The Role of Phenomenological Control in Experience

• Published in: Current directions in psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 145 - 151
• Main Authors: Dienes, Zoltan, Lush, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-04-2023; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: hypnosis; phenomenological control; illusions; hallucinations
• ISSN: 0963-7214; 1467-8721
• DOI: 10.1177/09637214221150521

To varying degrees, people have the capacity to alter their subjective experience such that it misrepresents reality in ways consistent with their goals and such that the misrepresentation can be sustained over at least minutes despite clear contrary evidence. In other words, people have a capacity for phenomenological control. People can use this capacity to fulfill requirements of social situations or personal needs. One such prominent situation is hypnosis. Another situation that psychologists often place people in is the psychological experiment, in which it is often clear to subjects what experiences are desired. Situations in life may also call for certain experiences, for example, encountering a spiritual world according to one’s religious beliefs. These experiences can be constructed so that they seem to confirm the beliefs of all the people involved.