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j.e. moyer, LPC's avatar

When I think of magical thinking, I generally think of two kinds: the innocence of childhood and in the minds of the severely disturbed. In childhood, magical thinking allows us to generate hopes and dreams and to know what we truly want. It fosters imagination and emotional coping. In the severely disturbed, this veers into conspiracy theories and delusions, where rigid fixed beliefs are resistant to change, even in the face of contradictory evidence. There is a third kind of magical thinking in between the two. It’s the “willing suspension of disbelief” when we read fiction or watch a film. It’s very much like enjoying pretend play in childhood but can help us to explore darker thoughts and feelings that we may not do on a typical day.

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Joyce Wycoff's avatar

Very cool story. Another way of looking at those things, so I'm told, is to watch your reaction to whatever shows up. Since you were disappointed, you could have looked at that as the answer. However, a unicorn appearing is odd enough that I would have been tempted to see it as a message also. Thanks for sharing.

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