Abstract:
As we all know magical thinking is noticed in obsessive fears and compulsive rituals. Telepathy , clairvoyance and ideas that soul entering other's body etc seen in schizotypal personality disorder are nothing but the result of magical thinking. Delusion of black magic and various other delusions seen in psychoses and phobia for ghosts are clear cut examples for magical thinking. In this article the author postulates that magical thinking is the basic cognitive processes in borderline and hysterical personalities. Suicidal attempts and deliberate self harm seen in these people are the result of magical thinking. In fact magical beliefs are the psychopathology behind altruistic, anomic and egoistic suicides. In hysterical personality possession attacks as well as disassociation are based on magical beliefs. Possession is based on intention {–union--} to associate with Gods, spirits and people and it is rooted from libido while disassociation is based on intention to separate {disunite} from God , spirits and people and it originates from aggression. Self sacrificial behavior prevalent in any culture is a subtle form of self injurious behavior done in the name of religion and God. Similarly self injurious behavior is the extreme form of self sacrificial behavior. Self sacrificial behavior is based on the need to associate with people and spirits which is rooted from libido while self injurious behavior seen in borderline personalities is to disassociate from people and God and it originates from aggression. Alcohol use is to associate with God , spirits and with people and is based on libido while alcohol abuse and dependence are to disassociate from God , spirits and from people and it originates from aggression. Borderline personality indulges in deliberate physical self harm with external tissue damage. Hysterical personality indulges in intentional physical self harm with functional impairment, without tissue damage { female gender}.Alcohol and drug dependence is a form of intentional self harm with internal tissue damage! Lack of concern about the disability { la belle indifference} is not only seen in hysterical symptoms but also in hypochondriasis, deliberate self harm including alcohol and drug dependence ! Hypnotherapy , yoga therapy and transcendental meditation are based on occult scientific theories. Ego defense mechanisms like projection, idealization ,identification,introjection, .fantasy, undoing possession, possessivenesss and bargaining are based on magical beliefs. The author concludes by saying that 3-5 years boys moving away from mothers is because of magical fear of possession female attributes --not only character but also physical attributes --contradicting oedipal theory.
Introduction:
As we all know, magical thinking is noticed in obsessive fears and compulsive rituals to ward off those fears. Telepathy, clairvoyance and ideas that soul entering other's body etc seen in schizotypal personality disorder are nothing but magical thinking. Delusion of black magic , and various other delusions seen in psychoses and phobia of ghosts are clear cut examples of magical thinking. In this article the author postulates that magical thinking is the basic cognitive processes behind suicidal attempts, deliberate self harm and alcohol - drug dependence in borderline people and in the hysterical symptom production.
Magical thinking --Definition: The erroneous belief that one's thoughts, words, or actions will cause or prevent a specific outcome in some way that defies commonly understood laws of cause and effect. Magical thinking may be a part of normal child development.
Magical thinking is a primitive form of mental activity that is never eradicated completely, no matter how mature the individual. It is only layered over by more rational thinking and it readily appears when one day dreams, creates, regresses, dreams or when thinks under stress. Magical thinking may creep in to the logical processes whenever one cannot understand, explain or control reality.
Suicide and magical thinking:
In voodoo - black magic, the voodoo toy is injured with the intention of
Injuring the intended person {external object}. In deliberate self harm and attempted suicide the adolescent boy injures himself with the intention of injuring the internalized {incorporated } object. Suicide, particularly attempted Suicide has a homicidal motivation. The adolescent boy with emotionally unstable personality traits is more vulnerable to succumb to magical thinking in stressful situations to show his aggression.
Culturally, crystallized magical thinking—i.e. concrete magical beliefs are transmitted from one generation to another generation from primitive era to our present modern era. Altruistic, Anomic and Egoistic suicides are the result of magical beliefs.
Altruistic Suicide:
One person is killing himself to make another person to live .For example; Babur praying { prayer is a magical thinking}to God to take his own life in order to save his son Humayun who was in deathbed. Buddhist monks indulging in self immolation to save others is another example.
Anomic Suicide:
“No one is here in this world for me to love; I will seek someone for me at least in the world!”(The existence of an another world is a magical belief held by the community) .Unmarried,separated,marginalized ,jobless, poverty stricken anxious and depressives come under this category.
Egoistic Suicide:
“You don't appreciate me now; if I die you will come to know me better!”(Which is even more difficult to appreciate her in her absence)? i.e. if a person dies she will be elevated to the position of god , {as she has reached Heaven } as He is well appreciated in the earth even in His absence. {not because --one can appreciate the benefit of the meadow only when he sweats under the sun}. “I will kill myself to prove my innocence!” {Fire walking to prove chastity in certain community}. Here we must remember that self immolation is more common among women than in men, at least in developing countries. “You don't allow us to live in this world; we will go together in the nether world / heaven for ever which you cannot prevent.” Aggressive –depressives and borderline personalities come under this category.
Unless until we try to educate about the magical thinking and magical beliefs from the mind of the common public it will be very difficult to prevent suicide in the community.
