What Makes a Good Positive Cognition

The negative cognition is what you believe about yourself now — installed by trauma, reinforced by experience. The positive cognition (PC) is what you want to believe instead — the belief that reflects who you actually are, or who you can become.

The PC Must Meet These Criteria

  • It is the direct opposite of the NC. “I am worthless” → “I have worth.” “I am powerless” → “I have choices.” “I am unlovable” → “I am lovable.”
  • It is stated positively. Not “I am not bad” but “I am good.” Not “I am not a failure” but “I can succeed.” The brain processes positive statements differently from negations.
  • It is a present-tense “I” statement. “I am capable.” Not “I will be capable” or “I should be capable.”
  • It is believable as a possibility. It does not need to feel true yet — but it needs to feel possible. “I deserve love” needs to be something you can imagine being true, even if it does not feel true now. If it feels completely impossible, it is too far from your current position and needs to be adjusted.

Write: My NC is _______________. My PC is _______________. On a scale of 1–7 (where 1 = completely false, 7 = completely true), how true does my PC feel right now? ___

A VoC (Validity of Cognition) of 1–3 is normal at this stage. The goal of processing is to bring it to 6 or 7. That is what resolution feels like.

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