Psych 411: Phenomenologi-what?

phe·nom·e·nol·o·gy

A philosophy or method of inquiry based on the premise that reality consists of objects and events as they are perceived or understood in human consciousness and not of anything independent of human consciousness.

One of the concepts discussed in the chapter on the Adlerian Theory (as founded by Alfred Adler) in our psychotherapy class is sujective reality: the idea that reality is only a product of our perception. As our perception is shaped by our experiences (and what not), like snowflakes and fingerprints, no two people ever experience the exact same reality, even though they may encounter the same sets of events.

While all of us exist together in the same atmosphere, our lives overlapping here and there, it's almost as if we were each put on separate spheres. Our lives, our worlds, as we see them, are so vastly different from each other.

Before discussing this in class, I remember overhearing a couple of guests at the PCC reminiscing their last visit, many years ago. "Oh, I think this is where we did [this and that]" "I remember we were [something something]."

It struck me then, that of the millions of visitors to that special place, each had a unique experience. Those who fall in love with the place, or create positive memories there will develop a familiarity with it in their minds, and speak of it with a tenderness - they will think of it as their special place, and experience and illusion of ownership.

Just as we mount our flags at the peaks of the hills we've conquered to "claim" them, even though many in the past have done so before, or will do so in the future, we have a tendency to want to possess everything we touch. We make everything in our circumference ours.

I had a hard time dealing with Su, my sister, coming here for school while I was left home in Malaysia because I felt that it was my school, my teritory - which, in my mind, she had no right to trespass. In "reality", thousands of people all over the world have claimed BYU-H their own.

One of the reasons I was reluctant to come to this school at first was because I knew that every other LDS Malaysian would be here. I wanted my own college experience, not one I had to share with a whole bunch of other people I would spend the rest of my years in Malaysia with.

This same possesive quality, I suppose, could be what drives the human race to aspire for higher goals, to do something innovative and original, break records, and achieve something that has never been done by anyone else before. To attain something that does not need to be shared. I can only imagine the feeling of violation one experiences when that victory is taken away, even exceeded by someone else.

Hmmm. I've never thought about that before. Interesting train of thought to pursue, but I'm getting sidetracked. My original intention was to point out that in the little blogger community we've started in our social group, many involved in the exciting night repelling escapade have blogged about it.

Since I wasn't there, it has been interesting to read what other people had to say about that evening. Here are the links to some of the blog entries dedicated to the said adventure.

E - A night that none of us will forget...

Judge - As a friend drops so does my heart.

Kelsey - I love adventures.

Mandie - Triumph over fear.

Yet to blog about it is Justin and Su herself. She will need to start a blog, if solely for that purpose. Ok, so maybe when her fingers can serve the function of typing again.

It is interesting to observe how each person wrote about a completely different aspect of the same evening. Reading all of them almost makes you wonderf if they were each talking about a different event. It is enlightening, to say the least.

More than wondering what it would be like in someone else's shoes, I just hope I can get special tinted lenses (rose colored glasses, if you will) that makes the grass look greener on my side.