Abrahams, Sean
Human well-being exists along a continuum from languishing to flourishing, a conceptual framework deeply embedded in positive psychology. While Seligman’s PERMA model (2011) provides a comprehensive account of flourishing, and the NARMA model (Abrahams, 2025) delineates the barriers that sustain languishing, what has been missing is a precise psychological mechanism that enables individuals to systematically transition between these states.
This paper introduces Inversing, a cognitive-emotional process that operationalizes the shift from NARMA-based languishing (defined by Negativity, Apathy, Restriction, Meaninglessness, and Adversity) to PERMA-based flourishing, which comprises Positivity, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.
At the core of this process lies Inversing with Implementation Intentions (III), a structured cognitive-behavioural approach designed to activate and sustain flourishing-oriented cognitive-emotional shifts.
