How did Husserl use the phenomenological reduction?

Edmund Husserl developed the phenomenological reduction as the foundational method for his philosophy, aiming to shift the focus of inquiry from the existence of the world to the manner in which knowledge of the world arises in consciousness.1

The process involves several key steps:

• Bracketing (Epoché): The philosopher performs a "suspension of judgment" regarding the existence of the natural-empirical world. By placing commonsensical beliefs and the external world in brackets, one does not deny their existence but rather puts them "out of action" to focus exclusively on the phenomenon—that which is known in and by consciousness.21
• Reorientation: This method reverses the natural human direction of sight, turning attention away from objects and toward the consciousness that perceives them.1
• Eidetic Reduction: Once consciousness is isolated, the philosopher uses eidetic reduction to grasp the "essences" or universal, invariant structures of experience through the intuition of essences (Wesensschau).1
• Transcendental Reduction: Finally, the philosopher reverts to the transcendental ego, which serves as the ground for the constitution of all meaning.1

Through this "rite of passage," Husserl sought to establish a rigorous science of pure consciousness.3