Tihan, Eusebiu Jean (2026), Non-Linear Change: Why Retreat and Reconsideration Are Not Failures, but Mechanisms of Personal Evolution, Cunoașterea Științifică, 5:1, 138-157, DOI: 10.58679/CS55982, https://www.cunoasterea.ro/non-linear-change/

 

Abstract

Objectives: This article aims to deconstruct the myth of linear psychological progress and to offer an alternative conceptual framework that legitimises retreat and reconsideration as integral, functional components of personal evolution. The purpose is to overcome the pathologising perspective on psychological oscillations and to scientifically establish a model of change as a complex, self-regulated, and non-linear process.

Method: The study employs an integrative theoretical-analytical methodology, based on a critical synthesis of literature from dynamic psychology, complex systems theories, developmental psychology, and processual psychotherapy. The approach is qualitative and phenomenological, illustrated by clinical and everyday life examples, aiming to construct a coherent conceptual model.

Results: The analysis demonstrates that authentic psychological change is inherently non-linear, characterised by oscillations between advance and retreat, between commitment and reconsideration. Retreat is identified as a mechanism of protection and internal reorganisation, and reconsideration as an expression of adaptive metacognitive intelligence. These processes facilitate the deep integration of new psychological structures and the maintenance of identity coherence.

Conclusions: The article argues that adopting a non-linear perspective on change has significant theoretical and practical implications. This reconceptualisation reduces the stigma associated with transitional “failures,” supports more effective therapeutic interventions, and promotes a more realistic and self-compassionate relationship with one’s own personal evolution.

Public Significance Statement: This work offers a scientifically-grounded alternative to the dominant cultural narrative of linear, regression-free progress. By normalising oscillations and course revisions as natural and necessary parts of change, the article contributes to reducing performance anxiety in psychological matters and to developing a more resilient and understanding attitude towards one’s own transformation processes.

Keywords: non-linear change, personal evolution, psychological retreat, reconsideration, self-regulation, identity development, metacognition, psychological adaptation, cognitive flexibility, therapeutic process

Schimbare neliniară: De ce retragerea și reconsiderarea nu sunt eșecuri, ci mecanisme de evoluție personală

Rezumat

Obiective: Acest articol își propune să deconstruiască mitul progresului psihologic liniar și să ofere un cadru conceptual alternativ care să legitimizeze reculul și reconsiderarea ca componente integrante, funcționale ale evoluției personale. Scopul este de a depăși perspectiva patologizantă asupra oscilațiilor psihologice și de a fundamenta științific un model al schimbării ca proces complex, autoreglat și neliniar.

Metodă: Studiul utilizează o metodologie teoretico-analitică integrativă, bazată pe sinteza critică a literaturii din psihologia dinamică, teoriile sistemelor complexe, psihologia dezvoltării și psihoterapia procesuală. Abordarea este calitativă și fenomenologică, ilustrată prin exemple clinice și din viața cotidiană, urmărind construirea unui model conceptual coerent.

Rezultate: Analiza demonstrează că schimbarea psihologică autentică este inerent neliniară, caracterizată de oscilații între avans și recul, între angajament și reconsiderare. Reculul este identificat ca un mecanism de protecție și reorganizare internă, iar reconsiderarea ca o expresie a inteligenței metacognitive adaptive. Aceste procese facilitează integrarea profundă a noilor structuri psihice și menținerea coerenței identitare.

Concluzii: Articolul susține că adoptarea unei perspective neliniare asupra schimbării are implicații teoretice și practice semnificative. Această reconceptualizare reduce stigmatul asociat “eșecurilor” tranziționale, sprijină intervenții terapeutice mai eficiente și promovează o relație mai realistă și mai autocompăsionată cu propria evoluție personală.

Public Significance Statement: Această lucrare oferă o alternativă științifică la narativa culturală dominantă a progresului liniar și fără regresuri. Prin normalizarea oscilațiilor și a revizuirilor de curs ca părți naturale și necesare ale schimbării, articolul contribuie la reducerea anxietății de performanță psihologică și la dezvoltarea unei atitudini mai reziliente și mai înțelegătoare față de propriile procese de transformare.

