Burning Man 2013: Coming Right Up!

Burning Man 2013 is coming right up! In fact, six weeks from today, on Sunday August 25 the gates open and the  people will flood in claiming real estate and creating camps from 2am-10pm–the streets, that is!

And once again, I will be there–but this year, I will be conducting some research for my doctorate.

In fact, instead of dreaming and posting about Burning Man, I should be writing my paper that’s due tomorrow about how to do phenomenological research at Burning Man and preparing for a meeting with my field work advisor!

What’s phenomenological you ask? Phenomenology  is “the descriptive science of consciousness” or as the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy puts it, “the study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view.”

Huh? How about this from Maurice Meleau-Ponty: “Phenomenology is the study of essences” or the shape, the sensual description.

“Everything that I know about the world, even through science,” wrote Merleau-Ponty, “I know from the perspective that is my own or from an experience of the world” (p. xxii). Merleau-Ponty suggests we’re doing phenomenology all the time—that is, if we’re seeking to experience the “deep shape” of our experiences. Sound like any Burners YOU know?

As we gear up for this year’s playa adventure, stay tuned for more Burning Man posts with videos, stories, tips, and tricks from this long-time Burner! But to get us in the mood and to inspire us to get our gear on, here’s a 2012 video from a Burgin (Burning Man virgin).