Metaphors for Reimagined Futures: Insights from Causal Layered Analysis in Practice (Journal of Future Studies)

In May 2025, a Causal Layered Analysis masterclass was held in Lisbon, facilitated by Sohail Inayatullah with Ivana Milojević and Ozioma Egwuonwu. The session worked to show how metaphor operates as a foundational lever for transformation: by surfacing the deep myths and metaphors that make some futures feel inevitable and others unimaginable, CLA opens space for genuinely different possibilities to emerge. Case studies drawn from the masterclass explore metaphor shifts in organisational culture, creative industries, political polarisation, and personal identity, demonstrating the methodology’s reach from the institutional to the deeply personal. A useful resource for practitioners working at the intersection of futures literacy, narrative, and systemic change.