According to Britannica.com, magical thinking is the belief that one’s ideas, thoughts, actions, words, or use of symbols can influence the course of events in the material world. Magical thinking presumes a causal link between one’s inner, personal experience and the external, physical world. For example, “An angelic guide told me I would experience abundance, therefore they must have been messaging that my book will be a #1 Best Seller.” (Tee hee)
This whisper stems from my curiosity about magical thinking versus small thinking. With magical thinking, there is no plausible link between a belief and a result. With small thinking, perhaps we don’t have the vision to see how we will get the result. Just because there is no evidence, doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Maintaining an objective reality doesn’t mean we have to eliminate all possibilities.
I have noticed that spiritual people can fall prey to magical thinking, then find themselves upset at their guides or disappointed in the results of their efforts. Educated, refined thinkers avoid any potential influence that would lead to magical thinking. Some have developed a greater awareness of their thoughts moving outside the rational mind. Let’s get a whisper on magical thinking:
What a person chooses to believe can penetrate to the depths of their soul. Strong opinions, attitudes, and biases create emotions that lock certain thoughts into the system. It’s easy to form unhealthy attachments to thoughts, reactions, and a way of being in the world. Like a criminal who believes they will never get caught while leaving evidence of their actions. The belief is the factor that influences thoughts as rational, irrational, or without evidence.
Desire is another factor. Sometimes people want something so bad they don’t allow an evidence-based reality to sway them from their mission. The strength of a person’s dreams and wishes can support magical thinking. An attachment to an outcome can lock emotions into a system, making it impossible to abandon the effort, despite all evidence to the contrary. One possible outcome is the disappointment that the goal did not manifest.
Magical thinking can apply to career, relationship, finances, life purpose, health, or any major aspect of life. There is sometimes an energetic relationship with magical thinking and ungrounding. This would explain why spiritual people come out of meditation with a disconnection from the Earth realm, with some direction that includes idealist goals without a basis in reality. Small thinking is often part of a coping mechanism. You will never be disappointed if you don’t allow yourself to follow your hopes and dreams to the fullest.
Small thinkers might not realize any form of disappointment on the mental level, but their hearts may feel cheated of the experience of actions related to the manifestation of dreams. Take the time to create the vision of success, eliminate unhealthy attachments, move with actions that lead to discovery, and allow yourself to think big. Your heart will feel the satisfaction that comes with exploring your dreams.
Bring joy, ease suffering and create beauty, then dance like you mean it!
Blessings, Russell
Escape from reality. In some instances, dissociation induces people to imagine that they have some kind of mastery over intractable environmental difficulties. Dissociation is often implicated in magical thinking or self-induced trance states. This aspect of dissociation is frequently found in abuse survivors. It is not uncommon for abused children to engage in magical thinking to retain an illusion of control over the situation (e.g., believing that they “cause” the perpetrator to act out).”
― Marlene Steinberg
