magical thinking
A psychological or anthropological term for the belief that thoughts, words, or rituals can influence the external world in ways not supported by causal reasoning. Often discussed in contexts of superstition, OCD, or child development.
Magical thinking can appear as one of the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Magical thinking is often observed in early childhood.
Compound of 呪術 (jujutsu, 'magic, sorcery') and 思考 (shikō, 'thinking, thought'). The term is a direct translation of the English 'magical thinking', used in psychology and anthropology.