Challenges in Operationalizing Phenomenological Temporality Systematic Falsification of the AFH Framework as a Case Study in Neurophenomenological Methodology

Bridging phenomenological insights about lived temporality with systematic neuroscienceremains a fundamental challenge in consciousness research. Embodied traditionsemphasize that experience emerges through sensorimotor coupling and temporal selfencounter,yet operationalizing these first-person insights within rigorous experimentalframeworks proves elusive. This gap presents both methodological and conceptual obstaclesfor neurophenomenology.We present the AFH framework as a test case for operationalizing phenomenologicaltemporality. AFH proposes dual conditions: the Horizon operationalizes structuralconvergence of neurobiological measures sustaining subjective experience, while theFold captures temporal self-encounter through recurrent dynamics. Using Eclipse—a systematic falsification methodology with irreversible data splitting and preregisteredcriteria—we tested implementations across 153 polysomnographic recordings fromsleep-wake transitions.Systematic testing yielded negative results (F1=0.031–0.037 vs. threshold ≥0.60),falsifying all implementations. Post-mortem analysis reveals three critical challenges:inadequate proxy measures for phenomenological constructs, temporal integration limitations,and paradigm-specific constraints. These findings illuminate fundamental difficultiesin translating phenomenological concepts into measurable neural variables.Despite empirical falsification, this work advances neurophenomenological methodologyby: (1) establishing Eclipse as transferable falsification infrastructure preventingpost-hoc rationalization, (2) identifying specific operational constraints for temporalaccounts, and (3) demonstrating how negative results guide refinement of embodiedapproaches. Rather than invalidating phenomenological insights, rigorous falsificationclarifies the empirical path forward for operationalizing lived temporality in consciousnessscience.