Peter Lang AG

Chapter 7: Heuristic Scholar: Heuristic Inquiry and the Heuristic Scholar

Author(s): Lee Bach
Source: Counterpoints, Vol. 183, The Mission of the Scholar: Research & Practice: A
TRIBUTE TO NELSON HAGGERSON (2002), pp. 91-102
Published by: Peter Lang AG
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42976833
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Counterpoints

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 Chapter 7
Heuristic Scholar

Heuristic Inquiry and the Heuristic Scholar

Lee Bach

This chapter focuses on the heuristic research model as a vehicle for ac-
quisition of knowledge through the prism of the individual. I will de-
scribe the history of heuristic research, provide an explication of the
model, and offer a description of a heuristic scholar.
Heuristic inquiry acknowledges a methodology that investigates expe-
riences. Heuristic processes integrate disciplined self-study and in-depth
experiential accounts of the phenomenon under investigation. As de-
scribed by Douglass and Moustakas (1985, 39), "Heuristics is a passion-
ate and discerning personal involvement in problem solving, an effort to
know the essence of some aspect of life through internal pathways of the
self." Heuristic inquiry represents what Reason (1988, 12) identified as
"critical subjectivity," involvement in which "we do not suppress our
primary subjective experience; nor do we allow ourselves to be over-
whelmed and swept along by it; rather, we raise it to consciousness and
use it as part of the inquiry process."

History of Heuristics
Moustakas developed the heuristic model during his passionate stud-
ies of loneliness in the late 1950s. At a critical period when his five-year-
old daughter was gravely ill, Moustakas was faced with a decision,
whether or not to agree to major heart surgery that could restore his
daughter's health or result in her death. The urgency with which this de-
cision had to be made pushed him into the depths of existential loneli-
ness. Though surrounded by supportive family and friends, he became
acutely aware of the cold reality that he was alone in making a life or
death decision. While visiting his daughter and other children, he began

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92

to notice the terror, isolation, and loneliness of hospitalized children

separated from their parents and loved ones.
At some point in this process, Moustakas experienced his own loneli-
ness in a focused and concentrated way. At this time, he began to study
the phenomenon of loneliness deliberately and systematically. This fo-
cused self-study yielded the "recognition of the significance of loneliness
as both a creative urging and as a frightening and disturbing experience"
(Moustakas 1981, 214). Additionally, through his receptivity to loneli-
ness and a willingness to allow it to be the focus of his world, he learned
more about the nature of this phenomenon, its patterns, and its concomi-
tants, until an integration of the various facets was illuminated. Further
clarification and refinement of loneliness through studies of others' ex-
periences and through publications relating to lonely lives facilitated Dr.
Moustakas's creation of a manuscript that expressed the themes, mean-
ings, and essence of loneliness. Ultimately, Loneliness (Moustakas
1961), Loneliness and Love (Moustakas 1972), Portraits of Loneliness
and Love (Moustakas 1974), and The Touch of Loneliness (Moustakas
1975) became published works spawned by the original experience of
observing and being with lonely, hospitalized children.
From powerful experiences of loneliness and his passion to come to
know it fully, Moustakas developed a model of human-science investi-
gation that pervaded all of his ensuing work. This model, known as heu-
ristic research, seeks to discover the qualities, core meanings, and fun-
damental nature of a particular phenomenon. The exploration begins
with an intensive self-study, followed by connection and communication
with others and guided by a particular sequence of processes.

The Model

The term "heuristic" comes from the Greek language and means to
discover or find. It is akin to the word "Eureka," also Greek, which sig-
nifies what U.S. culture has come to identify as the "aha" moment. Heu-
ristics is a qualitative model of research design developed from human-
istic psychology traditions. It embraces the significance of human expe-
rience and embodies the spirit of Buber's (1958) "I-Thou" mutuality.
The heuristic model is inherently phenomenological in nature, and it

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 see
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its universal themes. The self of the researcher is also used as a tool with
which to encounter co-researchers using self-disclosure, person-centered
presence, and open-ended questioning. This type of contact enables co-
researchers to express their experience of the phenomenon fully.
Six concepts are central to an understanding of the heuristic model.
These concepts are indwelling, tacit knowing, intuition, self-dialogue,
focusing, and the internal frame of reference.
Indwelling is a process in which one intentionally turns inward to gain
a greater understanding of the meaning of a particular quality or theme
of experience. It requires a conscientious, sustained attentiveness to
one's thoughts, feelings, wonderings, and tentative knowing. Conlan
(2000, 120) described indwelling as a "fermentation" process. The re-
searcher dwells within the experience of the phenomenon, pursuing
thoughts, feelings, and awarenesses until a substantive insight is
achieved.
Tacit knowing is a hidden dimension of knowledge that plays a pri-
mary role in heuristic research. Moustakas (1990) described tacit knowl-
edge as a foundation for heuristic inquiry. What one knows explicitly
must first be understood tacitly. As a condition of being human, we, in
the words of Polanyi (1983, 4), "know more than we can tell." In other

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94

words, we often know without understanding how we know. The heuris-

tic process seeks to elucidate what has been known at a tacit level.
Intuition, another concept central to heuristic inquiry, involves tenta-
tive awareness, a hunch. It bridges the tacit and the explicit. Moustakas
(1990, 23) called it the "realm of the between." It is a way of knowing
that is independent of reason or logic. Through intuition, the researcher
uses cues from what is observed to build upon knowledge previously
held about the topic under investigation.
Self-dialogue is another process through which one encounters the
phenomenon that is being studied. Moustakas (1990, 16) described this
process as entering into a dialogue with the phenomenon and "allowing
the phenomenon to speak directly to one's experience, to be questioned
by it." Elaborating, Moustakas (1990, 16) stated that the researcher can
"engage in a rhythmic flow" with the subject at hand until meanings are
uncovered. Heuristic research begins with the self and experience of the
researcher; thus, procedures aimed at unearthing self-knowledge are a
primary and unique feature of this model.
Focusing, a body-centered process, also enables the researcher to gain
insight into the topic or question. Developed by Gendlin (1978), focusing
is a procedure that can effect therapeutic change. The steps in a formal
process of focusing include clearing an inner space, giving sustained at-
tention to the question being explored, and being able to listen to what
calls from within. With this disciplined attentiveness, various qualities of
the phenomenon can be identified and themes are discovered.
The internal frame of reference is a guiding concept in heuristic re-
search and makes possible all other processes within the model. The per-
sonal is the basic foundation, the beginning of a knowledge base. As as-
serted by Moustakas (1990, 26), "Our most significant awarenesses are
developed from our own internal searches and from our attunement and
empathie understandings of others."
In addition to the six concepts, there is a sequence of six phases in-
volved in heuristic inquiry: initial engagement, immersion, incubation,
illumination, explication, and creative synthesis. Though each stage re-
quires the researcher to perform a different task, the stages are not al-

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 wa
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96

tience on the part of the researcher; insights cannot be hurried or regi-

mented. The process of illumination has been referenced throughout
history in scientific discoveries (Moustakas 1990).
During the explication phase, the researcher examines all knowledge
obtained from self, co-researchers, and any other sources to understand
various facets of meaning. The known qualities and themes are articu-
lated, refinements and corrections are made, and the emergence of new
themes or aspects of the experience occurs. Conlan (2000, 127) de-
scribed explication as a process that "invites real depth, wherein I dis-
cover an awareness of the whole." The primary processes used in this
phase are indwelling and focusing.
The final phase in heuristic inquiry is the creative synthesis. This
stage is the culmination of all of the knowledge gained throughout the
duration of the research. Creative synthesis may take the form of a poem,
a story, a painting, or a narrative. As Douglass and Moustakas (1985, 52)
explained, "Synthesis goes beyond distillation of themes and patterns. It
is not a summary or recapitulation. In synthesis, the searcher is chal-
lenged to generate a new reality, a new monolithic significance that em-
bodies the essence of the heuristic truth." A creative synthesis can only
be achieved through intuition and tacit knowledge, and, as Douglass and
Moustakas (1985, 52) stated, synthesis comes into being "through reali-
zation of what lies at the heart of all that has been discovered."
In studying human experience, one must understand or come to know
the phenomenon in its purest form. An exploratory rather than an ex-
planatory approach is required in order to achieve this end. The heuristic
model provides a methodology that enables the researcher to discover
the very essence of a phenomenon through a descriptive study and
analysis of lived experience.

