Magical Thinking Explained! | The Psychology of Magical Belief and Superstition
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ม.ค. 2021
- In this video, I discuss magical thinking and the belief in magic and superstition from a cognitive science/psychological perspective in order to understand why we believe the things that we do, and why rational people sometimes behave in irrational ways.
As a skeptical witch, I fully understand that magic is a placebo. Logically, while it can cause profound changes within my external reality, I know it can't have any real effect on my external reality. And yet, in my witchcraft practice, I nonetheless allow myself to look past this rational knowledge now and then, and fully embrace the reality of magic (impossible as it may be). In these instances, you could say that I simultaneously believe and don't believe in magic. This may seem counter-intuitive, but in fact, our minds are actually wired for these kinds of conflicting perceptions and judgements, as we are incredibly complex beings capable of some pretty complex thinking!
If you're interested in this topic, check out my blog post on magical thinking for more about the cognitive science of belief: www.obscureclouds.com/the-scie...
Articles Discussed:
Risen, Jane L. 2016. “Believing What We Do Not Believe: Acquiescence to Superstitious Beliefs and Other Powerful Intuitions.” Psychological Review 123, no. 2: 182-207.
Request Access: www.researchgate.net/publicat...
Subbotsky, Eugene. 2014. “The Belief in Magic in the Age of Science.” SAGE Open January-March: 1-17.
Access: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full...
Follow me on Instagram: / skeptical.witch
Music in this video is Blossom by Lakey Inspired: • LAKEY INSPIRED - Blossom
#magicalthinking #witchcraft #cognitivescience
You see this same duality when it comes to ghosts. Many skeptics say they don't believe in them, but would never stay the night in a "haunted house", myself included.
Me too! I don’t believe in ghosts, but would 100% be *terrified* to stay in a haunted house!
I really enjoyed this! The experiment with the good and bad spells reminded me of one of Jonathan Haidt and Scott Murray's experiments in which they asked atheists to sell their soul for $2. The little paper "contracts" they used clearly stated that it was not a binding agreement in any way, and the subjects were even told they could rip it up after the experiment. Still, only 23% of participants were willing to sign without any convincing. Humans are fascinating!
Very informative video! :-) I haven't heard of the dual process model of cognition before, but the idea helps me make sense of my thoughts/emotions. A lot of times, I imagine being in a different time period and I will visit places that have some connection to that period. Even though system 2 will kick in, I will continue enjoying the irrational. During a ritual, I normally see myself having actual powers >:-)
I am reminded of a funny incedent recently. I was watching a show where one of the not-so-nice characters really got to me. Before I knew it, I started "hating" the person playing the character as well and had to read a few articles about the actor to remind myself that he is a decent human being (he does a lot of charity work). Thank goodness for system 2! :'-D
Thanks, I'm very glad you enjoyed the video! Sorry for taking so long to respond--your comment was being "held for review" for some reason. And yes, like you I often allow myself to enjoy the irrational and believe I have magical powers during ritual.
And that's a really great example of how System 1 often tends to make quick judgements and likes to jump to conclusions, which is why it's important that we have System 2!
Now I know that I can embrace my spiritual need, while also being sceptical about the world. This video really helped me settle that dichotomy! (Also, Ocean Keltoi brought me to your channel, you have really good stuff)
Just discovered your channel. I’ve been trying to find content like this for so long! I was huge into the paranormal when I was younger and as I grew, system 2 completely overpowered 1 and I feel like it pooped on my party. I’m really wanting to let system 1 renter my life in a healthy way. I see the harm conspiracy theories and alternative facts can do so I’ve been hesitant to try to retrain my mind to let system 1 play again, if even possible at all. I’ll definitely be digging into the the articles you referenced and am really looking forward to checking out more of your content. Thank you!
I’m glad my video resonated with you! 😊 conspiracy theories and “alternative facts” can definitely be really harmful, but I think as long as you balance these things with a solid grounding in the real world, then they can definitely be a lot of fun, and make life more interesting haha. I’m also super into paranormal conspiracies and spooky mysteries . If someone asked me if I actually believed in that kind of stuff I’d say no, because rationally I don’t... but there is still a part of me that loves to entertain that “what if.” I get really into conspiracy/mystery podcasts and such because I allow for that suspension of disbelief.... and I think the same can be said for a lot of people with this kind of thing. The paranormal is fascinating! I think it only really becomes problematic when you stop fact-checking for yourself, or start claiming that these things are true without actually doing proper research.
As someone who struggles with the cognitive dissonance this is really helpful for me. I think I need to focus on taking a break from the type two thinking - which honestly I think underlies a lot of the mental health problems I experience as well, so it's actually helpful advice on a few different levels!
I’m so glad this video was helpful for you. Western society definitely places such a huge emphasis on system 2 kind of thinking-on rationality, intellect, scientific methods and linear progress-that it’s easy to forget that this isn’t the only mode of thinking and knowing. There’s a lot of value in imaginative, creative, intuitive thinking, even if it doesn’t always seem like it.
wow you are so brilliant and this was so eye opening (especially fascinating as I've always had an academic interest in witchcraft and the idea of "magical thinking" is always talked about in that context) but I'm definitely going to think about how I can work this into my life! thank you!
Thanks so much for your kind words! I’m glad this resonated with you 😊 and that’s cool you’ve had an academic interest in witchcraft too-it’s such a fascinating area! Especially as a student, where there’s so much focus on reason and intellect and rigorous analysis and all that good stuff, it’s helpful to be able to bring a little magic and magical thinking into your life 😊✨
Ahhhh I've been looking for this!! I'm a skeptic but thought psychologically witchcraft would be helpful. I'm stuck in this believing and not believing because I know rationally it's not real but system 1 just wont let it gooooo. I wanna believe there's more to this world darn it! I've reached the point of trying to rationally explain the irrational XD it's getting wild up here.
Let me just start off with, I used to think exactly as you do now. With that being said I do agree that a big part of magickal practices is psychological. However, in regards to system 1 and 2 thinking...feels more like intuition vs societal conditioning. Science states that magick affecting the external world is impossible. First, off there is no way of testing that theory in an unbiased way. Secondly, science never stops, we are constantly learning new things and overturning old belief systems. I believe it is very arrogant to think we understand things we have just barely started to scratch the surface of. Of course I have experienced things that the average person closes themselves off from so I know now there is so much more than what we see and understand. I am still a very rational person and supporter of scientific research and even science is slowly starting to catch up to what the ancients knew way back when.
This is how I feel too.
This is true! There are infinite things I'm sure mainstream science hasn't even begun to grasp yet, and I do agree that magical practices, even more traditional ones, don't need to be in opposition with science. They are perspectives that can compliment one another :)
Thank you for eloquently stating that, I agree and am glad you have reached that place
As a former psychology student, let me just say that things in the field now considered hard science used to be considered parapsychology, so science never stops changing and evolving. That's something that's so amazing about it!
This is very true, and yet there's still a big difference between asserting that something could have a natural explanation that we simply haven't found yet in a more empirical manner, vs. asserting that something is actually, literally supernatural. Not all system 2 thinking is societal conditioning, in fact many people throughout history have been motivated through their reasoning to go against the social grain. And neither is all system 1 thinking inherently free of societal conditioning, as there are a whooooole lot of things we "know" "intuitively" that are based on our experiences and interactions that all occurred within our own social environment. I don't think that tension is something we can ever be free of, or need to be, but I do think it's important to stay aware of things that have the potential to distort our thinking, to avoid the types of distortions that are pathological or unhelpful.
For many of us, returning to the pre-rational worldviews of "the ancients," however enticing that may seem sometimes, is simply not possible. Like Pandora's box, we can't simply "unsee" the critical rational developments of modernity and go on as if none of that ever happened. (Nor should we... there were a lot of plus sides to that stage of our collective development!) But that doesn't mean we are forever barred from deeper spiritual meaning and experience, if we can recognize the positive insights of both non-rational and rational ways of seeing and knowing, and hold them in humble tension, in such a way that balances their potential downsides, and recognizes there will continue to be many mysteries and ways to grow.
