Magical Thinking: Concept And Characteristics

Roald Dahl used to say that “he who does not believe in magic will never find it. ” Curiously, the human being has always had a tendency to believe in it, since the beginning of time. Derived from this faith in the inexplicable, we find what has been baptized as magical thinking.

We move in the world applying the “logic of cause and effect”. Thus, faced with an event or a phenomenon that does not have a scientific explanation, it is easy to see many other “magical explanations” around it. In fact, perhaps this is one of the main reasons why religions have survived the centuries and the tireless advancement of science.

What is magical thinking?

Both psychology and anthropology regard magical thinking as the description of illogical attributions to certain causes without any empirical proof.

This phenomenon becomes especially relevant when the person considers that his thought could have consequences in the external world. Said consequences can come from their own action or from the belief of the intermediation of supernatural forces.

Taking a look around the societies of the world, we find that magical thinking exists in practically all cultures. It is a natural process that has a more than probable biological basis. Humans establish causal relationships based on circumstantial associations that are difficult to demonstrate under the magnifying glass of systematicity.

We find examples of magical thinking easily. A child who believes that if he misbehaves he will be kidnapped by the bogeyman. Also ritual dances that seek to attract rain or assign an atmospheric phenomenon to the action of a superior deity.

Causes of magical thinking

Two main causes help us to explain this phenomenon. One refers to the contiguity between events. The second is explained through associative thinking:

• Contiguity between events : it refers to the generation of certain associations, such as believing that a friend failed an exam because you wanted with all your might that they did not pass.
• Associative thinking : consists of establishing relationships based on certain similarities. For example, believing that the spirit of an animal will pass to you if you eat its heart.

But, despite the causes associated with magical thinking, there are also important functions in the phenomenon. That is, it can be very useful in certain very specific situations:

• Reduces anxiety : sometimes, in certain stressful situations with difficult solutions, associating the event with arbitrary elements increases the feeling of control and reduces anxiety. For example, using amulets to fight certain fears.
• Placebo effect : as we have just seen, it can also be very useful as a placebo effect. In other words, thinking that a certain ritual can cure a disease could cause an improvement in symptoms.

Characteristics of magical thinking

At present we can find dozens of examples that are a clear example of magical thinking. In fact, it occurs in everyday situations, without the need for it to reach the point of being considered pathological. This is so because, in many cases, magical thinking, far from causing discomfort, produces relief. The problem would appear when this is not the case or when that short-term relief translates into long-term damage.

Egocentrism in children

Between the ages of 2 and 7 (preoperational phase), children may come to think that they have the power to change the world only with their mind, both voluntarily and involuntarily. It is difficult for them to understand abstract concepts and in the center of their gaze it is difficult to place another instance that is not the self. Thus, for example, they may come to think that something has happened to their parents by wanting punishment for someone.

Thus, in certain circumstances, children may tend to blame themselves for certain events without having participated in any way in what happened. However, this self-centeredness tends to diminish with age.

Superstition

Superstition and supernatural thinking, so present in our society, do not stop revolving around magical thinking. The 13 in our culture or the 4 in the Japanese are numbers that in the collective consciousness are associated with bad luck. Thus, it is a number that many athletes do not want to wear or a flat in which many do not want to live.

Delusions

It can also appear in circumstances of delirium, in contexts of psychosis and schizophrenia. Excessively irrational beliefs are very marked by magical thinking.

Actually, we could almost look at this magical thinking as a form of defense. Faced with what we are not able to explain, our brain looks for an association that, true or not, serves as a calming against the anxiety that uncertainty could generate.