Fatal Attraction

Magical thinking assumes there are causal relationships that an outside observer would not necessarily recognize because that causality is based on the hypothetical, not facts.

Mistaking possibility for probability is called inferential confusion; it's associated with the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as schizotypal personality disorder (SPD).[i] [ii] That's something to remember as summer casually fades into the shadows of fall's periphery, where things like ghosts and goblins can come to life—and not just on Halloween.

"Was the first man that leaped, cried, 'Hell is empty. And all the devils are here.'" -from William Shakespeare's, "The Tempest"

Source: Dr. Rebecca Housel

OCD is often depicted as obsessively washing one’s hands for no apparent reason, but it also involves a pattern of thought where obsessive doubt based on assumed (or imaginary) problems becomes the focus of the affected individual, who then makes subjective judgments based on those assumptions.

That level of break from reality is quite dangerous—destructive, too. With schizotypal personality disorder (SPD), an innate over-reliance on imagination creates a lack of ability to differentiate between what is real and what isn’t. A person with SPD may read something on a blog or hear an individual being interviewed on a podcast and believe that what is being discussed somehow concerns them directly, even when it clearly doesn’t. That’s part of inferential confusion as well.

Paranormal “reality” television is enjoying a resurgence of popularity as we head into fall (and closer to holidays like Halloween). Given society’s current penchant for validating things you can’t validate, it’s important to keep mindfulness (i.e., self-awareness/discernment) at the ready in your “survive anything” toolkit.

Interpretation plays a big role in inferential confusion. How an individual sees the world is the context from which that person then translates their experience. When you perceive certain persons, organizations, or ethnic and/or religious groups as your “enemy” based on fear, not facts—it’s part of inferential confusion. However, magical thinking can also help us get through a crisis, believing a solution exists even when one isn’t readily apparent.[iii] It's when we start ignoring our gut in favor of magical thinking, that we then make ourselves (and those connected to us) more vulnerable to external difficulty.

There’s no harm in the fun of holidays like Halloween, but we do need to be more mindful of how magical thinking is creeping into everyday life through an increase in things like paranormal “reality” television. The word “reality” as a descriptive for what is pure entertainment is disturbing at best. As is the fact that there are currently 11 TV programs with the words “ghost” or “ghosts” in the title, 10 with the words “haunted” or “haunting,” six with the word “paranormal,” two that involve words like “psychic” and “medium,” two with the words “mysterious” or “unexplained,” and finally, two shows with the words “alien” or “aliens.” That’s just on cable, too—33 television programs involving the “exploration” of unverifiable and unsubstantiated “phenomena” readily available 24/7 “On Demand.” Scary indeed.

As a nearly 30-year survivor of high-grade brain cancer, I am well-versed in magical thinking. You have to be able to ignore the “facts” about your diagnosis. But, while I was certain I was going to beat the two-year prognosis I received after my recurrence, I only did it through science-based research and approved medical treatments. That's far from a leap of faith.

People see me as a "miracle" when, in fact, I’m merely an example of how an individual can save themselves by seeing through the red tape doctors are bound by in order to keep their jobs. It’s called legal liability. Any cancer patient can look up the same studies and make the same choices. It’s just frowned upon—socially speaking. You face pressure in the form of bullying and are often labeled as “uncooperative.”

But I’ve lived decades beyond my prognosis at this point, and when you’re standing where I am, all the name-calling, bullying, and peer pressure is well worth it. You. Are. Alive. Not because you wished for it. Not because you prayed for it. And certainly not because you're "lucky." You’re alive because you were proactive instead of reactive. I'm not saying believing in prayer or the power of positive thinking is wrong--I use both all the time as coping mechanisms when the unexpected happens and I suddenly feel vulnerable. But I also recognize magical thinking for what it is, treating it as a motivational tool, not an absolute.

There’s nothing miraculous about being discerning enough to act on cold, hard facts. When we start relying on unverifiable information because we believe we have a sixth sense, or can read people’s thoughts, or, hear a ghost-relative “tell” us something, it can be destructive to our lives, as well as to the lives of everyone connected to us.

Magical Thinking Essential Reads

Study Highlights Dangers of Superstitious Beliefs

Half-Belief in Superstitions

I was 15 when my father, a big believer in psychics and psychic mediums, had a female friend (who claimed to be psychic) tell him that I’d lost my virginity. I did not have a boyfriend at the time and wouldn’t for another two years. I could not drive a car and would not get my license for another two years as well. I ran cross country, sang in the school chorus, was a member of French Club and the school literary magazine, regularly babysat for multiple families, and, worked part-time in a local tuxedo shop. I didn’t even take the bus because I enjoyed walking the four miles to and from school.

Those are verifiable facts about my activities at age 15, yet, because some stranger who had never even met me claimed to be psychic and relayed what was essentially imagined musings—I was suddenly not trusted. My house keys were even taken away.

We had just moved to a new house in a new town, too. I’d switched districts for the third year in a row as a result of multiple changes in my family, so I was working really hard to catch up, make new friends, participate in extracurricular activities (to bolster college applications), and all while balancing work at the tuxedo shop with various babysitting gigs. I was also a student-athlete—not a good one, but I attended every practice and did my best at the meets.

The sudden doubts my father began casting were utterly terrifying from my perspective. It was equally frightening to see how easily other family members jumped on the bandwagon, despite the fact that there was absolutely no reason to. But reason had little to do with what was happening.

Later in my life, I learned my father had been diagnosed with OCD. In the context of that diagnosis, what seemed like terrifying behavior to a teen girl still sleeping with stuffed animals and more interested in writing stories about boys than actually engaging with them, makes much more sense. An over-reliance on unverifiable information isn’t just about believing there are germs everywhere, or that walking on a crack in the sidewalk can bring bad luck. It can irreparably harm people’s lives, not to mention the negative effects it has on mental health.

So, before enjoying the next episode of my friend, Grant Wilson’s show, Ghost Hunters on A&E, remember to avoid overindulging in possibility over probability. Be proactive instead of reactive. Protect yourself and the people you love by teaching mindfulness, not magical manifestation. Think positive, yes. And absolutely believe in yourself and your abilities. But do so through unconditional love of who you actually are. If you do, you can (and will) live longer and stronger, too.