Magical Thinking and OCD: Is There a Way Out of the Inner Prison?
Magical thinking as an attempt to control reality dates back to primitive times. Back then, not knowing the laws of the objective world, people tried to protect themselves from the blows of fate with specific rituals. Surprisingly, even today, in the 21st century, during the height of science and free access to knowledge, many people still get stuck on “magical rituals” in an attempt to influence an ever-changing world. Together with practicing psychologists and leading researchers, let’s explore what magical thinking is, why it’s dangerous, and what obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) really means.
The Roots of Magical Thinking
Every new century brings challenges humanity isn’t prepared for: the First and Second World Wars shocked the world with unprecedented cruelty and broke the psyche of entire generations, while the relatively stable 21st century has hit us with the daily unpredictability of reality. Living in the so-called information society, we are bombarded with streams of information of all kinds, often contradictory. We have to master new programs and technology, regularly upgrade our skills to keep our jobs, rethink social processes, and most importantly—come to terms with the absolute instability of everyday life.
The demands of modern life consume a huge amount of our mental resources. Yet, the need for stability remains one of our basic needs. As reality speeds up, more and more people turn to what’s called “magical thinking.” This is the belief that one’s thoughts, actions, or words can directly influence the surrounding reality.
Even Ivan Pavlov studied this phenomenon, exploring people’s tendency to try to “program” the world around them.
Experts note that this habit can become addictive. In such cases, a person starts to explain all their successes and failures by things like “I was rude to someone on the bus,” “I didn’t lend money to a friend,” or “I didn’t listen to an annoying acquaintance,” and so on. The types of “magical actions” are deeply individual and varied.
Magical Thinking in Society and Culture
According to sociologist V.S. Svechnikov and cultural studies researcher L.N. Chevtaeva, myths about magic are deeply embedded in the collective unconscious. They note:
Rational citizens of Russia—businesspeople, politicians, doctors, scientists—understand that mysterious phenomena always attract the masses and are fertile ground for all kinds of speculation.
This was especially noticeable in the 1990s. During a time of absolute instability, people eagerly turned to all sorts of magicians, fortune-tellers, and psychics. Throughout this period, and later in the 2000s, TV, radio, and other media fueled public interest in the “mysterious”: shows featuring psychics, call-in programs with “magicians” who claimed to solve any problem remotely—from a husband’s alcoholism to serious illnesses—were especially popular.
In response, the Russian Academy of Sciences even created a special Commission to Combat Pseudoscience and Falsification of Scientific Research.
Interestingly, many people understand the illogical nature of magical thinking and speak out against this way of controlling reality. However, a study by British psychologist E. Subbotsky showed the opposite. In one experiment:
Adult participants were asked to imagine their future lives. Then, they were told that a) a magical spell cast on their future would change it for better or worse (mythical suggestion), and b) changing numbers on a computer screen would change their future for better or worse (ordinary suggestion). All participants denied that changing numbers on a screen could affect their future, but their actions showed they believed in this possibility.
So, even mentally healthy people realize the absurdity of “magical spells,” but a deeply rooted irrational seed—sometimes linked to childhood trauma or cultural influences (fairy tales, myths, legends, proverbs, and local superstitions)—prevents them from thinking rationally and significantly increases anxiety.
The Dangers of Magical Thinking
This is what makes magical thinking dangerous. Gaining the illusion of control over the world, a person starts striving for “absolute omnipotence” and tries to program the uncontrollable. When their actions coincide with the desired result, they increasingly believe they’ve found a “magical way” to control their environment. If not, they blame themselves for supposedly “wrong” thoughts or actions.
The habit of magical thinking can quickly escalate from seemingly harmless actions to a real mental disorder—obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—causing severe, sometimes unbearable suffering.
What Is OCD?
OCD is a condition characterized by obsessions and compulsions. An obsession is a persistent, frightening, or unpleasant thought that enters the person’s mind against their will. A compulsion is a special, deeply personal ritual that helps temporarily get rid of obsessive thoughts.
As a result, a person’s mind is frequently visited by phobic, sometimes disgusting, and uncharacteristic thoughts. The most common include fear of catching a dangerous, incurable disease, getting a virus, failing at work or school, or losing a loved one. Sometimes, the person is plagued by disturbing images of violence, cruelty, sexual perversions, or intentions to harm someone morally or physically.
These thoughts, which have nothing to do with the person’s true self, drive them crazy and cause panic. To get rid of them, they perform absurd, self-invented rituals. The most common are constant hand washing, avoiding certain steps on stairs, arranging books and other items in a “correct” order, and so on. Rituals can be very diverse. For example, some people are afraid to repost or like something on social media because they think “something bad” might happen.
Consulting psychologist A.V. Dukhareva notes:
A person believes that repeating certain actions can protect them from the twists of fate. You often hear clients say things like: “If I do everything right, nothing will happen,” “It’s important to turn off the light with the right/good thought,” “If I made a mistake in the sequence of actions, I have to start over,” and so on.
Causes and Consequences of OCD
OCD can arise for various reasons. It may result from an obsession with magical thinking, childhood trauma, stress, emotional and physical exhaustion, heavy workload, or instability at work.
The danger is that there are no real “magical” rituals. But sincerely believing in their power, a patient may spend hours just washing their hands, turning doorknobs a certain number of times, or rewriting messages on social media to get the “right word order,” and so on. The fear behind each ritual is unique to each person. For example, people with anorexia may forbid themselves from saying certain words or letters out of fear of gaining weight. Yet, rituals only bring temporary relief, causing the person to lock themselves in an inner prison full of unbearable suffering.
Interestingly, most people with OCD do realize the absurdity of their situation but can’t change it. They usually hide their illness, fearing judgment and ridicule. According to WHO, in 2013, 1 to 3% of the population suffered from OCD. However, experts believe this number is much higher.
It’s also important to note that while most people recognize the illogical nature of their actions, patients with a “psychopathic level of organization” will truly believe that rituals save them from fatal consequences.
Is There a Way Out?
The good news is that OCD is treatable. Psychiatrists’ advice is universal: a person should carefully monitor their condition and, by force of will, try to break the chain of their own “cause-and-effect connections.” They should try to see the real reason for success or failure, not as a sign of “correct magical actions,” but as a real action, and recognize the level of anxiety interfering with a full life—such as relationship problems, eating disorders, stressful work, or unstable business.
Therapists also suggest taking rituals to the point of absurdity—for example, opening and closing doors until the person gets tired and realizes the pointlessness of the action. Doctors also recommend visualizing fears: imagine what would happen if you “lost your job,” “gained weight,” or “broke up with a toxic partner.” This way, the patient, though with some discomfort and high anxiety, works through alternative scenarios, helping to remove fatalistic thinking from their life.
Typically, patients diagnosed with OCD undergo both medication therapy (usually with antidepressants and tranquilizers) and psychotherapy, which helps not only to get rid of obsessive thoughts but also to find and neutralize the root cause of their anxiety. After all, everything that happens to us—whether it’s OCD or a panic attack—is essentially a signal that something in our life is going wrong. Our psyche starts to rebel, demanding more careful treatment of ourselves and our lives. Rethinking one’s life path and realizing that the patient may not be following their true path or is taking on too much can help them return to a healthy life.
It’s also important to remember that life has always been, is, and will be a changing substance. That’s its value and beauty. We can’t “cement” the present, but we have the unique opportunity to live without fear, enjoying each day with all its amazing surprises or troubles, which ultimately free us from infantilism and make us stronger.