Cuvinte cheie: schimbare neliniară, evoluție personală, recul psihologic, reconsiderare, autoreglare, dezvoltare identitară, metacogniție, adaptare psihologică, flexibilitate cognitivă, proces terapeutic

 

CUNOAȘTEREA ȘTIINȚIFICĂ, Volumul 5, Numărul 1, Martie 2026, pp. 138-157
ISSN 2821 – 8086, ISSN – L 2821 – 8086, DOI: 10.58679/CS55982
URL: https://www.cunoasterea.ro/non-linear-change/
© 2026 Eusebiu Jean TIHAN. Responsabilitatea conținutului, interpretărilor și opiniilor exprimate revine exclusiv autorilor.

 

Non-Linear Change: Why Retreat and Reconsideration Are Not Failures, but Mechanisms of Personal Evolution

Psych Eusebiu Jean TIHAN, MSc[1]
eusebiu.tihan@gmail.com

[1] Independent researcher, Tihan and Associates. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8316-3679,

 

Introduction

1.1. The Paradigm of Linear Psychological Progress in Contemporary Culture

In the era of late modernity, the concept of personal change has been captured by a productivist and instrumental logic. From self-help books promising “transformations in 30 days” to corporate performance optimisation programmes, change is presented as a linear project, with clear stages, measurable metrics, and a constantly ascending trajectory (Illouz, 2008). This paradigm is reinforced by a particular interpretation of positive psychology which, in its attempt to offer practical tools, has often simplified the complex dynamics of human transformation (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). The culture of “self-help” has turned personal evolution into a moral imperative and a duty towards oneself: not progressing constantly becomes synonymous with failing, with not fulfilling one’s potential.

1.2. The Limitations of Simplified Models of Change

The linear model, while seductive in its simplicity, presents profound epistemological deficiencies. It fails to account for the complex, emergent, and often contradictory nature of the human psyche. By reducing change to a sequence of conscious and controlled steps, this model:

• Marginalises the role of the unconscious and implicit processes: A large part of psychological transformation occurs below the level of consciousness, through processes of assimilation, accommodation, and gradual integration (Lewin, 1951).
• Pathologises ambivalence and oscillation: Mixed emotions, doubts, and temporary returns are labelled as “resistance” or “lack of motivation.”
• Ignores contextual and bodily constraints: Change does not occur in a vacuum, but in a complex environment that shapes and limits it.

In therapeutic practice, this model can create unrealistic pressure on both the client and the therapist, leading to demoralisation when the process does not follow the expected trajectory (Muran & Barber, 2010).

1.3. The Need for a Non-Linear Perspective on Personal Evolution

In contrast to this reductive view, an understanding of change is needed that more faithfully reflects the complexity of human experience. Dynamic systems theories (Thelen & Smith, 1994), process-oriented psychology (Mahoney, 1991), and the enactive paradigm (Varela, Thompson, & Rosch, 1991) provide foundations for conceptualising change as a non-linear, emergent, self-regulated, and situated process. The aim of this article is to articulate this alternative perspective, focusing particularly on two often misinterpreted phenomena: retreat (strategic withdrawal, the “step back”) and reconsideration (rethinking, changing direction). We will argue that these are not aberrations of the process, but essential mechanisms of human adaptive intelligence, structural components of authentic and durable evolution.

Methodological Positioning and Epistemological Limits

2.1. The Nature of the Approach: Theoretical-Interpretative Analysis

This study adopts a theoretical-analytical and interpretative approach, situating itself within the tradition of qualitative psychology which seeks to generate deep understanding through conceptual synthesis and phenomenological analysis (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009). It is not an empirical study with quantitative data, but a literature-grounded theory endeavour (grounded theory in secondary sources), which aims to build a coherent explanatory framework. The main method is critical transdisciplinary synthesis, strengthened by illustrative case analysis – paradigmatic examples extracted from clinical literature and phenomenological reflection that serve as concrete material to exemplify abstract theoretical principles.

2.2. Epistemological Position: The Psyche as a Complex Self-Regulating System

The epistemological position informing this work is that of dialectical constructivism and systemic thinking. We view the psyche not as a static entity with faults to be repaired, but as a complex, open, self-organising system oriented towards adaptation (Mahoney, 1991). This perspective has several fundamental implications:

• Holism: Change cannot be reduced to isolated components (cognitions, behaviours); it involves the entire system.
• Non-linearity: The system responds to stimuli in ways that are not proportional or predictable from the simple sum of causes.
• Self-regulation: The system possesses internal mechanisms of homeostasis and adaptation that maintain it in a state of dynamic equilibrium.
• Enactivism: Change is generated through situated action; knowing and transforming are accomplished through “doing” (Di Paolo, Buhrmann, & Barandiaran, 2017).

