Today we’re on to part 3 of our series on the most common “cognitive distortions,” or thinking errors. Cognitive distortion #3 is…
Magical thinking..
What it is:
Overall, “magical thinking” refers to attempts to control external outcomes via thoughts or rituals that clearly don’t have the power to actually affect the outcome. Sounds silly, but it’s actually surprisingly sneaky.
(And it’s not about sincerely-held religious or spiritual beliefs, so set that aside for the moment.)
“Magical thinking” has a few different manifestations, but the one facet of it that I see cropping up most often with my clients is called “thought-action fusion.”
Thought-action fusion is when we mistakenly blur the distinction between thought and action.
At its most superficial level, this often shows up in the gap between knowing and doing, e.g. “I already know I should be eating healthier, sleeping more, etc [but I’m not doing any of it]…I’m still stressed out, so I need to know about even more tools.”
But it gets a lot juicier when we look at the deeper manifestations of thought-action fusion, which is where we’ll focus below.
When it happens:
Magical thinking seems to happen when there is an increased need for control, paired with an absence of actual control.
And thought-action fusion specifically can be both cause and consequence of guilt and anxiety.
It’s most insidious when we’ve experienced a blurring or violation of boundaries between ourselves and others, between our inner world and outer world. So we have a hard time distinguishing between what we really have control and responsibility over, vs. what belongs in others’ domain of control and responsibility.
Example:
Oof. This one can get heavy quickly and can bring up some big feelings if you identify with any of the examples above. If that’s you, go gently and only unpack further when you feel ready and have appropriate support in place.
What to do if you catch yourself doing it:
Acknowledge, validate, soothe, and seek support for any big feelings that come up as you explore this.
Then, ask yourself:
Reflections: