Vulnerable Observer

I was first introduced to the term "vulnerable observer" today, a term coined by Ruth Behar, from a chapter by Oren Ergas called "Knowing the Unknown" in  Toward and Spiritual Research Paradigm (2016). Here is a beautiful quote in Ergas' chapter:

The standards by which the quality and rigorousness of this strand of [spiritual] research are assessed, are not the replication of an experiment, as is customary within objectivity-based natural sciences, but rather resonance and emotional evocation. Anthropologist Ruth Behar (1997) expresses this in proposing a science based on a “vulnerable observer”. She calls this an anthropology that “breaks your heart” (p.17).

As I am reflecting on this paragraph, I am wondering what the conditions are by which this vulnerability can be induced. I do believe that the researcher needs to meditate regularly to keep a clear and calm mind, as well as to see the interconnectedness in all things. To be willing to break one's heart in the continual observation of things around us is a truly great feat, and I would imagine how hard it is to do this without seeming forced or sentimental. I think that what it really requires as well is the sense of not separating the researcher from the environment, which entails a sense of egolessness. It is not so easy to attain, but honest reflection coupled with spiritual practice seem to be two major and important factors or elements.
    Research often carries with it misleading ideas that the researcher has these tools at her or his disposal to see the world in an objective way. In reality, I believe that perhaps good research requires the ability to be broken in many ways: by complexity, by uncertainty, by the need to continually change and revise, and by the very depressing (at times) prospect of realizing that one has reached a dead end or may need to revise their questions and topics completely. I wonder, do courses in research actually prepare researchers for these emotional realities and spiritual insights in doing research? Or are these aspects of the spiritual life of researchers perhaps under-studied? Research in and of itself is a spiritual journey which involves continually questioning the researcher self, as well as allowing the researcher's heart to be broken many times.

Ergas, O. (2016). Knowing the Unknown. In Toward a Spiritual Paradigm: Exploring New Ways of Knowing, Researching, and Being. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing Inc.