This position aligns with Lewin’s (1951) “field” model, where behaviour is a function of the person and the environment at a given moment, and with dynamic systems theory applied to development (Thelen & Smith, 1994).

2.3. Conceptual Limits and Methodological Implications

Acknowledging limits is essential for the academic integrity of the endeavour:

1. Limited generalisability: The arguments are conceptual and phenomenological; they do not provide statistical evidence or capacity for broad generalisation.
2. Forced synthesis: Integrating diverse theoretical traditions (dynamic, systemic, enactive) may involve compromises and simplifications.
3. Dependence on interpretation: The analysis is essentially hermeneutic, dependent on the author’s perspective and experience.
4. Absence of direct empirical validation: The proposed model requires subsequent empirical testing to verify its predictive and explanatory utility.

Nevertheless, the value of this approach lies in its heuristic and integrative potential. It offers a conceptual map that can: a) guide future empirical research (e.g., process studies in psychotherapy); b) inform clinical practice by providing a more nuanced perspective on “resistance” and “relapse”; c) offer the public a more realistic framework for understanding their own journeys of change.

The Myth of Linear Psychological Progress

3.1. Cultural and Ideological Origins

The myth of linear progress has deep roots in the grand narratives of modernity: the idea of inevitable historical progress, the Protestant work ethic and meritocracy, and the industrial revolution with its emphasis on efficiency and standardisation (Taylor, 1911). In psychology, this view has been adopted and adapted in several ways:

• The linear medical model: Diagnosis → Intervention → Cure, transferred from organic medicine to psychopathology.
• Radical behaviourism: Stimulus → Response → Reinforcement, promoting the idea that behavioural change is directly proportional to the manipulation of consequences.

• Superficially applied positive psychology: The exclusive focus on strengths and SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) has contributed to a project-based view of happiness (Seligman, 2011). Consumer culture has also transformed personal change into a product: courses, applications, and programmes that “deliver” transformation within a predetermined time, creating unrealistic expectations (Illouz, 2008).

3.2. Psychological Consequences of the Pressure for Continuous Progress

The pressure to progress linearly has profound psycho-social effects:

• Performance anxiety applied to the self: The individual becomes both the subject and object of evaluation, in a constant process of self-monitoring and self-optimisation (Rose, 1999).
• Development of a “punitive self”: Failures or slowdowns are attributed to personal defects (lack of willpower, weak character), leading to severe self-criticism, shame, and demoralisation (Gilbert, 2009).
• Superficialisation and fragility of change: To maintain the appearance of progress, a person may adopt rapid, behavioural, but unintegrated changes. These “surface changes” are fragile and collapse under stress, leading to a “double failure” experience – not only has one not changed, but one feels even more guilty (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999).
• Erosion of tolerance for ambiguity: Uncertainty and ambivalence, which are inherent to any complex change process, become unbearable, leading to premature decisions or complete avoidance of change.

3.3. Failure as a Social Construct, Not a Psychological Reality

From a complex systems perspective, the concept of “failure” as the binary opposite of “success” is a social construct, not an adequate description of psychological reality. In the dynamics of adaptive systems:

• There is no failure, there is feedback: What we call failure is actually feedback from the system that the direction, speed, or nature of the change is not sustainable or does not account for all internal and external variables (Bateson, 1972).
• The informational function of “failure”: This feedback is essential for learning and adaptation. It indicates limits, hidden needs, unresolved conflicts, or incompatibilities between different parts of the system (cognition vs. emotion, old vs. new values).
• Reframing as “process data”: Transforming the label of “failure” into “process data” radically changes the relationship with the phenomenon. Instead of a definitive verdict, it becomes valuable information for adjusting the trajectory (Dweck, 2006). This reframing is central in therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), where “experiential avoidance” is seen as an opportunity to practice psychological flexibility (Hayes et al., 1999).

