Introspection, our inner gaze

Introspection consists of look at yourself, looking inside, In thoughts, feelings and emotions, with the purpose of self -knowledge. This path is taken to be able Identify and interpret your own emotions, Thoughts and, therefore, behaviors.

It is a reflective act by the mind of the human being, with which it is intended to be aware of the states themselves, so many those that occur in the present as those that have already happened.

Introspection must be a personal and voluntary decision; The most appropriate time to practice, without distractions, or pending duties present in the mind must be chosen. You can make a list of the gaps, the shortcomings and the difficulties or other aspects that want to self -evaluate.

What is introspection?

According to the Ferrater Mora's philosophy dictionary, Introspection is the "Inner look", through which a subject is supposed to "in-urge" his own psychic acts. Therefore, sometimes it is understood as a "look" or "observe", and sometimes as a "feel".

Ferrater Mora also clarifies that, strictly speaking, introspection has been considered by several authors as one of the methods of psychology: the so -called "introspective psychology", a method that is found in many authors, as in William James. In addition, the author notes that supporters of this method indicate that it is the only method that allows access to psychic reality.

This method has already been used by philosophers such as San Agustín and Descartes with the purpose of inferring certain conclusions of the subject's own inspection. However, although in many cases this type of introspection can have a psychological basis, it is not only of a psychological nature, as Ferrater Mora says.

Introspection can be classified as an act of self -awareness that allows us to understand who we are and how we are. Therefore, when talking about introspection, reflection on oneself or the formal method that is applied in psychology could be made.

According to a study by Kathryn L. Bollich, entitled In search of our true self: feedback as a path to self -knowledge, The author emphasizes that Many aspects of our personality are internal, such as our patterns of thoughts, feelings, desires and sensations, which occur within our mind and are not observable by others.

How we form our image and the theory of the mirror

It also emphasizes that our behavior is accessible to us, because No one has the opportunity to observe everything we do, So it seems natural to assume that reflecting on our pattern of mental states and behaviors should help us learn about our own personality. He also says that self -centered methods to learn more about us, have long been a study interest in psychology, highlighting William James's work.

In addition, according to the Bem's self -perception theory, individuals get to know themselves by observing their own behaviors.

In this order of ideas, the Objective theory of self -awareness Postulates, in a similar way, that care focused on oneself allows the self to stand out in the consciousness of one and contributes to self -assessment And, although no theory is specifically about Personality self -knowledge, According to this author, they do point to the potential of introspection and self -observation to improve self -knowledge, concluding that introspection plays an essential role in which the self is the best source of information about how a person is.

Introspection according to philosophy

Introspection, as a term used in the philosophy of the mind, is understood as a means to know about our current being, our past, as well as mental states or processes.

Some aspects, such as free will, emotions, personal identity, beliefs, imaginary and perception, as well as other mental phenomena, are considered in many occasions as consequences of introspective thinking.

Strictly, Introspection requires direct attention to current mental states, However, many philosophers consider that this is impossible and, for a process to be considered introspective, it must meet some conditions, such as the following:

• Generate knowledge about mental states or processes and not about factors external to mind.
• Generate knowledge, beliefs or judgments about mint itself and not about another person's mind.
• Generate knowledge, beliefs or judgments about current mental processes or on the immediate past, sometimes considered as Specious present.
• Produce knowledge or judgments of current mental processes with frankness. That is, it is not valid to collect sensory information about the environment and then deduce conclusions.
• Involve a pre-existing mental state.
• It does not occur automatically or simple, it is not constant. Not every second of the day we make introspection, since this is a type of special reflection on mental life, which is different from the flow of ordinary thoughts. Well, the mind monitors itself without an act of special or conscious reflection.

If the conditions described are not met, then few philosophers of the mind consider that it is an introspective process.

Some philosophers consider that There are cognitive processes that are impenetrable, while others ensure that the knowledge we have about our own features is poor. There are also authors estimate that introspection focuses on attitudes, while others consider that it focuses on conscious experiences.

Among the most considered mental states are attitudes, beliefs, judgments, desires and intention, in addition to conscious experiences, such as images, emotions and sensory experiences, which cannot be given separately.

In any case, at the end of the 19th century, some psychologists began to implement introspection as an attempt to reflect and recall about the thoughts themselves. Today, some psychologists apply it based on the observation and analysis of self -thought.

What is introjection?

Bibliography

• Bollich, Kl, Johannet, PM and Vazire, S. (2011). In search of our true self: feedback as a path to self -knowledge. Borders in Psychology, 2, 312. https: // doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00312
• TANGUAY, a. N., Benton, l., Romio, l., Sievers, c., Davidson, p., & Renault, L. (2018). The ERP correlates of self-KNOWLEDGE: AreSessments of One's Past, Present, and Future Traits Closer to Semantic Or Episodic Memory?. Neuropsychologia, 110, 65-83. https: // doi.org/10.1016/J.Neuropsychologia.2017.10.024
• Wilson, t. D., & Dunn, and. W. (2004). Self-Knowledge: STI Limits, Value, and Potential For Improvement. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 493-518. https: // doi.org/10.1146/Annurev.psych.55.090902.141954