Imagining the Future

Reach a state of mind that expands your imaginative capabilities to develop a long-term vision

Thinking ❘ Long-term Orientation and Visioning

In today’s complex and ever-changing world, it can be a challenge to see where it is headed. Envisioning a desired future enables change-makers to develop strategy, stay focused and remain motivated (Daysh et al., 2024; Tickell, 2024). However, imagining the future is not an easy task. Our minds often rely on familiar patterns and narratives, making it challenging to break free and explore new possibilities. When we try to imagine long-term futures, the sheer vastness of possible scenarios can feel overwhelming.

Through Imagining the Future, students will tap into their imaginative capacity, moving beyond existing thought patterns to envision a broader range of possibilities. As Milkoreit (2017) explains, imagination can help us step away from and cast a critical eye toward existing institutions and practices, and envision radically different futures.

Learning outcome

The student is able to imagine a personal vision of a desired future and develop the strategies and solutions to help reach that

By engaging in guided meditation, listening to a metaphorical story and freewriting, students use their imagination to develop a long-term vision in a larger context.

1.Set the Scene

10 mins

In preparation, select and print one of the Breathing Exercises and one of the Metaphorical Stories.

Before starting the session, remove any possible distractions and create a safe space where students can focus and approach the exercise with an open mind.

First, create a comfortable setting, one where it is just the students, a piece of paper and a pen.

Then, briefly explain the goal and sequence of the learning activity. The goal is to imagine a long-term vision of the future, and they will get there in three phases:

First, clearing and preparing the mind to create space and think creatively, by doing a breathing exercise.
Then, a metaphorical story will inspire and expand thinking further into the future.
The following freewriting exercise will let ideas start flowing from within.

Explain that during the first phases, students will be invited to keep their eyes closed and turn inward. Briefly discuss how ‘meditation’ can help clear the mind and foster creativity.

Finally, allow students to ask any questions they may have before Step 2.

Tip: to help students fully engage, creating a safe space is important. Let them know they can close their eyes but may open them anytime if they prefer. If the group is unfamiliar or hesitant to meditate, keep the exercise short and simple, framing it as a tool for focus or relaxation rather than using spiritual or abstract terms. Connect it to their own experience or needs, as much as possible.

2.Breathing Exercise

10 mins

Following the instructions for the selected Breathing Exercise, guide the students to let go of their thoughts and create space for creativity and imagination. You can combine and adjust the suggested exercises, and practice by yourself first to familiarise with the experience.

Tip: optionally, play calm, soothing music or nature sounds softly in the background. If needed, students can find a more comfortable position, either seated or lying down.

3.Narrate the Story & Freewriting

20 mins

After the breathing exercise, flow into the metaphorical story directly. Instruct students to keep their eyes closed while you read.

Then, ask the students to open their eyes again and start writing freely for 7 minutes, following the instructions on the Freewriting handout.

4.Sketching the Future

10 mins

Students continue to stay in their creative flow and go from abstract and unstructured ideas to more concrete and functional visions of the future.

Ask the students to individually reflect on what they have written down to see if there are ideas, patterns or concepts to explore further. Guiding reflective questions are:

Did anything surprise you about what you wrote before?
Were there any thoughts or concepts you’d like to explore further?
Do you see a recurring theme?

Then, instruct the students to use a new paper and start writing with purpose. Write down ideas, visions and plans for the future. Depending on the course or context of the session, this can be narrowed down.

Tip: while this is a more directed exercise, encourage students to let their imaginations run wild while still developing their visions on the future. Drawings could be part of this.

5.Envisioning the Future

10 mins

Using the Visualising the Future script, ask the students to close their eyes again and envision a scenario in the future where the ideas that they’ve written down are incorporated.

Optionally, encourage the students to share their experiences in smaller groups at the end of the session. This can inspire collaborative thinking and move from individual to shared perspectives on the future.

Please note, as part of assessment as learning, students reflect individually using reflective questions.

By reflecting on their experience and learning process, students become aware of how this activity has contributed to shaping a long–term vision.

Purpose

Assessment as learning aims to strengthen the learning process and the development of metacognitive skills. It empowers students to direct their learning and to become independent, critical self-assessors.

Roles

Self-assessment and teacher-led assessment

Characteristics

Self-regulated learning and assessment with rubric

Materials

Reflective questions

Download Reflective questions

This tool empowers individual students to think creatively and develop their vision. The output can be used to discuss and develop shared visions of the future. Therefore, the tool can be used as a starting point of a larger assignment or group project.

Download Metaphorical Stories

Download Guidelines for a safe learning environment

Download Breathing Exercises

Download Freewriting Handout

Download Visualising the Future Script

Bendor, R. (2018). Imagination. In: Interactive Media for Sustainability. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. 129–164.

Daysh, S., Thomas, E. F., Lizzio-Wilson, M., Bird, L. & Wenzel, M. (2024). “The future will be green, or not at all”: How positive (utopian) and negative (dystopian) thoughts about the future shape collective climate action. Global Environmental Psychology (2): 1-28.

Elbow, P. (1998). Writing without teachers. Oxford University Press, USA.

Mehnert, W. (2021). Building possible worlds: a speculation-based framework to reflect on images of the future. Journal of Futures Studies 25(3): 25-38.

Milkoreit, M. (2017). Imaginary politics: Climate change and making the future. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene (5): 62.

Milkoreit, M. (2016). The promise of climate fiction – Imagination, storytelling and the politics of the future. In: Wapner, P. K. & Elver, H. (eds.), Reimagining climate change. Oxford, UK: Routledge.

Moore, M-L & Milkoreit, M. (2020). Imagination and transformations to sustainable and just futures. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene (8): 1.

Richter, I., Gabe-Thomas, E., Queirós, A. M., Sheppard, S. R. & Pahl, S. (2023). Advancing the potential impact of future scenarios by integrating psychological principles. Environmental Science & Policy (140): 68-79.

Tickell, P. (2024, July). Find out more about Moral Imaginations. Moral Imaginations.

Vervoort, J. & Gupta, A. (2018). Anticipating climate futures in a 1.5 C era: the link between foresight and governance. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability (31): 104-111.