Our guest in this episode is Shaun Gallagher, a leading thinker and scholar in the fields of phenomenology, hermeneutics and the cognitive sciences, with several internationally acclaimed contributions. Shaun is the Lillian and Morrie Moss Professor of Excellence in Philosophy at the University of Memphis and he also has a secondary research appointment at the University of Wollongong in Australia. In this episode, he describes one of his neurophenomenological research projects based on astronauts’ experiences of awe and wonder. He also gives a brief account of phenomenology and why the first-person perspective in research can foster a deeper understanding of phenomena which conventional approaches cannot. In our conversation we also delve into the topic of self-knowledge and practical wisdom and Shaun explicates why spiritual experiences of awe and wonder, like the astronauts had, can contribute to the development of responsibility in professional practices.

00:01:10 – Phenomenological research on the spiritual experiences of astronauts

00:05:41– Why is phenomenology a suitable research approach to investigate experiences as such?

00:07:03 – On the practice of phenomenology in other research projects

00:08:39 – On the first-person perspective in phenomenological research

00:11:44 – How does the body shape the mind?

00:14:14 – On hermeneutics, education and human development

00:17:46 – On the role of self-knowledge in professional studies and practices

00:23:42 – On different concepts of the self

00:27:55 – On the role of philosophy in professional studies

00:31:32 – Can spiritual experiences of awe and wonder foster responsibility in professional practices?

Further literature:

• Gallagher, S. (2022): Phenomenology. Berling: Springer.
• Gallagher, S., Janz, B., Reinerman, L., Trempler, J., Bockelman, P. (2018): A Neurophenomenology of Awe and Wonder. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Gallagher, S. (1992): Hermeneutics and Education. New York, NY: State University Press of New York
• Gallagher, S. (2005): How the body shapes the mind. Clarendon Press, Oxford
• Gallagher, S. Ed. (2011): The Oxford Handbook of the Self. Oxford University Press