![]() Neither entity provides the essential function of lowering existential anxiety. Giving up the belief in the Easter Bunny or Santa Clause is pretty easy to do. The impossible anxiety that results from facing mortality, contemplating the destruction of your being against your will, and taking sole responsibility for the direction of your life is minimized. By believing that a higher power has a plan for your life, that we are here for a purpose, and that your soul will live on forever, life seems more bearable. Think about the world religions featuring a deity. The less a society knows about the natural world, the more that society needs magical thinking to explain it. Magical thinking is all about anxiety reduction. You might not feel that you have the power to effect change over the environment, but as long as you are in possession of the charm then bad things will not happen to you. ![]() By taking the unknown and turning it into a visible object you are shielded from anxiety. All magical thinking can be seen as a way to understand that which is not understandable. Members of the tribe dance in order to make the rain come, they expel demons from possessed individuals by chanting or using medicine men, and go on journeys to discover their spirit animals. Rites and rituals found in primitive tribes are the most visible examples of magical thinking in action. There seems to be an inverse relationship between a culture’s scientific and technological progress and its socially sanctioned activities involving magical thinking. Chances are you will feel compelled to look in that same garbage can the next time you walk by it even though the chances of another $100 bill being there are, objectively speaking, negligible. Imagine that you are walking by an open garbage can on your way to work and spot a $100 bill in the trash. Have you ever prayed to a higher power in a time of crisis even though you are not particularly religious?Įveryone engages in magical thinking sometimes. Someone might own a rabbit foot or some other charm believed to bring luck. We have all heard of baseball players who wear the same pair of socks for weeks or even months because the team has been winning. It is a way to understand that which is not understandable, to control that which feels uncontrollable. Magical thinking occurs any time that you attribute to an inanimate object, either physical or in your mind, the ability to shape events. We will explain it using concepts from existential thought and then discuss the idea of locus of control. One of these patterns is called magical thinking. This kind of egocentrism usually diminishes as they age.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy addresses thought patterns that are believed to be responsible for many mental health issues. For example, they might think that something bad will happen to their parents because they wished something bad would happen to someone.Īs a result, children sometimes take the blame for things they had absolutely nothing to do with. It’s nearly impossible for a child of that age not to think they’re the center of the universe. They have a hard time understanding abstract concepts. ![]() Egocentrism in childrenĬhildren between the ages of 2 and 7 (in the pre-operational phase) sometimes think they have the power to voluntarily or involuntarily change the world with their minds. ![]() ![]() However, the problem comes when magical thinking brings distress or when that short-term relief becomes a long-term problem. People have magical thoughts nearly every day because it often makes them feel better. If you believe that doing a certain ritual or saying a certain prayer will cure an illness, then it might do just that. One example is using amulets to protect yourself from something you’re afraid of. Associating stressful and difficult situations to arbitrary causes can make you feel more in control. Here are two reasons why magical thinking is sometimes useful: For example, believing that the spirit of an animal will enter your body if you eat its heart.Īlthough these associations aren’t true, they can serve an important function in people’s lives. Establishing relationships based on similarities. Creating particular associations, like believing that a friend failed a test because you wished that they wouldn’t pass. Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch- Causes of magical thinking ![]()
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