The Whole of Humanity Is Trapped in Its Own Mind: A Phenomenological Inquiry into Experience, Knowing, Thought, Psychological Conditioning, and the Loss of Direct Seeing

This paper examines how humanity increasingly lives through mental representations rather than direct experience. It explores the confusion between thinking and living, information and knowing, familiarity and understanding, and interpretation and reality. It argues that without experiencing, there is no direct experiential knowing, and that psychological conditioning can prevent individuals from encountering existence through direct observation. The paper does not reject thought, reason, or information; it questions their authority when they replace experience.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Open Science Framework
Published
2026-11-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/rybsq
Primary Topic
Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
Type
preprint
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preprint

The Whole of Humanity Is Trapped in Its Own Mind: A Phenomenological Inquiry into Experience, Knowing, Thought, Psychological Conditioning, and the Loss of Direct Seeing

Mayank Singh
Open Science Framework
Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
preprint

The Whole of Humanity Is Trapped in Its Own Mind: A Phenomenological Inquiry into Experience, Knowing, Thought, Psychological Conditioning, and the Loss of Direct Seeing

Mayank Singh
preprint en

Abstract

This paper examines how humanity increasingly lives through mental representations rather than direct experience. It explores the confusion between thinking and living, information and knowing, familiarity and understanding, and interpretation and reality. It argues that without experiencing, there is no direct experiential knowing, and that psychological conditioning can prevent individuals from encountering existence through direct observation. The paper does not reject thought, reason, or information; it questions their authority when they replace experience.

Open Science Framework
Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
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The Whole of Humanity Is Trapped in Its Own Mind: A Phenomenological Inquiry into Experience, Knowing, Thought, Psychological Conditioning, and the Loss of Direct Seeing — Mayank Singh · Open Science Framework (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS