Is magical thinking helpful as we age? Maybe..and maybe not.

As we move into our later years, we often face a growing sense of uncertainty: health changes, shifting identities, financial questions, and the implications of being closer to the end of life than the beginning. So it’s not surprising that many of us are drawn to ideas that make the world feel a bit more under our control, even if those ideas aren’t backed up by evidence.

One of those ideas is magical thinking.

Magical thinking has an acknowledged place in childhood. Having an imaginary friend, or carrying around a special wish-fulfilling pebble, raise no eyebrows if you are a 3-year-old. 

Magical thinking and I go way back. When I was 4 or 5, I decided I was an alien, and haunted our back garden every night waiting for my ‘real’ alien parents to beam me up. When I was 12, I decided if I did well enough at school, everyone would love me and life would go well. When I was 20, it was all about princes on white horses. After some brutal readjustments, I came to see magic thinking as a fraud and swung completely the other way, becoming a bit of a reality junkie for a good chunk of my adult life.

But neither extreme is necessarily the whole story, and magical thinking doesn’t entirely disappear when we grow up. It hangs around in a subtler, more socially acceptable (for adults) form, and may weave itself through the ways we cope, hope, and plan (or don’t plan) as we age. 

So, what do we mean by ‘magical thinking’? Magical thinking is the belief that our thoughts, wishes, rituals, or symbols can directly influence events in the world in ways that aren’t scientifically plausible. It’s not the same as imagination or creativity; it’s a kind of thinking where we link mind and reality in ways that don’t hold up logically.

Maybe you can relate to some of these pretty common examples:

• Believing that if I think positively enough, the cancer won’t spread.
• Assuming that wearing a particular ‘lucky shirt’ or piece of jewellery will bring good fortune or keep me safe.
• Feeling that a certain date, number, or phrase has the power to change outcomes.
• Thinking that if I don’t talk about the possibility of needing care, it won’t happen.

Psychologists sometimes describe magical thinking as a kind of cognitive distortion,  a habitual thought pattern that bends reality in a particular direction, generally so we can feel better or safer, or more in control.

Importantly, magical thinking happens in different degrees. For one person, it shows up as minor superstition or a shared ritual. For another, it can be part of obsessive–compulsive symptoms or psychosis, causing significant distress and disruption.

Magical thinking also changes across adulthood. Studies suggest that magical thinking tends to decrease as we age, but it doesn’t vanish. Adults of all ages still draw on magical ideas, especially when they face uncertainty, threat, or situations where we can’t identify a clear cause. We might be perfectly rational about everyday decisions yet still ‘knock on wood’ before medical test results. Or we might trust science and medicine but also feel that ‘the universe’ is sending us signs.

And magical thinking can feel very appealing in later life. As we age, we become aware that life is full of ambiguities like:

• How quickly a health condition will progress.
• Will you outlast your retirement funds..
• Where you will be living in ten years’ time.
• How you will manage if you lose your independence or key relationships.

So its not surprising to find that magical thinking serves several psychological functions:

• It can create a sense of control in difficult situations. Believing that ‘if I stay positive, I’ll be fine’ feels better than facing the truth that some outcomes are outside our control.
• Magical beliefs may help us make meaning of our lives, telling us life events are connected, purposeful, or overseen by something larger. For many people, this can help with resilience.
• Imagining that unseen forces are watching over us, or that ‘things will work out somehow’, can help us feel less anxious about ageing, illness, or mortality.
• Shared rituals or beliefs can bind people together. Family traditions, cultural practices and religious rituals can offer comfort, identity, and  a sense of connection.

It might be tempting to label magical thinking as purely negative, but that would be too simple. When I was in my twenties, I formed the firm view that reality was everything, that pixie dust was a stupid abomination. I have grown a bit wiser over the decades and am now facing my 70s with the realisation that it is not always bad or weak to scatter the odd bit of fairy sparkle over a difficult situation. And we now know from research that for many older people, some types of magical or spiritual belief can support well-being, especially if they are flexible and connected to realistic thinking.

And there is a crossover here with daydreaming, or imagining a new plan. These may look like magical thinking but they are not being confused with current reality. And we would never do anything creative, anything outside our comfort zone without allowing ourselves to dream a little.

The key here is that magical thinking is not necessarily an enemy of flourishing as we age. The questions are: how rigid is it? How much does it crowd out reality? And does it coexist with practical, evidence-based action? Are you ultimately the boss of your thinking?

Magical thinking becomes problematic when it substitutes for realistic assessment and effective action. In later life, this often shows up in four major life arenas – health, housing, finances, and relationships. A few examples will illuminate this:

• Refusing screening tests or ignoring early warning signs, believing that ‘what I don’t know can’t hurt me.’
• Relying entirely on ‘positive thinking’ or unproven remedies, while refusing evidence-based treatment.
• ‘I’ve always been fine at home; therefore I’ll always be fine.’
• ‘I know I’ve fallen a few times, but I’ll just be more careful and everything will be okay.’
• Assuming that ‘something will turn up’ to address income shortfalls.
• Avoiding looking at superannuation balances or budgets because it feels too confronting.
• Believing that unspoken family tensions will “sort themselves out” without difficult conversations.
• Assuming that adult children ‘just know’ what you want in terms of care, estates, or end-of-life decisions.

One of the subtler questions is where to draw the line between helpful coping and unhelpful denial. An important question to ask is: ‘Is this belief helping me do the things that matter, or is it stopping me?’ If a belief is comforting and you’re still engaging with reality—seeing doctors, talking with family, reviewing finances—that’s different from a belief that keeps you passive, isolated, or in the dark.

But sometimes magical thinking is a clue that something more serious is going on. Warning signs include rigid, resistant beliefs, especially Ideas that others find obviously false or bizarre (for example, being certain that neighbours are casting spells, despite a lack of evidence of this). If there are thoughts or rituals that cause significant distress or interfere with daily functioning, or dramatic changes in thinking or behaviour,, it may be important to seek professional assessment.

For someone heavily reliant on magical thinking, even small steps matter:

• Reading one piece of information about their condition.
• Having a single, contained conversation about future care.
• Doing a ‘draft’ budget or will, framed as an experiment rather than a final commitment.

One key marker is to aim for the place of ‘I can hold this belief and still act in grounded ways’, so that you can receive comfort from your belief but also build tolerance for reality. And if you can do that, magical thinking may well be a good friend, a support in flourishing as you age.