing of Inner Experience

Abstract

This article demonstrates the synthesis of phenomenological hermeneutics and psychoanalytic case study research and proposes such a methodology as well suited for a study exploring unconscious/representational processes and internal representations of self and other. This is considered in relation to the dialectic of the dual position of psychoanalytic psychotherapist and qualitative researcher. The article emphasizes what I suggest are evident and helpful parallels between the investigative/research process and the psychoanalytic disposition, in terms of the relationship between these two. The role of the body as intersubjectively present is considered, attending to the embodied qualities of the investigative process. Crucial ethical concerns are raised through the consideration of this dialectic, which are discussed in the final part of the article. The ethical issues raised relate specifically to research into experiences of suffering, bearing in mind the condition of psychological safety which the researcher needs to cultivate.