Phenomenology is a branch of philosophy that delves into the structures of experience and consciousness, aiming to understand how individuals perceive and interact with the world around them. At its core, phenomenology seeks to examine the nature of subjective experience and the ways in which our consciousness engages with phenomena, offering insights into the nature of reality from a first-person perspective. This philosophical approach was pioneered by Edmund Husserl in the early 20th century, and it has since evolved to influence numerous disciplines, from psychology to cognitive science and beyond.

The essence of phenomenology lies in its commitment to the lived experience. Unlike traditional philosophy, which often abstracts reality through logic and reason, phenomenology emphasizes the importance of understanding the world as it is experienced by individuals. This involves focusing on the way things appear to consciousness before any interpretation or theoretical assumptions are made. In this sense, phenomenology is concerned with describing and analyzing the direct, lived experience of human beings, often referred to as the "phenomenon" in phenomenological terms.