Great topic and so well explained! I think we often are more flexible with our own beliefs in magical thinking. E.g., if I make a candle ritual I'm more likely to believe it has some sort of effect, than when my christian family prays and lights up a candle to a saint. And the same thing happens the other way around. After all, we are much closer to our own emotions and intuition, while with others we can be a bit more rational.
Yes I definitely agree! It’s much easier to judge others as being irrational than ourselves for sure. We tend to think that we are the exception when it comes to things like that, and you’re right I think it has a lot to do with emotion and intuition.
Thanks for including sources! Interesting content and well presented.
This is such a wonderful video!! The experiments asking sceptics if they'd like Good and Bad Spells cast on them sounds FASCINATING. And you have so so many beautiful inspirational quotes at the end about the balance between magical and rational thinking... I think I need to rewatch more slowly, so I can write some of your words down in my Book of Shadows! xx
Aw thanks so much! I’m so glad it resonated with you! That means a lot to me 😊 and yeah, it’s such an interesting experiment! It’s crazy how almost everyone has some kind of subconscious belief in magic, or fear that it might be real.
Incredibly interesting, thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing your take on balancing the rational with ritual. Even though we know that rational thinking based on science helps us deal with what's reality, it tends to leave the human heart yearning for emotional fulfillment. You have a very interesting way off looking at rational / ritual & I look forward to more of your videos. Blessed Be!
i just love so much your channel, it’s so relatable and wonderful to me
Thank you so much!! :)
Another great video! As with theater, play, and film, we "suspend our disbelief" in order to have a deep, meaningful experience. Thanks for what you do!
Thank you! Yeah exactly, I like to think of it as engaging in play or putting on a show! And thank you for what you do! :)
This was so interesting!! I think I understand myself a little bit better now (as a sceptic but also doing some magical thinking, using my imagination, etc). 🙂
Ahhhh this is so helpful and explained so well! I have been thinking about this for about a year, how I can believe and not simultaneously. I’m not an academic but much of my job involves fact-checking and countering misinformation, so it’s been strange and stressful even navigating a belief/unbelief in the supernatural as a witch. Watching your other videos, I realized I had - without knowing what it’s called - taken on more of a psychological model. Rationally I knew what I was doing wasn’t physically changing anything, but it made me feel good and gave me confidence, agency, and sense of meaning I didn’t have before. Seeing someone else explain these things pretty much exactly the way I see it is super affirming and helpful, so thank you!
I think a magical practice has been very beneficial for me, mostly in terms of mindfulness, appreciation of nature and beauty, and really helps me with setting goals, understanding myself and what I want. I see it as kind of goal-setting plus lol.
That’s great, I’m really glad my videos were helpful for you! 😊 And it’s wonderful that magic and witchcraft have been so beneficial for you! I also used to experience a lot of cognitive dissonance with practicing magic on the one hand yet not really believing in it on the other. But since then I’ve come to embrace it, and appreciate it as the complexity of the mind. I really think witchcraft can be such a powerful psychological tool, and it’s awesome that you’ve been able to gain more confidence and agency from it 😊 thanks very much for your comment, it’s always really great to connect with like-minded witches!
What a fascinating discussion! I think a good follow-up would be considering what actually is, beyond the personal benefits of rational and magical thinking. For example, acknowledging that sometimes supposed rational thought fails us and it is our intuition that actually captures the truth (and vice versa). Basically, both systems 1 and 2 can be both successful and unsuccessful at uncovering reality even though we tend to think that only system 2 successfully does that. How much of either system can we trust to be telling the truth?
That’s a really great point, thank you! I hadn’t really thought about it when making this video but that’s so true-there have been multiple times where my intuition was telling me something, and after taking the time to really think about it rationally, I second guessed myself... even though the original intuition was correct/would have been better.
This happened to me when I was in danger/was assaulted. My gut was telling me something was wrong but rationally there wasn’t anything to indicate there was anything dangerous happening. I only had a hunch to go off of. My gut feeling was correct 😬
Omg looking at system 1 and system 2 styles of thinking was such a cool idea for a witchcraft video!
Thanks! I’m not a scientist or psychologist by any stretch of the imagination, but learning about the mind is so fascinating!
Have been enjoying your content since I subscribed, very well presented videos, although I'm very much a believer myself! Always interesting to see other views.