Magical thinking in Borderline Personality:
SELF “SACRIFICIAL” BEHAVIOR VS SELF INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR;
Although Magical thinking is seen in all people, people with emotionally unstable personality act on these magical beliefs more often in more dramatic and violent ways because of their high emotionality and impulsiveness. That is the reason, attempted suicides and deliberate self harm are more in these people. They are born to shed blood either in temples as a ritual or in group fights between cl ans and in war zones. These “self injuring” border line people would have been the “objects of sacrifice” { even to the extent of human sacrifice} in religious ceremonial rituals. Their readiness to shed blood can explain their role in the past. They love to shed blood whenever an opportunity comes. Self sacrificial behavior is the subtle form of self injurious behavior. Doing prayer in kneeling down posture , visiting a temple for praying a particular deity in a mount with thousands of steps to climb and appeasing hunger in Lent period are nothing but subtle ways of self injurious cultural behavior. Circumcision by Hebrews and Muslims , ear piercing ceremony in Hindus, Skin and tongue piercing by {Tamil community in Tamil Nadu , India and Malaysia} worshippers of Lord Murugan, self injurious behavior of the Muslims during “Ashoura” celebrations, pilgrimage to a church by walk, with the heavy Holy cross on one's shoulder as a penance or nailing oneself on a cross by certain Christian communities are obvious examples of self injurious cultural behaviors in the name of “sacrifice” to the God. These are considered as self sacrificial { not self injurious} because they are done in the name of Gods and is a culturally sanctioned one. Self sacrificial behavior is for association with people and God and it is based on libido. Self injurious behavior is for dissociating from people and God and it is based on aggression.
Magical thinking in schizotypal personality:
Telepathy, clairvoyance and ideas that soul entering another's body is all nothing but magical beliefs. These personalities would have served the Humanity in the remote past as , shamans , black- magicians and witches. In a subtle way schizotypal personalities indulge in horoscope, palmistry and numerology in this modern world. People with anxiety and depressive personalities who are all apprehensive about other's black magic and “bad time” {superstition—a magical thinking}frequently visit these fortune tellers [ white magicians} and black magicians.
Magical thinking in paranoid personality:
“Ideas of black magic” is a clear cut example for magical thinking. These suspicious people are always afraid of the “evil eyes”. The eyes are the windows to the mind and the heart. Through the ‘evil eyes” one can mesmerize and possess a person /property. Amulets , talisman and charms to ward off the effect of “evil eyes” are used by the people of India, Egypt and Jordan.
Magical thinking in schizoid personality: People with Schizoid personality and paranoid personality love to visit schizotypal personalities { shamans, magicians and sorcerers } for consultation quiet often for their wellbeing to ward off from other's black magic. Fantasy is their form of magical thinking.
Magical thinking in Hysterical personality:
Possession by evil sprit is an obvious example for magical thinking. People with this personality would have served the community in the ancient past as low level priests or artists. {“Temple dancers”} .Dissociative spells are nothing but “curses “delivered upon oneself { because of shame and guilt }. Loosing eyesight, becoming paralytic, fugue state and convulsive spells are examples for these internalized “curses”. Psudocysis is also a product of magical thinking.{Usually “curses” are made on others up on the request by some, by the powerful people like shaman and high level priests}. The word “spell” means -- to utter in words -verb—as a magician uttering; Spell- --noun—words of charm said to possess magical powers; spell- noun –a period of time; spell bound—ad—enchanted. Curses are nothing but “spells”. In possession one is associating with God and in disassociation one is disassociating from God /loved objects by self directed curses. In hypnosis , eyes { eyes have special powers in magic }staring on a object and the hypnotizing person giving suggestions { uttering the spells} and the hypnotized person going into the trance state i.e. get's enchanted , all indicate a magical processes! In that case, the hypnotherapist is just a folk healer or shaman and the suggestibility of the hysterical personality is nothing but a strong belief in magical spells ! If so, hypnosis— is it an occult science?! [Yoga and transcendental meditation are based on magical thinking apart from hypnotherapy }.Possession is for associating with people ,sprits and God and it is based on libido. Disassociation means going away from people and God and it is based on aggression.
Narcissistic and antisocial Personality:
They were the “chosen people” to be the head priests in the temple in the past to look after the sacrificial rituals i.e. Shedding blood either by animal sacrifice or by human sacrifices (the borderline personalities eagerly waiting for that}. The ritual of blood sacrifice is enacted to satisfy the Gods and the God's representatives namely the head of the clan or the King. The blood sacrificial ritual was enacted for promoting fertility {magical belief} in the community. The priests {always associating with powerful people like kings and the beautiful women by the way of temple prostitution } with narcissistic traits { the originators of magical thinking} and the kings with antisocial traits perpetuate these barbaric blood sacrificial rituals by rationalizing and intellectualizing the magical beliefs for their ulterior motives! {Priests cheating the kings with their pseudo philosophy in order to gain status and power next only to kings, and the kings fooling the commons in order to stay in the power!
Magical thinking and psychoses:
Paranoid and grandeous delusions are examples for magical thinking . Regression leads to concrete magical thinking from abstract rational thinking.
