Vague image of “experiencing”: with reference to W. James and H. Bergson
It is undoubtedly true that Gendlin's key term “experiencing” was proposed under the influence of W. Dilthey. However, for an intuitive understanding of the term, I also refer to W. James and H. Bergson.
In Gendlin's writings, "experiencing" is often used as an uncountable noun, as opposed to "a unit experience."
However, to understand the experience as uncountable and flowing, I would prefer the writings of William James or Henri Bergson to those of Wilhelm Dilthey.
First, William James' idea of "stream of consciousness" is, of course, helpful.
Next, something else has helped me intuitively understand these features of “experiencing” in images. It is a passage from Bergson's “Introduction to Metaphysics,” in which he discusses the unbroken primordial state of “duration” that is unique to him.
Note, however, that Gendlin, unlike Bergson, does not take the position that “Words or concepts are unreliable” or that “priority is given to pure time—‘duration,’” which is not spatialized at all.
References
Bergson, H. (1946). The creative mind (M. L. Andison, trans.). Philosophical Library. Originally published as Bergson, H. (1934). La pensée et le mouvant: Essais et conférences. Alcan.
Gendlin, E. T. (1950). Wilhelm Dilthey and the problem of comprehending human significance in the science of man. MA Thesis, Department of Philosophy, University of Chicago.
Gendlin, E. T. (1962/1997). Experiencing and the creation of meaning: a philosophical and psychological approach to the subjective (Paper ed.). Northwestern University Press.
James, W. (1890). The principles of psychology. Vol. 1. Henry Holt.