Thanks very much! One of my favourite things about being part of the wider online witchy/spiritual community is getting to know about other people’s perspectives on things like this, and engaging with a variety of worldviews 😊
Thank you for this video. I have a lot of trouble with cognitive dissonance from my simultaneous belief and disbelief in magic and spirituality, so this really helps! It also makes me think of the quote by Jill Bolte Taylor: "Most of us think of ourselves as thinking creatures that feel, but we are actually feeling creatures that think.”
Wow! I think we choose the same path (and I didn't know I chose it hahaha) , It's really difficult to be balanced, but I think is the way! I wanna try, it''s the way to understand myself better I think. Thank you for your video.... Now I have to think about it a lot.
Impressive and interesting. I like that we can access both, rthe critical and the creative.
Yes for sure! And thank you, I’m glad you found it interesting!
You put this all very well! You described my beliefs and lack thereof perfectly! (P.s.... you need a better mic)
Thank you! I'm glad it resonated with you! And I know, I'm planning on buying a mic soon when I have the funds.
Idk what this counts for...me personally I've viewed life as random, consciousness as a bi product of cells working in unison, spiritual practice as an evolutionary placebo, positive affirmations that just reenforce healthy thought patterns and seeing patterns through out my day that elicit certain psychological responses. It makes more sense logically...but then aspects of my life don't work in concert, my perception of life turns cold, my ego takes over and i suffer.
When I let go, open my mind to the possibility there's more connection that any of us can fathom... Let go and put belief into practice wonderful things happen I can't explain... I look back and there were dreams that became reality...
For me magic is somewhere in there. It works every time I stop trying to comprehend spirit and just let it in...
Thank you for approaching this subject, your videos are very thoughtful 🙏
You've put that beautifully! I really like that sentiment, and I agree with you... As much as I am fascinated by the psychology of religion/spirituality, I also think it's important to just embrace the mystery sometimes, and enjoy the not knowing. For me its about finding balance between curiosity and pursuing knowledge on the one hand, and letting go of that and simply letting things be on the other hand.
Thanks for your comment! :)
your content is so cool💓
Thank you!!
Sister! This makes my system align so more..a bicameral brain cohabits logical structure mind with the chaotic vision of sublime art tap from premordial jus of human unknowing
The article you mentioned about the two systems of thinking is very informative. Just speculating, but I wonder if the trick, especially with being a skeptic, is to try to train and recognize when system two is about to surrender, despite its best efforts, and engage some sort of logical failsafe. But that is much easier said than done 😅
Interesting point! I feel like there could be some strategies used for recognizing and preventing system one thinking from taking over in certain situations... But yeah it would probably take some work!
yeah fosho i agree with that but what i was more getting at is the ability your talking with is kinda cool and takes time i think it is science like i think scientist have a bias against it when in fact we adapted these traits for a reason and that while some scientist over rationalize we wouldn't get far without magical thinking or more the ability of magical thinking. Im kinda saying the stuff you into would probably make a scientist a better scientist if they were into it i have so much respect for scientist and just as much for practical theorists like yourself these people tend to be looked at as opposites when i believe in they should be best friends everybody should have the wright to spiritual belief and i dont think it had to require denying science... scientist dont admit it but comes down to it their preaching magic. The split you are talking about is really cool and scientifically any control over oneself is what i fuck with so im def feeling what your saying and learning from it .. i respect science alot and take all their truths as fact but their not really above irrational thinking in a way i feel embracing both is rational thinking at its fullest ... i am skeptic but i want believe in shit i like wish i could go back and fourth im stuck with leaps and theory that im very confident about but will see in time hahaha
I agree, science and spirituality don’t have to be incompatible with one another 😊 I think you’re right they definitely can and maybe should go hand in hand!
Great stuff. Have you every heard of "metamodern spirituality"?
If you don't believe what you're doing will work... it probably won't.
