From Hauntology (back) to Phenomenology

Since Derrida’s introduction of the term hauntology, there has been much discussion of ghosts, spectres, and hauntings across several disciplines. This work is not exclusively phenomenological in focus. However, there are frequent indications that talk of haunting relates to distinctive forms of experience, which remain elusive and undertheorized. In this paper, I focus specifically on what it is to feel haunted by something and consider how such experiences might be integrated into a larger phenomenological perspective. I propose that feelings of being haunted are integral to the sense of self and also unavoidable. They are implied by the view that human experience is structured by dynamic, organized arrangements of possibilities, a view that has characterised the phenomenological tradition from the outset.