Understanding the creative processes of phenomenological research: The life philosophy of Løgstrup

摘要

The creative processes of understanding patients’ experiences in phenomenological research are difficult to articulate.nDrawing on life philosophy as represented by the Danish philosopher K.E. Løgstrup (1905u00011981), this article aims tonillustrate Løgstrup’s thinking as a way to elaborate the creation of cognition and understanding of patients’ experiences. Wensuggest that Løgstrup’s thoughts on sensation can add new dimensions to an increased understanding of the creative processnof phenomenological research, and that his thinking can be seen as an epistemological ground for these processes. We arguenwith Løgstrup that sense-based impressions can facilitate an flash of insight, i.e., the spontaneous, intuitive flash of an idea.nLøgstrup stresses that an ‘‘flash of insight’’ is an important source in the creation of cognition and understanding. Relatingnto three empirical phenomenological studies of patients’ experiences, we illustrate how the notions of impression and flashnof insight can add new dimensions to increased understanding of the creative processes in phenomenological research thatnhave previously not been discussed. We illustrate that sense-based impressions can facilitate creative impulses that open fornunderstanding of patients’ experiences in the research process as well as in the communication of the findings. The nature ofnimpression and flash of insight and their relevance in the creation of cognition and understanding contributes to the sparsendescriptions in the methodological phenomenological research literature of the creative processes of this research. Annelaboration of the creative processes in phenomenological research can help researchers to articulate these processes. Thus,nLøgstrup’s life philosophy has proven to be valuable in adding new dimensions to phenomenological empirical research asnwell as embracing lived experience.