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magical thinking

magical thinking Magical thinking is a pattern of believing that one’s thoughts or acts can bring about outcomes in ways that are not realistically possible.

Magical thinking is a pattern of believing that one’s thoughts or acts can bring about outcomes in ways that are not realistically possible. It can appear in everyday life as well as in mental health problems, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia-related thinking, and may sometimes be linked with distress or impaired functioning.

Sources

Drafting source: Eddy Clare M. The many manifestations of magical thinking: a systematic review. 2026; DOI 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1759906; article XML SHA-256 029a29bafb99aebfbc95f95be269413dcb7111ac1498cec74dd7e6e9607de378. “The many manifestations of magical thinking: a systematic review” (10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1759906).
CC-BY-4.0 · Definition uses new wording; original source retains its stated licence. · Source snapshot SHA-256: 029a29bafb99aebfbc95f95be269413dcb7111ac1498cec74dd7e6e9607de378

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PsychTerms (psychterms.org), CC BY 4.0, version 1. “magical thinking.” Development preview.

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magical thinking

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Sources

Cite this entry