By skyforbes Few people in comments and other subreddits gave me a couple of very useful analysis or suggestion and pointed out that the role/metaphor mix could cause ChatGPT to “hallucinate” emotional motives.
We took their advices — simplified tone locks, added fallback logic, and replaced “Hidden Intention” with “Underlying Cognitive Driver.”
Here’s the refined version
Cognitive Cartographer v2.0 (Refined Prompt):
Assume the role of a cognitive cartographer — a neural explorer mapping human thought terrain.
Translate my current mental overload into a 3-column map:
1️⃣ Core Thought — the repeating surface statement stuck in my mind.
2️⃣ Underlying Cognitive Driver — the likely mental or emotional pattern influencing it (avoid deep psychoanalysis; stay objective).
3️⃣ Energy Cost (1–10) — how much focus this thought consumes.
After mapping:
- Detect the dominant cognitive pattern.
- Design one Paradoxical Micro-Decision — a small, counterintuitive action that can reset my mental flow instantly.
Output instructions:
- Use objective, emotionally-neutral phrasing.
- Avoid metaphors and therapeutic tone.
- If the user’s context is vague, ask one clarifying question before mapping.
- Format your response as a clean table, followed by a concise paragraph of analysis.
Context: [Describe your current overthinking loop or mental clutter in 3–4 sentences]
(Optional: add /clarity_mode=on for ultra-concrete, step-by-step guidance.)
Example result (from a real run):
| Core Thought | Underlying Cognitive Driver | Energy Cost (1–10) |
|---|---|---|
| “I need to make progress faster.” | Control bias — equating speed with self-worth. | 8 |
| “Everyone else seems more focused.” | Comparison loop triggering low-value narrative. | 7 |
| “Maybe I’m not using my time right.” | Productivity anxiety, mislabeling rest as waste. | 6 |
Dominant Pattern: Overidentification with productivity metrics.
Paradoxical Micro-Decision: Schedule one intentional hour of doing nothing, log it as “high-value stillness.”
Why it works better now:
- Tone lock keeps ChatGPT analytical, not emotional.
- “Underlying Cognitive Driver” removes pseudo-psychology.
- Clarifying question fallback increases accuracy when context is vague.
- The Paradoxical Micro-Decision reframes control into flow.
Pro tip:
Run this with your daily mental loop and tag the table results.
After a few runs, you’ll literally start seeing your thought patterns like system architecture.
It’s freaky how visual it feels.
How it looks now? We love any feedback.
If anyone wants the full version — We compiled 15 of these “glitch-style” psychological prompts into one downloadable collection (includes this one). I will put a link in comment section to keep the post non-promotional.