| The concept of a person-to-person authentic encounter was explored from a hermeneutic-phenomenological perspective. This study focused upon the question: What is the lived experience of a person-to-person authentic encounter? Experiences of human interactions considered authentic were explored in the writings and findings of researchers, scholars, and philosophers. The study included in-depth interviews with 6 participants, carefully chosen for their personal understanding of authentic encounters. Data were collected in a manner similar to the Experiential Method of Price and Barrell (1980). Data analysis was conducted according to Kidd and Kidd's (1990) hermeneutic phenomenological method, called the Experiential Method. Findings were presented through a craft of hermeneutic text in dialogue with literature and presuppositions, as informed by van Manen (1990). Sixteen emergent themes fell into two categories of either Experiential Descriptors or Facilitative Factors. Four of the most significant of the 16 themes were “Are experienced as powerful and healing, deeply impacting a person, often resulting in significant life or relationship change,” “Is very vulnerable, a feeling of exposure, and as such is not always without difficulty,” “Both persons are authentic in themselves first, and then with each other,” and “The other person (both persons) demonstrates a true sense of caring about the other.” The 16 themes included concepts unique to the study as well as many discovered in the literature. In general, the participants experienced person-to-person authentic encounters as intensely personal, emotional, spiritual, vulnerable, energizing, and risky. Factors facilitating such encounters included mutuality, empathy, acceptance, care, openness, spontaneity, and personal authenticity. Discussion concerning issues of validity with regard to the approaches utilized is presented, along with limitations and delimitations. Implications for research and society and potential contributions of this study are considered. |
