The procedure
- Elicit submodalities of experience A (what you believe strongly) and experience B (what you merely suspect)
- Notice the driver differences — usually 2–3: brightness, location, size, still/moving
- Map B's image into A's structure, driver by driver
- Test: how does B feel now? Ecology-check before keeping the change
What it powers
Belief changes (moving "I could be good at this" from doubt-structure to belief-structure), motivation adjustments (coding a task as compelling instead of heavy), and the classic swish (a mapping-across with size/direction dynamics). Understanding mapping across is understanding why those techniques work when they work — and why calibration beats scripts.
Limits and scope
Works on representation-structure, not on reality-testing: mapping across cannot make a false belief true — it can only change how certain it feels. Ethical use: motivation and self-concept in honest directions; never to manufacture conviction about facts. Clinical material stays clinical.