Introspection

Introspection is the act of observing the workings of one's own mind and behaviour. External and internal events may be considered as simply a stream of experiences, the former having no awareness of themselves, the latter representing some form of knowledge; but the turning of the mind's attention to the state in which these events are observed is an act of awareness, of introspection. Rather than acting as a passive spectator, the mind thus controls the tendency for thoughts to follow their own course and the will to express passing impulses. The observer therefore shows partial independence of his own environment. Such observation is rarely, if ever, totally objective, and various systems have been devised by psychologists to enable it to be more systematic and controlled. It may be contrasted with the passive awareness that a person may have of his or her own mental state. The dichotomy involved in separating the "observed" self from the "observing" self has been a problem faced by philosophy and psychology since their inception. As it says in the Upanishad "You cannot know the knower of the known".[Analytical introspection]

in the system of Wundt and Tidnirer, involves a frame of reference which excludes all but perceptions, ideas and feelings and their qualities; whereas Ryle considered introspection by the self in the present to be the objective perception of the past self (this is open to the criticism that one can only recall mental events of which one was aware at the time). However, although somewhat lacking in objectivity, introspection is the only direct means of psychological investigation (it is the vital difference between human and veterinary medicine). From Aristotle onwards the introspective method has been essential in acquiring psychic facts and solving psychological problems, albeit on a subjective basis.