When Does Spirituality Become "Magical Thinking"?

Recently, I came across the term magical thinking for the first time.

It is used in the DSM-5, the handbook used by psychiatrists and psychotherapists.

Not exactly a term that is described in a positive way.

But when I read what it actually meant, I found myself smiling.
Because, honestly, if you were to write down some spiritual conversations word for word, they can sound quite unusual. I've taken enough trainings and courses over the years that could easily fall into what some might call magical thinking.

Years ago, I would never have openly talked about angels, intuition, or messages that seemed to arrive out of nowhere. Not because I wasn't curious about or trust them, but because I was afraid of what other people might think.

At least back then, many people had learned to place these kinds of experiences in the category of fantasy, bizarre beliefs, or, as the DSM-5 might suggest, signs of mental illness.

Yet reality often turns out to be far less black and white.

More people than you might think have felt the presence of a loved one who has passed away.
Have heard an inner voice warning them about something.
Have had a dream that later seemed meaningful.

We just don't always talk about it.

Some people see these experiences as proof that you're losing touch with reality.
Others see them as a sign that you're perceiving more than most people do.
Perhaps that explains why opinions on this topic are so divided.

On one side, there is the world that says: If it can't be measured, it probably doesn't exist.
On the other side, there is the spiritual world that says: If you experience it, then it must be true.

I don't find myself fully in either camp.

As far as I'm concerned, not everything has to be measurable. And let's not forget that many so-called unexplained energetic processes can now be measured in ways that weren't possible before.

I can take an experience seriously without immediately jumping to a conclusion.
For myself. And for my clients.

Maybe it's not only about the experience itself.
Maybe it's about what that experience does to you.

Does it make you afraid?
Do you lose touch with yourself or with the people around you?
Do you become dependent on what you hear or feel?
Or does it bring you peace?
Insight?
Comfort?
A greater sense of connection?

I've met people who heard voices that terrified them.
Voices that constantly put them down.
That told them they were worthless.
Or urged them to do things that could harm themselves or others.

That is incredibly difficult and complex.

But I've also met people who experienced an inner voice that helped them.
That warned them.
That encouraged them to be kinder to themselves.
That pointed them toward something they already knew deep down.

Maybe we don't need to immediately label something as crazy or normal.
Maybe we can simply become more curious.

Not only about what someone experiences. But also about what that experience means.

Not everything needs to be proven right away.
Not everything needs to be explained right away.

Sometimes wisdom begins with the ability to tolerate not knowing.
With quietly exploring what is presenting itself.

And perhaps that is the place where psychology and spirituality can meet.

#spirituality
#intuition
#selfawareness
#personalgrowth
#mindfulness