An analysis of change processes in addiction therapy illustrates this point. The traditional model views “relapse” as a treatment failure. The Relapse Prevention model (Marlatt & Donovan, 2005) redefines it as a learning event, a data point indicating unbearable risk situations or insufficient coping strategies. This resignification reduces the associated shame and transforms relapse from a dead end into a bifurcation point in the recovery process.

Retreat As a Mechanism Of Internal Reorganisation

4.1. The Difference Between Regression and Retreat

It is crucial to conceptually distinguish between pathological regression and functional retreat. This differentiation is central to avoiding the pathologisation of a natural process.

• Pathological Regression: This is a destructive return to archaic, infantile, or maladaptive modes of functioning, characteristic of borderline personality structures or states of psychotic decompensation. It is rigid, involuntary, and leads to deterioration of functioning.
• Functional Retreat: This is a strategic, temporary, and adaptive withdrawal. It can be conceptualised as a movement of retrenchment (a term from the triadic model of change), through which the psychological system reduces external exposure and pressure in order to reorient itself, consolidate gains, and integrate new elements. It is flexible, contains evolutionary potential, and serves to maintain the system’s integrity.

A mechanical analogy: regression is like an engine seizing up and destroying itself; retreat is like a spring compressing to accumulate energy for a stronger launch. An organic analogy: regression is like a disease that destroys healthy tissue; retreat is like a fever – a temporary, sometimes uncomfortable reaction of the immune system to fight an infection and restore homeostasis.

4.2. Retreat in Therapeutic Processes

In dynamic and process-oriented therapy, retreat is recognised as a normal and expected phenomenon. It is not seen as a reversal of progress, but as part of the rhythm of change.

• The “two steps forward, one step back” phenomenon: This is a common expression that captures this non-linearity. The step back does not cancel the two steps forward, but offers the system an opportunity to integrate the change at a sustainable pace.
• Clinical example: A client with social anxiety who, after starting to participate in social events, suddenly withdraws and avoids contact for a period. Superficial interpretation: “They failed, the anxiety won.” Processual interpretation: The client’s system was overloaded by the new experience. The withdrawal is a defensive retrenchment that allows them: a) to recover emotionally; b) to process the experience (what worked, what didn’t); c) to recalibrate the approach (perhaps with smaller steps or more coping strategies). The therapist who validates this retreat (“It seems that was too much too fast. This step back gives you time to digest the experience”) transforms a potential experience of shame into a legitimate stage of the process (Safran & Muran, 2000).
• The “reality testing” function: Retreat allows a person to compare the old state with the new one. A client who leaves an abusive relationship may experience nostalgia and regret (“maybe it wasn’t that bad”). This emotional retreat does not mean the decision was wrong, but that the attachment system is active and that the process of disconnection is painful. Surviving this retreat without returning to the relationship is a crucial part of consolidating the new position (Bowlby, 1980).

4.3. The Protective and Integrative Function of Retreat

Retreat fulfils several essential homeostatic and adaptive functions:

1. Conservation of psychic energy: Profound change consumes considerable cognitive and emotional resources (ego depletion, Baumeister et al., 1998). Retreat acts as a safety valve that prevents exhaustion, allowing the replenishment of internal resources.
2. Protection of identity and narrative continuity: A change that is too rapid or too radical can threaten the sense of self-continuity, leading to disorientation and existential anxiety (“I no longer know who I am”). Retreat offers a temporary bridge to the known version of the self, protecting identity integrity while the new identity crystallises (Erikson, 1968).
3. Space for unconscious processing and incubation: Many of the most important cognitive and emotional restructurings occur below the level of consciousness. Retreat provides the time and psychological space necessary for incubation – the process by which information is unconsciously elaborated and new connections emerge (Wallas, 1926). It is the period of “letting things settle.”
4. Re-evaluation of costs and benefits: When moving forward, we often focus on the benefits of change. Retreat allows a more realistic assessment of the costs (what is lost, what is difficult), facilitating a deeper and more informed acceptance of the new direction.

An example from everyday life: an employee who resigns to start their own business may, after a month of intense effort, feel overwhelmed and nostalgic for the security and routine of the old job. This retreat does not mean they were wrong, but that they are realising the fullness of the decision’s costs. Surviving this wave of nostalgia and doubt without giving up is what transforms a rash decision into an authentic commitment.

Reconsideration As a Sign of Psychological Maturation

5.1. Rethinking and the Stigma of Inconsistency

Contemporary society praises “perseverance,” “determination,” and “consistency.” “Determined” people are seen as strong, trustworthy. In contrast, those who “change their mind” are often labelled as “unstable,” “indecisive,” or “lacking principles.” This stigma has roots in:

• The Protestant ethic of commitment: Once you have made a decision, you have a moral duty to see it through.
• The mental economy of “sunk costs” (sunk cost fallacy): The tendency to continue an investment (time, money, effort) simply because one has already invested, even if continuation is no longer rational (Arkes & Blumer, 1985).
• Performance culture: Rethinking is interpreted as a sign that the initial evaluation was wrong, and admitting a mistake is seen as a weakness.

This stigma inhibits a cognitive process essential for adaptation and learning: the ability to abandon a strategy, path, or belief that no longer works.

5.2. Reconsideration as a Metacognitive Process

From the perspective of cognitive psychology, reconsideration is the action of monitoring and exerting metacognitive control over one’s own decision-making processes (Flavell, 1979). It involves a constellation of sophisticated abilities:

• Declarative metacognition: Awareness that one’s own knowledge, beliefs, and assumptions are incomplete or possibly erroneous.
• Procedural metacognition: The ability to evaluate the efficiency of the cognitive strategies used in decision-making.
• Cognitive self-regulation: The ability to initiate corrections, to change strategies, and to reallocate attention and cognitive effort.

Reconsideration is not a sign of cognitive weakness, but evidence of superior executive function. It presupposes:

1. Awareness of contextual change: “The conditions under which I made that decision have changed radically.”
2. Integration of new information: “This practical experience showed me what I didn’t know then.”
3. Tolerance for cognitive dissonance: The ability to sustain the tension between the old decision and new information without resorting to forced rationalisations (Festinger, 1957).
4. The courage to admit that a previous evaluation was incomplete: This involves vulnerability and intellectual honesty.

5.3. The Role of Reconsideration in Identity Development

The formation and evolution of identity are essentially iterative and recursive processes, in which reconsideration plays a central role.

• Erikson’s identity moratorium: Erikson (1968) describes the period of adolescence and young adulthood as a “moratorium” – a time of active exploration of roles, values, and beliefs, before making firm identity commitments. This exploration is fuelled precisely by reconsideration. A young person who chooses a university course, attends for a year, and then transfers to another, is not necessarily “indecisive.” They have processed through enacted experience that the first choice does not correspond with their true interests, abilities, or values. The second choice, being the result of an informed reconsideration, will be much more authentic and committed.
• Identity as a narrative in constant revision: According to the narrative theory of identity (McAdams, 2001), we construct our sense of self through stories we tell about ourselves. These stories are not fixed; they are living narratives that are revised and reinterpreted as we have new experiences. Reconsideration is the mechanism through which we integrate new, sometimes disruptive, events into our story, without breaking narrative continuity. For example, reconsidering a career after a serious illness is not a planning failure, but a profound process of realigning identity with the reality of vulnerability and reprioritised values.

• Differentiation and integration in Kegan’s model: Robert Kegan (1982) describes adult development as a succession of “balances” in which we become capable of “having” ourselves as an object of reflection, not just as a subject moving through life. Each major transition involves a radical reconsideration of what we were previously “loyal” to. Reconsidering old commitments is not regression, but progress towards a higher-order capacity to reflect on the value system itself.

A powerful illustrative example is that of major religious or ideological conversions. These are often preceded by long periods of secret reconsideration, during which the person incrementally integrates information and experiences that contradict their previous belief system. The moment of “conversion” is often the culmination of a long process of reconsideration. Not reconsidering in this context would mean ideological rigidity, not moral steadfastness.

Oscillation As the Structure of Personal Evolution

6.1. The Dialogue Between Old and New

Authentic personal evolution does not consist in the brute and complete replacement of the old with the new, but in a complex and continuous dialogue between the two. This dialogue manifests as oscillation – a pendular movement between seemingly opposite poles: safety vs. exploration, tradition vs. innovation, continuity vs. change.

