Senses, Bodily Knowledge, and Autoethnography

Abstract

In this article, I discuss the possibilities and limits of bodily knowledge for research. The text is based on my personal experiences as a patient in an intensive care unit (ICU). It seems that through my senses I unconsciously gained knowledge of the time I spent in the ICU. To describe this specific form of bodily knowledge, I introduce the concept of “unbeknown” knowledge, and suggest that autoethnography is a useful method for analyzing this knowledge. In conclusion, I maintain that there is a certain hierarchy for both senses and knowledge and, in spite of the possible vagueness and fuzziness of the concept, unbeknown knowledge both enhances recovery and can be used for research purposes.