Magical thinking in obsessive compulsive neurosis:
Magical thinking is the basis for the obsessive fears and the “undoing” in the compulsive rituals to overcome the loss of control over those fears. Obsessive fear arise out of taboos [ related to sex and aggression} and taboos are nothing but magical beliefs.
Alcohol and drug dependence/ deliberate self harm:
Alcohol, cannabis and other hallucinogens were widely used in the past in religious festivals by Egyptians, Greeks and Indians. Osiris is the beer God of Egyptians. Dionysus is the wine God for Greeks. Soma drink was taken by Aryans. Cannabis is used till to date by Indian sadhus {Schizoid people , socially withdrawn , living in remote areas of Himalayas all alone to have rich magical experiences } to have a close association with Lord Siva . Middle eastern Sufis used cannabis to achieve a higher state of awareness. Rastafarians use cannabis while worshiping God, studying Bible and during meditation. Alcohol and specifically wine , are still used in modern day by Christians --Catholics / Protestants and also by Jews as a sacrament during worships. In the remote past hysterical and borderline personalities would have taken alcohol and other drugs during sacrificial rituals for closer association{ union] with Gods. Cannabis and other hallucinogens were widely used by schizotypal { magicians and shamans} people to associate with spirits and to enter in to the spiritual world. Salvia divinorum , a herb was taken by Mexican shamans during religious healing ceremonies in tea form. . Russian shamans used a hallucinogenic mushroom called ita muscaria. North American Indians used Peyote , a cactus to trigger periods of deep insight and introspection.LSA—also known as Morning Glory Seed was eaten by the Aztecs as a sacrament to their higher power. Chinese Confuscists used to smoke opium. Thai Buddhist monks used to chew Kratom to achieve a sense of heightened awareness and euphoria. The oracle of Delphi made her prophesies after drinking Kykeon. Iranian Muslims used to chew Khat leaves to induce a sense of euphoria and excitement. .In the present days borderline personalities indulging on alcohol dependence { from use to abuse and to dependence }is because, their behavior has changed from “self sacrifice” to “self injurious behavior. The anxious personalities use alcohol in “Fellowship programmes” to associate with people. In these “parties” narcissistics take alcohol to associate with the antisocial royals and upper-class people. Depressive personality's excessive indulgence in alcohol is to associate with their “loved object” and it is also a sign of self injurious behavior { punishing their incorporated object which can be one's lover, spouse, society or the God and the cosmos.}. People take a vow , to abstain from alcohol in temples [ one at Salem and one at Cuddalore district in TamilNadu, India—Deities --exclusively for alcohol abstinence}.Offering alcohol to God and taking alcohol in temple festivals in moderate amounts are behaviors to appease God and drunkenness { self injurious behavior} is to punish the God{ incorporated loved object}. Abstain from alcohol after a vow in the temple is to stop punishing the Lord and there by appeasing Him and associating with Him again! Alcohol and drug dependence have to considered under DSH{ deliberate self harm}. Alcohol use is for associating with God and people and it is based on libido while alcohol dependence is for disassociating from God and people and it is based on aggression . Is it rational to talk about spiritual therapy in the management of alcohol and drug dependence? Then, psychiatrists can do the role of shamans!
Deliberate self harm:
Borderline personality indulges in deliberate physical self harm with external tissue damage. Hysterical personality indulges in intentional physical self harm with functional impairment, without tissue damage { female gender }.Alcohol and drug dependence is a form of intentional self harm with internal tissue damage!
La belle indifference:
Lack of concern about their disability is not only seen in hysterical symptoms but also in hypochondriasis deliberate self harm including alcohol and drug dependence !
Magical thinking /latency period/ oedipal theory:
5-10 year period is the period of development of one's psychosocial sexual identity. To develop this , boys move away from girls because of magical fear of contagion {Frazer's theory of contagion }of not only female character attributes but also female body attributes. 3-5 years old boys moving away from their mothers is also because of the Frazer's theory magical thinking thus disapproving oedipal theory. Thomas szasz's comment on oedipal complex is that, an Athenian myth is transformed into an Austrian madness!
Magical thinking and ego defense mechanisms;
Fantasy, projection, idealization,
Identification, introjection, possession, possessiveness, disassociation and undoing are nothing but magical thinking!
Conclusion:
The cognitive structure of various personalities under stress is the primitive magical thinking. In fact the psychopathology behind many psychological problems is magical thinking and magical beliefs. Psychotherapy in these clients magical beliefs of the community will be of much value in the primary prevention of attempted suicide and deliberate self harm in the emotionally unstable , impulsive adolescents. Mass media's help is the need of the hour not only in needs attention to their culturally transmitted magical beliefs .Addressing the ‘the way they portray suicides” in the community but also by educating public about the magical beliefs behind the suicidal phenomenon . Is it rational to expect from them? Already they are promoting the irrational magical thinking in the community through their advertisements . For example; “Beautiful women can give more sexual pleasure” This is a magical thinking. The fact is, any affectionate woman can give that pleasure! |