• The psychodynamics of dialogue: From a psychodynamic perspective, the “old” parts of the personality (impulses, defences, internalised relationship patterns) do not disappear; they are renegotiated and reintegrated into the modified psychic structure. The therapeutic process often involves “re-establishing contact” with these parts, not exiling them (Wachtel, 2010).
• Dynamic systems theory: Oscillation is not noise in the system, but structure of the system. Old and new attractors (preferred states of the system) can coexist for a period, and the system can oscillate between them before stabilising into a new configuration (Thelen & Smith, 1994). These oscillations are periods of fine-tuning.
• The “testing the ground” function: Each oscillation towards the “old” is, in fact, a check: “Can I still function this way? Do I still want this?” The negative answer to this question, coming after a return, strengthens the commitment to the “new” more than an uninterrupted advance could.

6.2. Oscillation and Progressive Stabilisation

Oscillation is not a permanent state; it has an integrative telos. The rhythm and amplitude of oscillations change throughout the change process:

• Initial phase – high-amplitude oscillations: When the new is still fragile, the attraction of the old is strong. Returns can be complete and dramatic (“I gave up everything”).
• Middle phase – dampened oscillations: As the new becomes more familiar and proves functional, the attraction of the old diminishes. Returns are shorter, less intense, and more conscious (“I did that out of habit, but I immediately realised I no longer want it”).
• Consolidation phase – micro-oscillations and stabilisation: The new becomes the “new normal.” Oscillations persist at a micro level (transient doubts, occasional nostalgia), but no longer determine major behavioural changes. The system has reached a new equilibrium point.

This trajectory can be modelled mathematically as a damped harmonic oscillator, where the system’s energy (here, internal conflicts) is gradually dissipated through integration processes, until the oscillations become negligible.

6.3. Applied Examples from Everyday Life

1. Changing habits: A person who starts going to the gym. First weeks: enthusiasm, constant frequency. Then: a week of “retreat” (doesn’t go at all, feels guilty). After the retreat: returns with a more realistic schedule (3 times a week instead of 5). The oscillation allowed the adjustment of expectations and pace to a sustainable level.
2. Developing competences: The process of learning a new skill (a musical instrument, a foreign language) is not linear. There are periods of rapid progress (“breakthroughs”) and periods of apparent stagnation or even temporary regression (“slumps”). Research in the psychology of expertise shows that these plateaus are often periods of subconscious consolidation and automatisation of what has been learned, which precedes a new qualitative leap (Ericsson & Pool, 2016).
3. After a relationship breakup: The healing process is not a simple upward curve. It is a series of waves: good days followed by days of intense nostalgia, mental returns to memories, reconsideration of the decision. Each wave of pain, however, tends to be smaller than the previous one, and the periods of “clarity” and acceptance between waves lengthen. Oscillation is the process through which the emotional bond is gradually detached.

Implications For Psychotherapy and Personal Development

7.1. Reinterpreting Failure in the Therapeutic Context

Adopting a non-linear perspective radically transforms how therapist and client understand and work with “failures,” “relapses,” and “stagnations.”

• From pathologising to normalising: The first step is normalising oscillations. The therapist can say explicitly: “It is normal and expected to have periods where you feel pulled back or question your progress. This is not a sign that therapy isn’t working, but that the process is active and you are integrating the changes.” This normalisation reduces shame and fractures in the therapeutic alliance.
• From evaluation to curiosity: Instead of evaluating the retreat (“Why did you fail again?”), the therapist adopts a position of collaborative curiosity (“What can we learn from this experience? What does this step back tell you about what is important to you or about what obstacles still need to be overcome?”) (Tomm, 1987).
• Meta-communication about the process: It is useful to discuss explicitly the process of change itself, including the client’s expectations about linearity. This helps both to “watch the film” rather than just looking at isolated “snapshots” of progress or regression.

