Introduction
In futures thinking, we often use metaphors to help us see the unseen. They work like lenses, giving shape to the intangible and helping us to grasp complex ideas. The Three Veils is this kind of metaphor, a way of imagining the different depths at which we can engage with the future.
The metaphor comes from the image of a veil being drawn aside. Each veil represents a new level of awareness, insight, and responsibility. By recognising these layers, we can tailor a conversation to the space where a person is at. Instead of boring a highly innovative person with obvious futures insights, we can engage in a deeper conversation. And we don’t want to overwhelm a person trying to manage current challenges by taking them to an extraordinary imaginative scenario.
The First Veil: Adapting to Change. Being Pragmatic.
When we lift the first veil, we begin to see how the world is changing and that we must do to keep up with it. Here we encounter new technologies, shifting industries, and evolving skill demands. For individuals, this may mean reskilling or adopting fresh approaches to stay employable. For organisations, it’s about staying in step with markets and ensuring relevance.
The first veil is pragmatic. It is not about rejecting the system, but about working within it. We learn, adapt, and keep pace. This is where most conversations about “future-readiness” tend to live.
The Second Veil: Reimagining Who We Are. Intentional Design.
Pulling back the second veil takes us further. It’s no longer only about survival within the current system but we begin to question the system itself. Why do we work the way we do? Whose values are we serving? What assumptions have we inherited without questioning?
This is the realm of intentional design. Here we experiment with alternative narratives and imagine futures that are not just more efficient but also more meaningful. We expand, grow, and claim agency over our preferred futures, rather than accepting what society dictates.
The Third Veil: Radical Transformation. Revolutionary Courage.
Beyond the third veil lies the most challenging work. This level questions legality versus morality, privilege versus inclusion. It resists what is destructive or unjust, even if that means going against the grain of established norms.
The third veil demands courage. It is revolutionary in tone, asking us to take a stand and imagine systems that are radically fairer, more sustainable, and more humane. This is the veil of manifestos and movements, of deep change and societal reinvention.
Why the Veils Matter
The value of the Three Veils lies in the way they help us notice where conversations about the future are happening. Are we simply discussing reskilling and digital adaptation? Are we beginning to question the dominant narratives? Or are we pushing into radical transformation?
By recognising these layers, we can locate ourselves and others in the broader futures dialogue. This helps reduce confusion and increases empathy. We can identify where someone is in their conversation about the future.
How to Use the Veils
- As a personal reflection tool: Ask yourself, Am I adapting, reimagining, or resisting? Where do I want to be?
- As a leadership guide: Notice which veil your team or organisation operates within, and what it would take to move deeper.
- As a conversation map: Use the veils to frame discussions with colleagues, boards, or communities, ensuring all perspectives are included.
An Invitation
The Three Veils are not about right or wrong, nor about hierarchy. They simply reveal different depths of engagement with the future. They remind us that the future isn’t fixed, it’s shaped by how deeply we choose to look, question, and act.
By lifting these veils with intention, we take responsibility for co-creating the futures we most want to live in.
Origin of this model
Charlotte Kemp, Futures Alchemist, 2025
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