However, the mere existence of magical thinking is not always a sign of a mental health condition, and this type of thinking does not always cause harm. This may include those with delusional disorders. Sometimes, people may also need medication to reduce their symptoms. Psychotherapy helps a person challenge and change magical thinking over time. If a person’s magical thinking is a symptom of an underlying condition, the treatment options include psychotherapy and medication. Delusional disorders: Delusional disorders such as schizophrenia can cause people to have magical thoughts or perceptions.For example, they may feel anxious that if they stop worrying about something, what they are worried about will come true. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): People with GAD can also have magical thoughts.Even if a person with OCD is not typically superstitious, they may become fixated on a superstition due to these thoughts. OCD: People with OCD have intrusive thoughts, which are scary thoughts that seem to come from nowhere.Magical thinking can be a feature of several mental health conditions. This idea is part of what fueled colonialism. It is also important to note that looking down on some types of magical thinking and not others can reinforce inequity.įor example, early European anthropologists thought magical beliefs were a hallmark of more “primitive” cultures and that European cultures were, therefore, more advanced and superior. Magical thinking does not necessarily lead to these outcomes. Extremism: Some magical thinking promotes extreme beliefs and behaviors.Similarly, when magical thoughts or behaviors do not work, a person may feel upset, angry, or powerless. For example, a person may rely on prayer to treat a medical condition instead of seeking help from a doctor, which could be dangerous. Over-reliance: People who believe magical thinking works may rely on it at their own expense.This can occur in schizophrenia and other delusional disorders but may also occur in people without these diagnoses. Distortion of reality: Magical thinking may disrupt a person’s understanding of reality.This can cause stress, which harms mental and physical health. For example, people may worry they could accidentally harm themselves or others with their thoughts or emotions. Stress and anxiety: Some magical thinking is fear-based and may cause anxiety.However, some types of magical thinking may cause harmful effects, such as: Sharing magical beliefs with others may also give a person a sense of community, such as when sports team superstitions are part of team bonding. For example, superstitions might help a person feel less anxiety while awaiting test results. Magical thinking may benefit a person by giving them a sense of control in a situation in which they have little control. Whether magical thinking helps or harms a person very much depends on the type of thoughts they have and the emotions or behaviors that come with them. Delusions: Some delusions involve magical thinking, such as the belief that a person can control others with their thoughts, or that they have godlike powers.For example, a child might believe that something bad happened to a family member because the child was angry at them. Childhood thoughts: Young children are still learning about how the world works, so they may assume that their internal and external worlds are more closely connected than they are.However, they may consider extreme or atypical religious beliefs to be the result of magical thinking. For example, some Christians believe that praying can affect the physical world, but because this is a typical part of a religion with a widely accepted belief system, psychologists may not consider it to be harmful. Unusual religious beliefs: Although some religious beliefs may have similarities with magical thinking, the two are different.But extreme, rigid, or anxiety-driven rituals, such as excessive handwashing, can be a sign of a mental health condition. For many, it is not harmful or a sign of a mental health condition. Rituals: Many people perform rituals to gain a sense of control over life.Superstitions: Superstitions are a form of magical thinking in which a person believes that specific behaviors, such as wearing the same shirt during every baseball game, can influence unrelated human events.Some examples of magical thinking include:
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