Magical thinking

In psychology, magical thinking describes a form of child development in which a person assumes that their thoughts, words or actions can influence, cause or prevent events that are not causally related. Traditional rules of cause and effect are ignored.

In anthropology , magical thinking stands for magical ideas that deal with supernatural powers and express themselves in rituals that are intended to serve the good of the community.

Magical thinking in tribal cultures

The anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor coined the term “associative thinking” as a form of pre-rational, magical thinking that can still be seen in tribal cultures . The basic assumption is that two objects can influence each other due to their similar shape. For example, the Azande , an African ethnic group, rub banana trees with crocodile teeth to secure their crops. Since crocodile teeth are curved like bananas and grow back as soon as they fall out, the Azande believe that the crocodile teeth can transfer their beneficial properties to the perennials through friction.

Magical thinking around psychotic symptoms

In adulthood, magical thinking can be part of several weakened psychotic symptoms, but not all magical thinking is psychotic. In the DSM-IV criteria for schizotypic personality disorder , relationship ideas, peculiar ideas or magical thinking as well as unusual perceptual experiences, a strange way of thinking and speaking as well as paranoid ideas are named.

Magical thinking as a preliminary stage of rational thinking

Some developmental psychologists , following Jean Piaget (“ egocentrism ”), see magical thinking as an archaic form of thinking in the animistic- magical development phase of two to five-year-olds. Piaget also speaks of the infant's preoperational thinking .

Magical thinking as a preliminary stage of rational thinking, for example in the form of belief in the effects of magic, incantations or wishful thinking, occurs in children.

Magical Thinking Assumptions

Thomas Grüter names the assumptions (reproduced here in simplified form) as characteristics of magical thinking,

there is supernatural action at a distance;
Objects could transfer properties of their owners;
Things that have one property in common are also similar in other ways (cf. for example homeopathy , the doctrine of signatures or magic analogy );
one can influence the outside world through words, formulas, sayings or mere thoughts ;
the future is predictable, certain things or processes have a fore-meaning, even without connection with future events;
Symbols, for example amulets , would have an effect;
certain people have supernatural powers or could force beings with such powers into their service;
Spirits, gods or secret societies could combine separate events or phenomena.

Individual evidence

↑ Cf. Nicolas Hoffmann , Birgit Hofmann: Exposures in case of fears and compulsions. Practical Guide. 2nd, completely revised edition. Beltz, Weinheim and others 2008, ISBN 978-3-621-27638-2 , p. 49.
↑ David Levinson, Melvin Ember (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology. Volume 3: M - R. Holt, New York NY 1996, ISBN 0-8050-2877-3 , p. 723.
^ EE Evans-Pritchard: Theories of Primitive Religion. Oxford University Press, 1977, pp. 26-7.
^ EE Evans-Pritchard: Witchcraft, Magic, and Oracles Among the Azande. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1937.
↑ Andreas Bechdolf, Stephan Ruhrmann, Birgit Janssen, Ronald Bottlender, Michael Wagner, Kurt Maurer, Heinz Häfner , Wolfgang Maier, Joachim Klosterkötter: Prevention of schizophrenia - early detection and intervention in people with an increased risk of psychosis. In: Psychoneuro. Volume 30, No. 11, 2004, ISSN 1611-9991 , pp. 606-614, doi: 10.1055 / s-2004-837066 .
^ Franz Resch et al.: Developmental Psychopathology of Childhood and Adolescence. A textbook. 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Beltz - Psychologie Verlags-Union, Weinheim 1999, ISBN 3-621-27319-0 , pp. 163, 176.
↑ Sabine Schrader, Anke Fischer (Red.): Psychology. General psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology. Compact-Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8174-7811-8 , p. 212. (online)
↑ Home of Dr. Thomas Grueter
↑ Thomas Grüter: Magical Thinking. How it comes about and how it affects us. Scherz, Frankfurt am Main 2010, ISBN 978-3-502-15158-6 , p. 31 f.

[1] Cf. Nicolas Hoffmann , Birgit Hofmann: Exposures in case of fears and compulsions. Practical Guide. 2nd, completely revised edition. Beltz, Weinheim and others 2008, ISBN 978-3-621-27638-2 , p. 49.

[2] David Levinson, Melvin Ember (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology. Volume 3: M - R. Holt, New York NY 1996, ISBN 0-8050-2877-3 , p. 723.

[3] EE Evans-Pritchard: Theories of Primitive Religion. Oxford University Press, 1977, pp. 26-7.

[4] EE Evans-Pritchard: Witchcraft, Magic, and Oracles Among the Azande. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1937.

[5] Andreas Bechdolf, Stephan Ruhrmann, Birgit Janssen, Ronald Bottlender, Michael Wagner, Kurt Maurer, Heinz Häfner , Wolfgang Maier, Joachim Klosterkötter: Prevention of schizophrenia - early detection and intervention in people with an increased risk of psychosis. In: Psychoneuro. Volume 30, No. 11, 2004, ISSN 1611-9991 , pp. 606-614, doi: 10.1055 / s-2004-837066 .

[6] Franz Resch et al.: Developmental Psychopathology of Childhood and Adolescence. A textbook. 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Beltz - Psychologie Verlags-Union, Weinheim 1999, ISBN 3-621-27319-0 , pp. 163, 176.

[7] Sabine Schrader, Anke Fischer (Red.): Psychology. General psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology. Compact-Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8174-7811-8 , p. 212. (online)

[8] Home of Dr. Thomas Grueter

[9] Thomas Grüter: Magical Thinking. How it comes about and how it affects us. Scherz, Frankfurt am Main 2010, ISBN 978-3-502-15158-6 , p. 31 f.