To observe and quantify the neurophysiological and behavioral dimensions of experience, we employ recordings of brain electrical activity (EEG), autonomic activity (ECG, PPG, EDA, respiration), and sensorimotor responses (force platforms, eye-tracking). These signals are collected using Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI) technologies, allowing us to study consciousness in naturalistic, active, and ecologically valid contexts. The experimental paradigms we develop are characterized by their interactive and embodied nature, emphasizing social and environmental situations in which participants are actively engaged.
2. First-Person Methodologies
Simultaneously, we access the lived dimension of experience through semi-structured phenomenological interviews that enable in-depth descriptions of the contents and structures of consciousness. We employ methodologies grounded in descriptive phenomenology (e.g., Giorgi and micro-phenomenology), complemented by tools that ensure high standards of qualitative research. This includes the use of Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) for systematic analysis of descriptions, methodological triangulation, visualization of phenomenological structures via association maps and spiderweb diagrams, and the development of interactive dashboards for dynamic exploration of first-person narratives. This methodological innovation not only allows for a deep understanding of the qualitative attributes of experience but also enables rigorous dialogue with more analytical and quantifiable approaches, such as statistical comparisons between phenomenological structures and standardized self-report measures.
3. The 5E Empirical Framework: A Methodological Integration
The rigorous integration of these two levels—objective and subjective—is achieved through what we call the 5E Empirical Framework, developed by our research group as an evolution of Francisco Varela’s neurophenomenological program. This methodological proposal goes beyond merely associating physiological data with subjective experiences. It offers a research framework in which experimental designs, analytical processes, and epistemological principles are oriented toward investigating consciousness as it manifests in embodied social phenomena, in constant interaction with the environment, and within intersubjective coupling dynamics (Bodyssence). The 5E Empirical Framework does not simply combine qualitative and quantitative methods; it proposes a unified methodological architecture where the body, environment, social bonds, and affective dimensions are understood as constitutive elements—rather than secondary aspects—of consciousness.
The empirical E5E Lab is housed within the Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN) at the Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, in Santiago, Chile. Our work is dedicated to understanding consciousness as a phenomenon that emerges from dynamic, intersubjective, and embodied processes in constant coupling with the environment. This perspective challenges reductionist, brain-centered views by proposing that the mind is constituted through five key dimensions: Embodied, Embedded, Enactive, Extended, and Emotional. Together, these dimensions form the 5Es that give our laboratory its name: 5E Lab. Our research approach is structured around three complementary levels of investigation: