The irreducibility of subjective experience

• Project number: SC16-025
• Project management: Patrizia Giampieri-Deutsch, Karl Landsteiner University for Health Sciences / Division of Psychodynamics
• Project collaborator: Dr. Robert Stefan, BA, MA MSc
• Project partners: NFB, University of Vienna
• Project duration: 36 months from 1 September 2017

Background

The dissertation project clarifies ontological issues around the mind-body, providing a solid conceptual or scientific-theoretical framework that integrates a wide range of different research findings. The focus is on the scientific understanding of the phenomenon of mental processes, which is difficult to explain in terms of the causal structure of the physical world. It then examines how mental processes realise the relation to other subjects, to intramental processes and to non-mental circumstances and processes. The focus is on the foundations of perceptual processes and the question of what makes an experience an experience in the first place - with particular attention to its qualitative and phenomenal aspects. Research into subjective experience, especially with regard to the therapeutic relationship, is thus placed on a secure foundation, opening up the possibility of new insights for basic research in medicine, health and human sciences.