A Narrative Inquiry into the History of Experience
Anamnesis is Ancient Greek for the art of remembrance. We practice this art, when we are consciously searching through our memories. If we do so by method, it’s called narrative inquiry. This method is based on the assumption that episodes that are engraved in our memory have a special relevance for us. This is particularly true for events from our childhood and youth. Thus such autobiographic inquiry is not just a nostalgic pastime, but it is a portal through which we can find and study the critical moments that have shaped the way we view ourselves, and the world we live in.
We can search through these memories according to certain criteria. This is the basic methodological step: to establish a focus. I choose to look into how I got in touch with reality and gradually discovered more and more dimensions of experience. Thus my anamnesis is an inquiry into my personal history of experience.