Cultural Archetypes predetermine how members of a culture perceive their world and react to it. Every element of a culture has an archetype; how the members of a culture interpret that archetype is called a code. The cultural archetype and its code can be thought of as a lock and the combination to open it. One must have all the right numbers in the proper order (the code) to open the lock (the archetype). Since archetypes and their codes are unconscious, a three-phase process to decode them is needed.

Each phase consists of imprinting and team analysis sessions. Each imprinting session is a three-hour process that helps participants to remember their imprinting of the subject being studied. About 25 people attend each of the imprinting session (250 in total). These people are chosen based on the culture being studied. For example, in the case of an American archetype, the 25 people would be at least, second generation Americans, who spent the first 15 years of their lives in the US and whose mother or primary caregiver spoke American English.

During the first hour of the imprinting session, participants discuss their ideas and feelings about the topic. In the second hour, free association and storytelling exercises are used to learn about the unconscious dimensions of the topic. In the last hour relaxation techniques are used to help participants remember their imprinting experiences. The information is then analyzed for structure rather than content. The Archetype team participates in the process as active members not observers. Clients are part of the research process.