Magical thinking

Magical thinking in psychology called a manifestation of child development, in which a person accepts that their thoughts, words or actions influence causally unrelated events that cause such or can avoid. Conventional rules of cause and effect are ignored.

Anthropologically magical thinking is cross-culturally determine in magic and religion, in which case no general Psychopathologisierung is made.

Magical thinking in the context of other psychotic symptoms

In adulthood Magical thinking can be part of more attenuated psychotic symptoms, but is not any form of magical thinking psychotic. In the DSM-IV criteria for schizotypal personality disorder relationship ideas, strange ideas or magical thinking and unusual perceptual experiences, a strange thought and speech and paranoid ideas are called.

Magical thinking as a precursor of rational thinking

Part of the developmental psychologist looks based on Jean Piaget ( " egocentrism " ) Magical Thinking as an archaic form of thought the animistic - magical development phase of the two -to five- year-old child. Piaget speaks of the preoperational thinking of the infant.

Magical thinking as a precursor of rational thinking, in the form of belief in the effects of sorcery, incantations, or wishful thinking, occurs in children.

Assumptions in Magical Thinking

Thomas Grüter counts on the following assumptions which may be made within the magical thinking, in simplified here. These are the assumptions that

  • There are supernatural action at a distance;
  • Objects could transmit properties of their owners;
  • Things that have one property in common, were also similar in others (see homeopathy);
  • They could influence the outside world through words, formulas, sayings or mere thoughts;
  • The future is predictable, certain things or events had an omen, even without connection with future events;
  • Symbols, including amulets, had an effect;
  • Certain people have supernatural powers or beings with such powers could force them into their service;
  • Spirits, gods or secret societies could connect each other separate events or phenomena.
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