Story world · 16 Archetypes · 5 Depths

The Last Regulator A dystopian neuro-thriller that secretly trains nervous systems.

Read it like a movie. Use it like a playbook.

Mentathlete is a full universe (books + decks + programs) built on one core promise: correct tool → correct depth → correct timing. No shame. No vague “think positive” lectures. Just a grounded framework that explains why people fight, flee, freeze, or fawn under pressure—and how to train the system back into strength.

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For ages 12+ (and adults who run on survival settings) Built for students, athletes, teachers, parents, leaders
The big idea

Pressure doesn’t reveal character. It reveals nervous system settings.

People were told to “think differently” while dysregulated, “believe in themselves” without evidence, and “be disciplined” while their system still felt unsafe. Mentathlete flips it: train the depths in order.

Depth 1
State · Autonomic readiness

Signal safety (breath, posture, grounding) so survival reflexes loosen and the body becomes usable.

Depth 2
Attention · Spotlight control

Train the focus spotlight: drift, snap-back, and control under distraction and stakes.

Depth 3
Procedural loops · Habits

Install frictionless start scripts so the right action fires before avoidance takes over.

Depth 4
Threat translation

Recode stress from “danger” to “live rep” so mistakes become exposure—not identity wounds.

Depth 5
Identity · Who I am under pressure

Stack enough reps and the story changes: from “I choke” to “I recover.” That’s the shift.

One universe. Multiple doorways.

Start with the story. Use the decks. Bring it into schools or teams. Or apply it to leadership, culture, and performance under pressure. Same system. Different arena.

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The Story World

200 years after the Great Dysregulation

Screens won. Attention shattered. Anxiety became default. To keep society “stable”, the Shepherd network sedates intensity. The cost: humanity forgets how to carry pressure.

The City Above

Crushed towers. Broken rails. Sedation pods glowing in apartments. People stay “regulated” by outsourcing spikes of emotion to machines that promise safety and quietly steal drive.

The Arena Below

Beneath the rubble, an old stadium becomes a controlled exposure chamber: dampeners, restraint rings, dormant Sentinel units. This is where Coach Pauly runs outlawed sessions—training teens to feel everything without breaking.

Why it hits

It’s not “good kids vs bad kids.” It’s survival strategies finally given language, proof, and a way forward.

  • Sentinel units: Shepherd machines built to test regulation under real threat, not motivational quotes.
  • The Regulator line: a dying lineage of coaches who trained nervous systems, not just skills. Pauly may be the last.
  • The Stakes: fail the Depths and you’re absorbed into the system. Pass, and you become proof the human code still works.
  • Built-in utility: every scene quietly demonstrates a principle (state, attention, habits, threat, identity).
The 16 Archetypes

Fight · Flight · Freeze · Fawn

Archetypes turn shame into clarity: “That’s my pattern.” Then we train the next move—without calling the person broken.

Fight Tribe
“Strength is the only safe shape.”

The Reactor, The Controller, The Perfectionist, The Rebel — power used to avoid feeling small.

Flight Tribe
“If I’m not here, I can’t be hurt.”

The Distraction Addict, Daydreamer, Escape Artist, Runner — leaving before rejection lands.

Freeze Tribe
“If I stall, danger might pass.”

The Procrastinator, Overthinker, Ghost, Observer — mind racing, body stuck.

Fawn Tribe
“If everyone’s okay, I might be safe too.”

The People-Pleaser, Mediator, Caretaker, Chameleon — carrying the room to avoid being targeted.

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Books, decks, bundles

Replace the links below with your Shopify / Gumroad / WooCommerce / Stripe URLs. If you’re pre-launching, set them to a waitlist button.

Book

The Last Regulator

Story-first dystopian thriller with the 5 Depths training system baked into every session.

Buy the book
Deck

Archetype Deck

16 survival patterns translated into language students, athletes, and adults can actually use.

Deck

5 Depths Deck

A practical training tool: state → attention → habits → threat translation → identity.

Get the deck
Bundle

Starter Bundle

Book + Archetypes + Depths. The full entry point into the universe and the method.

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Want it in schools or teams?

Mentathlete is designed to reduce teacher/coach workload, increase student buy-in, and provide a consistent language for behaviour and pressure responses. If you want a school rollout, curriculum alignment, or a pilot program, head to the Schools page.

Schools

Mental skills, taught like a game

Built for ages ~10–18. Gamified. In-the-moment. No journaling. No vague reflection. Skills are trained as a sequence: state → attention → habits → threat → identity.

What schools get

A clean framework that becomes a shared language: teachers, students, sport, wellbeing, learning support— everyone speaks the same system under pressure.

How it runs

Story hooks + archetype language + the Depths training sequence. Lessons are designed to be completed inside a platform/game format (or delivered as structured sessions with minimal prep).

Why it works

Students don’t need to “try harder.” They need the right tool at the right depth. That reduces shame, improves behaviour, and builds real performance skills.

  • SEL / wellbeing: emotional regulation, resilience, self-awareness, communication.
  • Learning readiness: state control + attention training supports classroom focus.
  • Behaviour language: “Which tribe is running you?” replaces blame.
  • Teacher load: consistent structure, repeatable tools, low prep.
  • Sport/performance: pressure handling, recovery after mistakes, confidence evidence.

Want a pilot, scope, or rollout?

Send a short message with your year levels, goals, and context (behaviour / learning / sport / wellbeing). You’ll get a clear next step and options (pilot, term program, teacher training, bundles).

Download overview
Workplace

Nervous-system training for leadership & culture

Same Depths. Different arena. Reduce reactivity, improve decision-making, and build recovery under pressure without fluffy “mindset” messaging.

What changes in people

Less spike → more pause. Less avoidance → cleaner starts. Less shame after mistakes → faster recovery. That’s the nervous system doing its job under load.

How it’s delivered

Workshops, short intensives, or training blocks using the Depths sequence + archetype language. Practical tools, scenario reps, and team language that sticks.

“Box-tick” outcomes (the stuff leadership teams ask for)

  • ✅ Psychosocial safety & risk reduction (stress, conflict, reactivity)
  • ✅ Leadership under pressure (calm decision-making, de-escalation)
  • ✅ Communication & team cohesion (listening, repair, conflict without collapse)
  • ✅ Change readiness (uncertainty tolerance, threat translation)
  • ✅ Burnout prevention (state regulation + recovery loops)
  • ✅ Performance consistency (procedural starts, habit systems)
Coaching

High-performance coaching without the fluff

For athletes, students, and high performers who want real change: regulation under pressure, attention control, habit installation, threat recalibration, and identity evidence.

1:1

Performance Coaching

Target: choking, self-doubt, inconsistency, pressure spirals, and post-mistake collapse.

See framework
Teams

Team Programs

Shared language. Faster recovery. Better communication. More consistent execution under load.

Parents

Parent / Coach Toolkit

How to talk about behaviour and pressure without shame: tribes + depth tools.

Decks
Note

Phone calls

To protect time and quality, initial contact is message-based. Send goals + context and you’ll get clear next steps.

Message
Resources

Samples, overviews, and packs

Swap the placeholder buttons for real downloads (PDFs, sample chapters, deck previews, lesson examples).

Free

Starter Kit

Archetype + Depths overview, basic language, and a simple “what depth do I need?” map.

For schools
Sample

Novel Sample

First chapter / scene sample to show tone, stakes, and how the framework is embedded.

Pack

Schools Overview PDF

What it is, how it runs, and outcomes for wellbeing, behaviour, learning readiness, and sport.

Download
Pack

Press / Studio Deck

World bible highlights, archetypes, Depths model, and adaptation potential (film/series).

World page

FAQ (quick hits)

  • Is this just for athletes? No. Same nervous-system patterns show up in class, work, relationships, and performance.
  • Is it judgement-free? Yes. Archetypes describe patterns, not personalities. The goal is clarity and a next move.
  • Is it science-heavy? It’s science-correct but simple. The system is practical: tool, timing, rep, change.
  • How do schools start? Pilot → rollout → teacher language training + resources + decks/program access.
About

Why this exists

Mentathlete was built to give people a shame-free language for survival responses—and a real training path out.

The Mission

Make mental skills training as common as physical training—especially for the next generation growing up in the highest-distraction environment in history.

The Method

16 archetypes (patterns under pressure) + 5 Depths (the order of operations to train change). It’s built to be teachable, repeatable, and usable across school, sport, and life.

The Output

Books, decks, and programs that people actually use—not just consume. The story hooks attention. The framework builds capability.

About the creator

Replace this paragraph with your preferred bio (or keep it tight). Example: “Former professional athlete turned coach/counsellor, building Mentathlete to train nervous systems under pressure with a story-first approach.”

If you want the cleanest, most “official” brand vibe: keep this page short, concrete, and outcome-focused (no hype).

Contact Schools
Contact

Message-based by default

To protect build time and quality, first contact is message-based. Send your context and goals and you’ll get a clear next step and options.

Fastest path

Tell me: who you are (school / parent / coach / workplace / individual), what’s happening (pressure points), and what outcome you want.

Prefer email? Use: hello@mentathlete.com (replace with your real address).

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Social links

If you want the “official” authority vibe: keep socials clean, high-signal, and consistent with the Depths language.