Mental Contrasting with Archetypes

Mental contrasting is a self-regulation strategy that can be used to ensure strong goal commitment. It’s not often used in the manifestation process, but if you want to increase your chances of success, then research shows mental contrasting can do that. Research also suggests that using mental contrasting can lead to greater goal attainment rather than simply fantasising about success or dwelling on the obstacles alone. According to Cross & Shefield (2016):

“In mental contrasting, individuals firstly imagine a desired future or health goal that contrasted with the reality proceeding the goal state, which after reflection is viewed as an obstacle (Oettingen et al. J Pers Soc Psychol 80:736–753, 2001). Mentally contrasting a positive future with reality enables individuals to translate positive attitudes and high efficacy into strong goal commitment.“

I’ve been using mental contrasting with archetypes since 1999. Mental contrasting with archetypes involves contrasting a desired future outcome with the current reality within the context of archetypes, to create a realistic and actionable plan to achieve your goals.

Mental contrasting with archetypes is the process of deconstructing your personal archetypes to compare and contrast positive and negative aspects of the archetypes you’ve recruited to achieve your desired future. By using mental contrasting, the process triggers expectancies that can guide your decision making and your commitment to your goals. When mental contrasting is applied to your personal archetypes, it can motivate and sustain you on your quest.

Here’s how it works. I’ll start by giving you an example:

Let’s say you want to improve your physical fitness by running a marathon. You might call on the Athlete archetype to assist you to achieve this goal.

Be sure to read through my guidelines for selecting archetypes in Step 2 below

You would visualise yourself crossing the finish line, feeling strong and accomplished. But. You would also acknowledge the challenges ahead, such as the need to sacrifice your time to train and implementing ways to manage physical fatigue. By mentally contrasting the archetype within the context of your desired outcome with your current reality, that is, deconstructing the archetype, you can then develop a plan that addresses these obstacles and increases your chances of successfully completing the marathon.

Here are the steps:

1. Identify the goal

Start by defining the goal you want to achieve. This could be anything from landing a new job to improving your fitness, outlined in the example above.

2. Choose an archetype to assist you to achieve your goal

You have a couple of options here. You can choose one of your core personal archetypes, or you can add wings to the archetype you’ve chosen, or you can select a fit-for-purpose archetype. I’m going to assume that you’ve already Self-Authored your core, personal archetypes, so if you select a fit-for-purpose archetype, you will need to Self Author it first to check if it’s appropriate for the task, because your core archetypes are usually more potent than fit-for-purpose archetypes. Since core archetypes are your lifelong patterns, they contain more personal energy and lifelong meaning than a temporary, fit-for-purpose archetype. Fit-for-purpose archetypes can be useful when you need to gain traction in those out-of-the-box, one-off situations. Meanwhile, adding wings to one of your core archetypes can boost the potency of that archetype.

3. Imagine your desired outcome

Visualise yourself achieving your goal. What does that look like? Where are you? How does it feel? Where do you feel it in your body? Imagine yourself in that future state, experiencing the success you desire. Make a list of the postitive associations

4. Consider obstacles

Next, think about the potential obstacles or challenges that might stand in the way of achieving your goal. Be honest with yourself about the difficulties you might encounter.

5. Deconstruct the archetype/s

Brainstorm and list at 6 negative and 6 positive associations you can identify for your archetype/s. You don’t need to do anything more with this list. Let the ‘magic’ (archetypal integration) do its thing.

6. Contrast the future with the present

Now, compare and contrast the desired outcome with your current reality. Acknowledge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.

7. Create an action plan

Finally, you will use this mental contrasting to develop a plan of action that addresses the obstacles you identified. Break down the steps needed to bridge the gap between your current situation and your desired outcome.

Utilising mental contrasting tends to yield higher levels of goal achievement compared to merely fantasising about success or fixating solely on obstacles. While it’s not often utilised in the manifestation process, by incorporating mental contrasting with archetypes, you can boost your likelihood of success. But don’t take my word for it. Have a play. Test it yourself.

Cross A, Sheffield D. Mental contrasting as a behaviour change technique: a systematic review protocol paper of effects, mediators and moderators on health. Syst Rev. 2016 Nov 25;5(1):201. doi: 10.1186/s13643-016-0382-6. PMID: 27887634; PMCID: PMC5123225.