7.2. Interventions Compatible with Non-Linear Change

Several therapeutic approaches have, either explicitly or implicitly, a non-linear understanding of change and offer suitable techniques:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT does not aim for the linear elimination of symptoms, but the development of psychological flexibility – the ability to be present, to detach from thoughts, to accept emotions, and to act in accordance with values (Hayes et al., 1999). In ACT, any experience, including a “retreat,” is an opportunity to practice acceptance and realign with values. Therapy is not a fight to move forward, but a dance with all the movements of experience.
• Process-Oriented Psychology: Developed by Arnold Mindell, this approach explicitly follows the “process” unfolding in the client, including apparently dysfunctional symptoms and behaviours, seeing them as signs of a natural tendency towards integration and wholeness. A retreat is interpreted as part of the “inner shaman” trying to communicate something (Mindell, 1985).
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): DBT, created for borderline personality disorder, explicitly teaches distress tolerance and radical acceptance. It recognises that change is dialectical – it involves a constant tension between accepting what is and the effort to change (Linehan, 1993). This dialectic is a formalisation of oscillation.
• Mindfulness-based coaching: In coaching, instead of building a rigid action plan, one can adopt an approach of adaptive navigation. The client learns to set a direction (values, intentions), but to remain open to adjusting the route based on feedback from the field (experience) and internal state. Reconsideration is incorporated as a competence, not a problem.

Implications for Self-Help Practice and Public Psychological Education (continued):

1. Re-storying the personal journey: Educational materials should present realistic stories of change, which include periods of retreat and reconsideration, not just narratives of linear success. Instead of edifying biographies that highlight only triumphs, it would be beneficial to provide access to authentic narratives, which include “loops of failure,” doubts, and reorientations. This could take the form of:
   • Self-help books that include chapters on “Navigating Retreats” and “The Art of Reconsidering.”
   • Online platforms where people can share their non-linear processes, normalising them for others.
   • Educational programmes in schools that teach pupils about learning cycles, including phases of plateau, confusion, and consolidation, not just about linear success.
2. Developing ‘process emotional literacy’: Psychological education should teach people to recognise and name the phases of the change process: not just “motivation” and “action,” but also “incubation,” “retrenchment,” “oscillation,” “re-evaluation.” This literacy provides a framework that normalises and facilitates navigation. Practical tools could include:

• Process journals that help users monitor not only results, but also intermediate states, oscillations, and subtle shifts in perspective.
• Visual models (such as spirals of change, maps of transitional territory) that replace the linear arrow model.
• Reflection exercises that teach people to identify functional retreats and differentiate them from dysfunctional regressions.

1. Processual goals vs. outcome goals: Instead of focusing exclusively on final objectives (to lose 10 kg, to get a promotion), one can also establish processual goals (to practice self-compassion when difficulties arise, to remain curious towards experience, to adjust the plan based on feedback). These goals are robust to “failures” of outcome. Practical applications:
   • Adaptive coaching that focuses on “how” you do things, not just on “what” you achieve.
   • Goal-tracking systems that record even the smallest adjustments of direction as part of progress.
   • Mindfulness practices applied to change, which teach people to be present and receptive to internal signals indicating the need for adjustment.
2. Reconceptualising self-assessment tools: Scales of psychological progress should include dimensions such as:
   • Cognitive flexibility: the ability to change perspective.
   • Tolerance for ambiguity: comfort with phases of uncertainty.
   • Capacity for recovery after retreat: the speed and quality of return after a temporary withdrawal.
   • Trust in the process: the belief that oscillations are part of change, not a hindrance to it.
3. Creating an alternative language of change: A vocabulary is needed that replaces stigmatising terms:
   • Instead of “failure” → “process data” or “adaptive feedback”
   • Instead of “relapse” → “integration phase” or “strategic retrenchment”
   • Instead of “indecision” → “active exploration” or “re-evaluation process”
   • Instead of “stagnation” → “incubation period” or “consolidation”
4. Integrating the non-linear perspective into technology: Wellness and goal-tracking applications could:
   • Present progress data in the form of oscillatory curves instead of ascending straight lines.
   • Offer automatic allowances for days of retreat, with encouraging messages that normalise the process.
   • Suggest integration pauses when they detect rhythms of change that are too accelerated.

These practical implications transform the theoretical principles of non-linear change into concrete tools that can transform both the individual relationship with one’s own evolution and the wider culture of personal development, shifting it from a performative and punitive paradigm towards a processual and understanding one.

Discussion and Conclusions

8.1. Synthesis of Theoretical Results

This work has argued systematically for a reconceptualisation of psychological change, shifting the emphasis from a linear, ascensionist, and control-centred model, towards a non-linear, oscillatory, and process-centred model. The main theses developed are:

1. Authentic psychological change is inherently non-linear. It does not follow a simple trajectory from point A to point B, but involves oscillations, loops, advances, and retreats. This non-linearity is not noise in the system, but the fundamental structure of the adaptive process.
2. Retreat is a mechanism of internal regulation and reorganisation. The crucial distinction between functional retreat and pathological regression allows us to understand temporary withdrawal not as a failure, but as a strategic movement of protection, energy conservation, and integration. It serves vital homeostatic functions and is essential for durable change.
3. Reconsideration is an expression of metacognitive maturity and psychological flexibility. The capacity to change one’s mind in light of new information is a sign of adaptive intelligence, not of instability. It is central in identity development processes and in maintaining a living, non-dogmatic relationship with oneself and the world.
4. Oscillation between old and new is the dialogue through which transformation is built. Personal evolution is a dialectical process in which the old parts of the self are renegotiated and reintegrated, not eliminated. The rhythm of oscillations changes from large amplitudes to micro-oscillations as the change consolidates.
5. The non-linear perspective has profound practical implications. It transforms the understanding of “failure” in therapy, suggests interventions that normalise oscillations, and promotes a more realistic and self-compassionate relationship with one’s own evolution.

8.2. Limitations of the Approach

It is important to recognise the conceptual and methodological limitations of the presented endeavour:

1. Risk of relativism: If any retreat is “adaptive,” there is a danger of minimising or justifying even dysfunctional behaviours or of undermining motivation for consistent effort. The distinction between functional retreat and pathological regression/avoidance must be maintained with clinical care.
2. Measurement and prediction challenges: Non-linear models are intrinsically more difficult to operationalise and test empirically than linear models. Parameters such as “optimal oscillation amplitude” or “duration of functional retreat” are difficult to quantify.

1. Contextual and cultural dependence: What constitutes a “functional retreat” in a cultural context that values introspection and a slow pace (e.g., some Buddhist orientations) may be seen as “laziness” in a hyper-competitive, action-oriented culture. The model must be applied with cultural sensitivity.
2. Complex practical applications: While normalising oscillation is beneficial, it can be difficult to implement in settings with limited resources (e.g., therapy with a fixed number of sessions) or with clients seeking quick and clear solutions.

8.3. Future Research Directions

To consolidate and extend the perspectives presented, several research directions are necessary:

1. Longitudinal process research: Studies that track clients in therapy or individuals in major change processes (career transition, parenthood, grief) using frequent measurements (e.g., daily diaries, ESM – Ecological Momentary Assessment) to map the non-linear trajectories of change, identify oscillation patterns, and correlate different types of trajectories with long-term outcomes.
2. Neurophenomenological studies: Research that integrates neurophysiological measurements (EEG, fMRI) with detailed phenomenological reports to understand the neural correlates of states of “retreat,” “incubation,” and “insight” in the change process.
3. Development of assessment tools: Creating and validating scales that assess individuals’ attitudes towards the non-linearity of change (e.g., “Tolerance for Oscillation in Change,” “Tendency to Pathologise Retreat”) and correlate them with psychological well-being and resilience.
4. Applied research in interventions: Designing and testing specific therapeutic or educational interventions that aim to explicitly “educate” a non-linear perspective (e.g., psychoprophylaxis of change, process normalisation workshops) and measuring their impact on anxiety, therapeutic alliance, and outcomes.
5. Investigating individual and cultural differences: Research into personality factors (e.g., neophobia vs. openness to experience), attachment styles, and cultural contexts that shape how individuals experience and navigate oscillations in change.

Final Conclusion

In the journey of personal evolution, retreat and reconsideration are not failures to be ashamed of, but guiding signs and sophisticated regulation mechanisms. They constitute the grammar of a deeper, more integrated, and more authentic transformation process. Accepting this non-linearity does not mean abandoning aspirations or effort, but adopting a wiser and gentler stance towards the complexity of the self-in-becoming.

Learning to dance with the oscillations, to read their message, and to integrate them into our evolving story – this is, perhaps, one of the most important competencies for navigating modern life. The psychology of change thus has not only a scientific and clinical mission, but also a cultural and humanistic one: to re-teach us the natural rhythms of transformation and to liberate us from the tyranny of the straight line.

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