Questions of Museum Essence: Being, Being With, and Finding Connection in Conversation.

This dissertation study turned to the realm of philosophy and particularly hermeneutic phenomenology to gain deep understanding of the museum visit experience, particularly in terms of what it reveals about: the connection between human experience and museums; the work of museums as sites of exploring the question of 'being-in-the-world' and 'being-with-others-in-the-world;' and the essential role of museums as communal and cultural institutions. Six themes emerged from the data: seeing the self; experiencing others' experiences; being at the fusion of horizons; mindful presence; embodied experience; and touching and being touched. While not discussed explicitly in terms of what it means to 'be-in-the-world' and to 'be-with-others-in-the-world,' participants engaged in deep consideration of memory, identity, relationship across time and place, spirituality, life meaning and mortality. The act of being in conversation, which was at the center of how people encountered objects in the museum, emerged from this study as a defining feature of the museum experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]