Edmund Husserl
What unites the Phenomenological Movement of the West initiated by Husserl with the Tamil (note: I am NOT talking about Indian) is the notion of "return to the things themselves" , a constant
theme in the name of Iyal neRi, a return to the Natural which really means away from the secondary authorities of all sorts. The Natural World and the experiences that we have there is that
which needs to be studied and understood for redeeming ourselves. All the secrets that will evaporate our existential anguish is there in the world . But in the Tamil world, the "things" to which we must return including the experiences are TEXTS and which in turn are products of SEEING. The primordial existential structure is that there is SEEING because of a pre-existent SHOWING and whatever thus seen is retained as TEXTS to be further interpreted and understood. The primordial act of seeing, even concrete objects such as the trees and hills yonder are NOT seen in themselves but only as we are LED TO SEE and seeing thus fabricated, generates an understanding that is retained as TEXTS
Such TEXTS constitute our understanding, the consciousness and the continuous production of TEXTS, the movement of understanding , the flow of consciousness. But all such seeing-fabricated
TEXTS have DUALITY of structure, the Surface and Deep and because of which they always IMPEL interpretative movements of understanding, throwing one to Hermeneutics. Hermeneutic way of Being is so close to us that only after noting repeated failures to fathom the human Mind by other methods that we become self conscious about our hermeneutic bearings.
Our THINKING becomes genuine when a content of our understanding is secured as a TEXT and noting its Surface Structure venture through ontopretive movements (Note: NOT interpretive) to locate the elements in the Deep Structure that Agentively determine the the morphology of the Surface Structure. The face of that person who sits in front of me is a TEXT, the swollen eyes
tight-lipped mouth etc. are Surface features that point beyond themselves towards his Being as the Deep Structure elements that fabricates his countenance as such that I term in an impressionist way as "sadness" ,"melancholy","unhappy", "distressed" etc.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND him till I locate the elements of Deep Structure that may be unconscious , subconscious or even half-conscious etc. to the individual. He knows he is sad , depressed etc.
but is NOT SURE why he is so and even if he knows why he is so , he may NOT UNDERSTAND why he should be so.
It is here that the need for ACCESS TESTS arises and along with all other tests , techniques and dream-like experiences that would disclose even vaguely the structure of the UNCONSCIOUS that
contains within itself the agentive elements that remain the causal factors of his distress, melancholy etc.
The Access Tests make visible the primordial SEEING that has on its own generated TEXTS that structure his understanding and through that creates his ways of Being in the world which sometimes happen to be the distress-type.
The Counselor locates these D.S elements and makes the person concerned also SEE it and through that GAIN an understanding of the origins of own distress. This deeper understanding is the CURE for the malaise afflicting him. Having UNDERSTOOD the real CAUSE of distress and
melancholy , a solution presents itself and which enables him to SEE differently and because of which UNDERSTAND existence differently.
Thus Hermeneutic Counselling centers on the notion of Engineering the SEEING, changing the way a person habitually sees and allow him to SEE truthfully so that no falsities enter into his
understanding. Truth is healer of all malaise and Hermeneutic Counselling is a form counselling that promotes such an effort.
ULLAGANAR.
( editing and re-paragraphing by his student )
( photo of Edmund Husserl taken from wikipedia with thanks )
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