MAGIC THINKING

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Magical thinking, to a certain extent, is, on the one hand, the result of a violation of the de-idealization process, and protection from a threatening reality, with which reliable connections are not built, on the other.

Magical thinking is characterized by overestimated unrealistic expectations, both from oneself and from other people. By magically thinking, a person grasps on the idea of omnipotence, instead of strengthening the connection with reality. The source of many negative psychological states, such as aggression or depression, is precisely magical thinking. Without digging into the history of the issue being studied, which is undoubtedly interesting and of great value, I will try to briefly describe the essence of the phenomenon and its effects.

The main source of magical thinking can be called existential loneliness in the early experience of the child and the lack of experience of trusting contacts with other people (primarily with the mother).

Formal relationships with others make it difficult to differentiate between your own image and the image of others. In this case, instead of human complexity, there are two extreme and primitive, associated with the same undifferentiated affects, images - good and bad, helpless and omnipotent.

As another source, maternal super-inclusion can be named, which is expressed in excessive monitoring of the child's needs and the desire to satisfy even before the child independently realized and expressed these needs.

With such "anticipatory" communications, expectations are formed that people are able to see, understand your needs, guess about desires and states, without any messages from you.

Magical thinking is often expressed in the idea of one's own omnipotence, for example, in ideas about the power of the possibilities of one's own thoughts and actions, which can directly affect events. In such phenomena, the need for control and power is expressed, compensating for the state of their own helplessness characteristic of these people.

People with a predominance of anxious affect and corresponding avoidant behavior are tormented by the thoughts that other people are able to learn about their "worthlessness", directly and directly see their inner insignificant essence and will laugh and mock them. Such people experience difficulties in interpersonal contacts, due to the fact that they feel themselves exposed in the nakedness of their shameful squalor for all to see. Thus, the anxiety of the magic of thinking inclines a person to solitude, avoidance of contacts and relationships.

Quite often there can be a paranoid mood - "I am being used, my thoughts are recognized, I will lose control, etc." Often, one can come across the conviction: "If someone is hostile towards me, then he is capable of damaging me by the power of his thoughts, destroying something valuable, dear to the heart." The joyful mother, whose son went to college, does not spread about this important event, since the envy of other people can ruin everything.

Hypochondriacal fears are also associated with magical thinking, in this case, you can often face belief in corruption, the evil eye, and in the supernatural power of one's own premonitions.

Borderline and narcissistically organized individuals, with their characteristic rage affect, easily develop aggression and even an all-encompassing hatred if their needs were not guessed and something does not go as they expected. In this case, magical thinking manifests itself in the conviction that the other person knows everything about their desires and intentionally does not satisfy them out of hostile, mocking motives. These feelings can be manifested in relation to close people who could not predict something (did not give flowers, did not call, etc.). The borderline personality in close relationships constantly has scandals, the cause of which is such trifles as: did not call, did not guess, did not think, etc. Such individuals are convinced that the other person should take care of their comforts and know how to create them in such a way as to create absolute comfort. The relatives of such a person become victims of his magical thinking, constantly falling under reproaches and discontent. Attempts to “talk”, “discuss” will not be crowned with success, since an unshakable, uncorrected conviction of magical thinking is the conviction that “you yourself (a) should (a) have (a) understand, guess, see, feel, etc..

Similar feelings, from irritation to rage, can also be manifested in relation to the therapist, who, instead of quickly guessing about everything and quickly helping, bothers and pesters with questions.

Magical polarized thinking is expressed in fantasies of their own omnipotence, which usually characterize narcissistic personalities. So, often instead of building realistic plans related to career growth, or professional self-improvement, gradual immersion in some business, there may be constant throwing or even refusal to work.

The main temptation of magical thinking and one of the powerful secrets of its power is the ability to find everything at once instead of long and hard work, the outcome of which is never guaranteed. Magical thinking tempts, and the gap between reality increases. Man is more and more in the captivity of illusions and fantasies.

Magical thinking makes it difficult to have a realistic attitude to the process of psychotherapy. Such a client expects that the therapist, waving a magic wand, will help him to increase his effectiveness to the level of his desires and is not able to realize that it is in the unrealism of his desires that the roots of his life collapse are rooted. This type of client firmly believes that there are methods and means by which the therapist can transform him into a heroic superman. Often it is magical thinking that makes such clients go from therapist to therapist, devaluing one by one when they do not justify his magical hopes. Closely related to this is the concept of "material thoughts" and the construction on its basis of various "psychotechnics" of fulfilling desires and breaking barriers. For example, there is a very well-known technique when people stand in a circle holding hands tightly. In the center of the circle there is one person whose task is to break out of the circle. It is assumed that in this way a person learns to break open internal barriers and break free. This is a magical hope for liberation: If I do this, performing a ritual, then I will solve the real difficulties of my life. This method is actually designed to make the person feel liberated and free. However, if a person does not feel the pain that limits him in practice, then such a ritual can contribute to a short-term release of tension, which is unlikely to affect the tough defense system.

The same applies to various affirmations and creation of pictures of the future. So, a girl who has been creating various successful "pictures of the future" for a long time, at one moment, having learned about the successful life of her former classmate, first fell into a rage, and then into a subdepressive state from the invasion of the "picture of the real present."

The obsessive-compulsive personality type is characterized by a great need for omnipotent control, which is a kind of shield against anxiety. Suppressed aggression or sexual desire, which are directed at loved ones, are not realized due to their intolerance to consciousness. Then they find their expression in anxiety that something terrible could happen to themselves and their loved ones. Magic power is attributed to my own thoughts and actions - if I think badly, then my loved ones can get sick, die, die, etc., but if at the same time, on the way to work, I count ten red cars, I can prevent it.

The formula "everything is clear without words" is transformed into a permanent projection on others of their anxieties, hostility and the need for omnipotent control and satisfaction of needs, which affects the quality of interpersonal contacts and generates many problems and conflicts in them.