( Unless your subconscious gets ahold of it. Then you might be screwed, depending on certain psychological factors. )
By the way, even science is coming around to the fact that the human mind CAN have a direct effect on the world around us, all by itself.
hence another unknown studied thing is how resisting magical thinking do to say a scientists ego makes them a worst scientist leading me to speculate thar say ...I might make better leaps on the unknown or others who reconize this lol but that a bit of a leap right their something that discredits scientists heavily for me .... this is a topic we study and is pretty cool because especially in your feild your studies auto purge this resistance to leaps thar again my whole point is hurts other scholars theoretical predictions heavily in my understanding
So what if other people hear the same voice you hear calling your name and mumbling or music playing late at night with no one else around you ..
Is paganisam and witchcraft considered as mental health issue and should it be considered like that. I am sceptic but the thing that scares me is that i could go insane from this? I am the person who really valiue rationality and science but i also believe that there is some kind of energy system that works like magic? I need answersss
No, Paganism and witchcraft are not mental health issues. I believe they can actually be incredibly helpful practices for improving mental health, particularly with things like anxiety and depression. The overwhelming majority of Pagans and witches are perfectly intelligent, rational people.
Do you think that magic and Jung's idea of Synchronicity could be related to your idea of skeptical magic and witchcraft - how it works perhaps?...maybe harmonizing us to reality.. Also, do you think the power of understanding the Tarot is similar to the psychology of how magic works?
Sure! I think there can definitely be some overlap there. I’m really interested in some Jungian concepts, especially synchronicity. Even though I don’t necessarily believe that synchronicities are signs from the universe, I do think there can be a lot of meaning found in them. Same with magic-I don’t think I can literally change my external reality, but I do think it can bring us into more harmony with the world, and can be really meaningful :)
@@theskepticalwitch6611 Thank you. I really enjoy your take on this. It's a breath of fresh air.
I have always had a suspicion that religion has had a fear of what is unknown...perhaps an aversion to the subconscious. Perhaps that's because something they cannot or understand understand.
i have conflicting beliefs in a type f different way i believe science is law but it would preposterous to think what is undiscovered doesnt exists now this is an inconvenience and annoying to those that dedicate their lives and are the leaders of their feild but this is simply their humanity and as i face their scientific finding as truth with i do they seem to struggle facing their unknowns as possibilities who we all likely have a versing ability on theorizing these unknowns. For example it would be maybe probable that theirs discoveries out in the ocean in the future that would likely be considered outright magical thinking today and while i and others arnt in the future say one were to study where is the line of the rational skeptic and the scientific theory and while this like in semi clear it seems rather helpful to take leaps witch is likely why the adaptation of magical thinking persists why we want to believe is probably part of that same strength connected to but different than imagination
I definitely agree that there are plenty of things we haven’t discovered yet, and some of them might even seem magical! But there’s a difference between magical thinking and scientific theorizing-magical thinking generally involves jumping to conclusions and making assumptions, whereas scientific processes of research and discovery are almost the opposite of that, involving meticulous analytical analysis and the scientific method. While scientists may make “leaps” when considering new possibilities, the subsequent processes for testing those possibilities are grounded in rationality and system 2 type thinking.
More kitty
😂 ok next video
Schrodinger's witchcraft.
I kind of don’t want to sound insulting, but I don’t subscribe to the psychological model of magic, so I found myself yawning a lot waiting for the bell to ring. I suppose there are people who go with that, but I find that disappointing. I don’t find a lot of value in it.
I’m not saying I believe in faith…I don’t think anyone needs to believe for it to be a thing. Either it is or it isn’t. Who needs belief? But to go so far as to reduce magic to something as incomplete as science or psychology can explain, I can’t tell you how much that misses the mark. As it stands, reason, rationality, and logic is generally the weaker of mankind’s capacities. The fallback motivator is emotional…or so that’s what psychology says.
Also, to confuse intuition with emotion is a huge mistake too. That’s where a lot of people get in trouble when they try to do magic or divination, especially as newbies. They can’t yet tell the difference, so they tend to assume it’s the same. And who bothers to call it out? So…enter the psych model. 🤦🏼♀️
The psychological model leaves a lot to be desired. Lots of data, little substance.
That's fair--everyone practices magic in their own way, and whereas the psychological model works well for some, it's not for others :)
Hey I can’t find your pronouns on your Instagram profile or TH-cam about page,
I want to be respectful and I understand if you don’t want to share I was just curious how I should refer to you
I use she/her, thanks for asking!