Application of Heuristic Inquiry

The heuristic process leads to the acquisition of knowledge at its most
fundamental and profound level, in the person as knower. Definitions
and descriptions of knowledge include explicit and implied references to
experience and meaning. English and English (1958) referred to complex
knowledge, characterized by an ability to identify rational structures and

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98

Heuristic research design and methodology grew out of humanistic

and phenomenological theories. According to Moustakas (1990, 15),
"The deepest currents of meaning and knowledge take place within the
individual through one's senses, perceptions, beliefs, and judgments."
His profound belief in the integrity of the self and knowledge rooted in
personal experience is at the heart and soul of the heuristic model. Thus,
the acquisition of knowledge through heuristic inquiry is an active and
dynamic process requiring the individual's total investment.

Portrait of a Heuristic Scholar

Heuristic scholars are at work in many places: colleges, various

school settings, corporations, boards, laboratories, art studios, and do-
mestic environments. Clearly, however, not every college professor,
teacher, business executive, scientist, artist, writer, or philosopher is a
heuristic scholar. What constitutes a heuristic scholar? The heuristic
scholar can be of any age or ethno-cultural background, can occupy any
position or job, and can be found in any career field. However, upon
closer examination, one can discern certain qualities that distinguish heu-
ristic scholars.
What immediately stands out is the passion that these individuals ex-
ude. They are in love with the world at large, or at least many aspects of
it. In studies and research endeavors, the passion of heuristic scholars
does not end with the subject or topic that most interests them. In fact, it
enters into every facet of their lives. An innate passion for life and com-
mitted involvement are hallmarks of heuristic scholars. This passion
manifests itself in various ways - most certainly in their work, their rela-
tionships, their interests in music, art, and literature, and their choice of
social causes.
Akin to passion is a natural curiosity, a genuine desire to know. This
desire can be intense and compelling. Intensity is characteristically an
outgrowth of passion expressed with unbridled enthusiasm.
Heuristic scholars are individuals attuned to self. They have a high
degree of self-awareness and tacit knowledge. They are intuitive and
respectful of their own processing styles. Heuristically oriented individu-
als use personal experience as a point of origin for exploration of inter-

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 es
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and richness.
Heuristic scholars are highly disciplined in their process of search and
discovery. Long hours of immersion and timeless engagement with a
topic are common. A complete attunement to the subject of their search
is required, and, for periods of time, information or data outside the
bracketed phenomenon are considered irrelevant and may receive little
time or attention. Commitment to the topic at hand is not an achievement
of heuristic scholars but a quality that these individuals bring to a quest
or project.
Heuristic scholars experience wonder in both the process of discovery
and the subject of exploration. Even when the topic involves emotional
pain, these researchers remain dedicated to the task and continue to ex-

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100

perience wonder in the discovery process. The processes of heuristic in-

quiry demand courage, for there are always obstacles and challenges to
knowing and to searching into the unknown. Mystery and wonder are
inherent in the heuristic model of knowledge acquisition. With openness
to what is and what may be, heuristic scholars are persistent in their
quest for new learning and knowledge. They bring an artistic, intuitive
sense to the discovery process and into unknown facets of knowledge.
This portrait exemplifies the person and the process of the heuristic
scholar. The inspiration that guided my depiction of the heuristic scholar
is my knowing of Clark Moustakas as a person, educator, psychologist,
and researcher.

Conclusion

In my own processes of heuristic inquiry, as well as witnessing stu-

dents' experiences, I have discovered several benefits in illuminating
core meanings and essences of human experience. Heuristic inquiry
contains a promise of growth for the researcher; it does not permit the
knowledge seeker to remain untouched. Additionally, through rigorous
self-analysis and self-reflection, the researcher discovers unknown treas-
ures within.
When entering a heuristic inquiry with a question, problem, or con-
cern, the researcher can be sure that the process will yield information
that leads to applications to self, others, and life. That is why my passion
for heuristic inquiry is as alive in me today as it was when I first became
aware of its power in the investigation of human experience.
If the mission of the scholar is to give the deepest meaning to human
experiences, then heuristic inquiry provides a central resource to achieve
this end. Heuristic research elevates, honors, and reveres any human ex-
perience under study. Knowledge is acquired in the heart and soul of the
explorer and viewed from an internal perspective through which full
comprehension and integration occur.

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