BackgroundFirst-person accounts (FPAs) provide multi-faceted insights into the lived social experiences of schizophrenia. We examined FPAs and third-person accounts (TPAs) using automated linguistic and network analyses to extract narrative patterns in relation to interpersonal difficulties.Study DesignNarratives from 279 articles published in Schizophrenia Bulletin (1979-2025) were screened to identify 133 FPAs and 44 TPAs. Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire was used to assess syndromes of schizotypy expressed in the narratives. At least one cognitive-perceptual syndrome (ideas of reference, odd beliefs, magical thinking) was detected in every FPA (n = 133). Interpersonal difficulties (social anxiety, no close friends, constricted affect) were detected in 56 FPAs and designated as the “interpersonal difficulties” group. We used the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software to extract interpersonally relevant features: authenticity, emotional tone, pronoun use, social behavior, and confidence. Linguistic features of narratives in FPAs with and without interpersonal difficulties were compared using network analysis.Study ResultsGreater authenticity and lower confidence were detected in FPAs compared to TPAs. FPAs contained fewer social words and more “I” words than TPAs. FPAs with interpersonal difficulties were longer, more negative, and less linguistically formal than FPAs without interpersonal difficulties. Network analysis indicated a link between interpersonal difficulties and “voices.”ConclusionsNarratives categorized by interpersonal difficulties exhibit distinct linguistic signatures revealed through automated linguistic tools and network analyses. Despite the vast range of topics in FPAs, these computational methods provide a robust quantitative framework for validating the lived experience of negative syndrome in schizotypy.

This study tests the dimensionality hypothesis, according to which diverse epistemically unfounded beliefs share a single underlying liability in addition to domain-specific components. We focus on conspiracy, paranormal, pseudoscientific, religious, and pseudo-profound ("bullshit") beliefs and examine whether their covariance structure is best captured by a common factor plus residual domain-specific factors. Using a nationally representative Russian sample (N = 1268), we modeled the five belief domains with competing confirmatory factor analysis models. We compared one-factor, correlated factors, higher order, and bifactor specifications, with the bifactor model prespecified as the focal test of the dimensionality hypothesis. We then related the general and domain-specific factors to cognitive and motivational antecedents. A prespecified bifactor solution, in which a general factor explained about half of the common variance while specific factors captured residual domain structure, provided the best fit. Conventional domain scores may systematically confound the general liability with domain-specific variance, potentially distorting cross-domain comparisons and inferences about domain-specific antecedents. Some cognitive and motivational antecedents emerged as central correlates of the general factor, whereas conspiracy, religious, pseudoscientific, paranormal, and pseudo-profound beliefs each showed distinct additional profiles. The findings support a dimensional view of epistemically unfounded beliefs anchored in a common cognitive-motivational architecture. We discuss the general factor as potentially reflecting an evolved predisposition favoring Type I errors (the "smoke detector principle") and archaic magical thinking, plausibly implemented at the proximate level in low-dimensional psychological "conceptual spaces" that align heterogeneous beliefs along a shared axis of receptivity to epistemically unfounded claims. Explicitly modeling this structure is crucial for valid measurement, comparison, and targeted intervention across epistemically unfounded belief domains, as opposed to relying on undifferentiated composite scores.

Nanotechnology is a scientific field where STS scholars have observed the influence of magical thinking. Here we contribute to that literature by describing a phenomenon in the field of drug delivery called the EPR (Enhanced Permeability and Retention) Effect. When the 'nano' boom of the 2000s brought intense interest from outside pharmacology, EPR spawned so many efforts and enterprises in nano-based drug delivery that it became the leading basis for nanomedicine's promise. Following the 2016 failure of a prominent nano-biotech firm exploiting EPR, the collapse of the field offers insights into the role such theories or narratives played in the formation of nanomedicine and, more broadly, how contemporary technoscience may incorporate elements of enchantment-particularly where exposed to financialization.

The article investigates the verbalization of supernatural creatures in English folk fairy tales within the framework of Possible Worlds Theory. Magical thinking is viewed as a cognitive mechanism that rationalizes the irrational and the unknown, giving rise to beliefs in the supernatural and, consequently, to mythological and fairy-tale narratives. Fairy tales are interpreted as alternative semantic worlds whose structure is linguistically instantiated and governed by specific ontological, axiological, and pragmatic rules. The study focuses on lexical units naming supernatural beings and treats them as structural components that shape the fictional world of the fairy tale. Using a multilevel methodological approach that combines semasiological, onomasiological, cognitive, and discourse-pragmatic analyses, the research examines English folk narratives, including Jack the Giant Killer and Jack and the Beanstalk. The findings demonstrate that the naming of supernatural creatures follows systematic ontosemantic patterns and directly correlates with their narrative roles, value orientation, and communicative behavior. It is argued that nomination is inseparable from narrative function, as supernatural beings are encoded as agents of conflict whose verbal actions contribute to the construction of power relations and the restoration of order within the fairy-tale world.

Psychodramatic meta-systemic conceptualization offers a holistic view of complex life phenomena such as trauma and survivorship, which have been otherwise traditionally compartmentalized by different disciplines. The author argues that collective survival experience is preserved, communicated, and passed down through generations in the form of familial or cultural messages containing both empirical knowledge and magical thinking components. Indiscriminative following of survival messages outside of its original historical context may, contrary to initial intent, contribute to transgenerational vulnerabilities. Cultural trauma, such as a totalitarian regime, turns the ‘‘survivorship wisdom’’ into a cultural artifact reflected in collective psyche as art and literature. Superstition is also a type of ancient survival messages with prevalent magical thinking. A survival genogram allows for deconstructing messages, processing the ‘‘wisdom of the elderly,’’ and negotiating its informed adoption by unveiling chronological layers of the message’s meaning.

The article examines the relationship between magical thinking and resilience in elderly individuals. Magical thinking is considered as a psychological mechanism serving a protective function under conditions of stress and age-related crises associated with aging. An empirical study conducted on a sample of 92 elderly people (aged 59-74) revealed positive correlations between magical thinking indicators (measured by the MIS scale) and overall resilience (Rs=0,22, p<0,02), with resilience components such as self-efficacy (Rs=0,21, p<0,001), internal locus of control (Rs=0,20, p<0,001), and spirituality (Rs=0,32, p<0,001). The results suggest that belief in the supernatural and rituals may serve as a resource for maintaining psychological resilience in old age, complementing self-confidence and moral-ethical values. However, no correlation was found with adaptive strategies, indicating potential passivity in stress management. Special attention is given to the study's limitations related to sample characteristics (active, educated elderly individuals). The work emphasizes the need for further research on the role of magical thinking in self-regulation and stress coping within this age group.

В настоящей статье автор, преимущественно на материалах многолетних полевых исследований, пытается очертить абрис современного состояния поверий и практик, связанных с магическим воздействием (сглазом и порчей), в таком консервативном и сохраняющем архаичную культуру и магическое мышление регионе юга Италии, как Сицилия. В процессе исследования проводится сопоставление и сравнительный анализ привлекавших внимание ученых вплоть до 1970-х гг. достаточно хорошо известных древних элементов магической культуры и обнаруженных сегодня автором составляющих магической эмпирики; кроме того, ввиду исторического существования социально-маркированных культурных различий, связанных еще с недавней социальной стратификацией общества, автор отслеживает магические верования и практики в различных слоях сицилийского социума. В процессе исследования обнаруживается не только сохранение в Сицилии древних представлений и практик, связанных со сглазом и порчей, но и гомогенизация этих понятий, а также господство преимущественно локального комплекса мифов и ритуалов, отторгающего инновации и заимствования; подтверждается широта распространения среди населения веры в эти формы злокозненного воздействия, а также в возможность их предотвращения и «исцеления», равно как и в эффективность атрибутов защиты (жестов, вербальных формул, предметов) и акторов помощи (ведуний) «жертвам» воздействия. In this article, the author outlines the current state of beliefs and practices relating to the evil eye and hexes in the conservative culture of Sicily, which often preserves archaic and magical thinking. She analyzes and compares the fairly well-known ancient elements of magical culture that have attracted scholars up to the 1970s as well as other components she herself has uncovered. In addition, the author tracks magical beliefs and practices in various strata of Sicilian society, since socially marked cultural differences mark the more recent stratification of society. The study reveals not only the preservation of ancient ideas and practices in Sicily that are related to the evil eye and hexes, but also the homogenization of these phenomena. It notes the dominance of a predominantly local complex of myths and rituals that reject innovation and borrowing and it confirms the widespread belief in these forms of malicious influence. It also takes note of the possibility of preventing and “healing” them, as well as the belief in the existence of protective means against them (gestures, verbal formulas, objects) and in those who may render assistance (witches) to their victims.

This practice insight examines how science mediators facilitate students' appropriation of scientific knowledge. It focuses on the Science of Superheroes initiative, which is an informal education curriculum activity designed to engage middle school students in exploring environmental challenges through the creation of a superhero. Using Bruner's scaffolding framework, we analyze how mediators' interventions shift between scaffolding functions, depending on the task. While the appropriation of scientific knowledge is supported by questioning and information-sharing strategies, the creative phase sees an increase in proposal-based scaffolding, which struggles to counterbalance students' reliance on magical thinking. This cognitive tension highlights the challenges of integrating scientific knowledge into a fictional narrative. Our findings highlight the need for science mediators to refine their questioning techniques, foster greater self-regulation among students, and enhance their ability to meaningfully incorporate scientific concepts into their superhero designs. Our study contributes to ongoing discussions on the professionalization of science mediation and offers new insights for mediator training.

Magical thinking in the form of technological solutionism (Morozov, To save everything, click here: Technology, solutionism, and the urge to fix problems that don't exist, Penguin Books Limited, London, 2013) and enchanted determinism (Campolo and Crawford, Engaging Sci Technol Soc 6:1–19, 2020) is implicated in the rise of AI-powered solutions to seemingly intractable human problems in domains including law, mental and physical health, and education. These solutions aim to control the complexity, messiness, and unpredictability of human behaviors, but in the process may misrepresent the wicked problems and highly contextualized behaviors they are seeking to manage. As a result, they risk directing attention and investment away from addressing their causes. In this paper, we examine a new class of AI-powered technology, the post-separation app, which is proposed as an intervention to manage and reduce personal and legal conflict between separated parents with shared custody of children. We argue that the design and marketing of post-separation apps misrepresent the complex communication patterns arising in the context of post-separation litigation as mutual ‘high conflict’ (OurFamilyWizard (2025b) High conflict co-parenting. OurFamilyWizard. https://www.ourfamilywizard.com.au/knowledge-centre/solutions/high-conflict-co-parenting ) suggesting that this can be reduced or resolved through app-based moderation of co-parent communications. Evidence from the Australian context shows that in fact, up to 80% of post-separation cases involve family violence and coercive control, with the same issue forming a key part of post-separation litigation reported in research undertaken in other Anglophone contexts. Given this context, the apps’ unsubstantiated representation of the post-separation interactional problem as mutual communicative conflict has the effect of masking family violence. In so doing, they further risk re-consolidating perspectives that mutualize responsibility for abuse and practices that have only recently begun to shift in response to evidence-based policy changes relating to family violence in the Australian legal context (Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) (2021a) Family Violence Information Sheet. https://www.fcfcoa.gov.au/fl/pubs/fv-info-sheet ). We propose that an explicit theory of problem representations is needed to detect and critique such misrepresentations in technological solutions, and we adapt Carol Bacchi’s (Bacchi, Women, policy and politics: The construction of policy problems, SAGE Publications Limited, London, 1999;Bacchi, Analysing policy: what’s the problem represented to be?, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, 2009;) influential framework ‘What is the Problem Represented to be?’ (WPR) to this end. Finally, we propose to extend the existing dimensions of ethical evaluation of AI technologies to include potential impacts on the privacy and safety of at-risk users; the distorting effects of commercial incentive structures; and impacts on the highly regulated professional contexts in which some apps are intervening as extra-regulatory artificial agents. As a case study, we refer throughout to OurFamilyWizard® (OFW), a high-profile international post-separation app whose name explicitly evokes the imaginary dimension of techno-solutionism.

This essay investigates the Messiah Savior Complex in Big Tech, where artificial intelligence is presented as a redemptive force capable of solving humanity's most urgent challenges. Using the historical analogy of the narwhal tusk trade, in which tusks were sold as unicorn horns to European elites, the analysis illustrates how myth-based narratives continue to influence technological realities. In contemporary discourse, these narratives take the form of hyperstitions, which are beliefs that become real through repetition, institutional reinforcement, and collective investment. Such dynamics obscure empirical scrutiny and displace critical engagement with the socio-technical realities of AI development. The essay argues that magical thinking and industry promotion often sustain these belief structures to deflect regulatory oversight and maintain public enthusiasm. Rather than rejecting technological progress, the paper calls for a transdisciplinary framework that treats AI as embedded in systems requiring accountability, transparency, and contextual awareness.

The subject of the article is the artistic embodiment of the holistic worldview (Cosmo-Psycho-Logos) of the mari people in the prose of M. T. Ushakova. The analytical focus centers on how the writer, by synthesizing the traditions of Russian "village prose" and the techniques of magical realism, reveals the profound connection between the universe (Cosmos), the human inner world (Psyche), and the artistic word (Logos). The key object of study is the novella "Monologue of an Old House," where the innovative image of the house-as-narrator serves as a central metaphor for the sacred bond between kinship, dwelling, and nature. The research also explores how ethnocultural elements (animism, ritual practices, magical thinking) shape the poetics of Ushakova's texts, allowing for the comprehension of the people's historical existence through the private fates of characters and the actualization of its spiritual foundations in the contemporary literary context. The methodology is based on a systemic approach, incorporating the comparative-historical (A. N. Veselovsky), cultural-historical (M. M. Bakhtin), archetypal (E. M. Meletinsky), and national-cultural analysis (G. D. Gachev). The scholarly novelty of the article lies in the comprehensive study of Ushakova's prose through the original concept of "Cosmo-Psycho-Logos," which reveals the integrity of the mari worldview. The main conclusions of the article are as follows. Ushakova's prose represents a synthesis of the realistic tradition and magical realism, where the ethnocultural specificity of the mari mythopoetic consciousness forms the very fabric of the artistic world. Through individual destinies, the writer reveals both private and national tragedies, presenting national culture as a salvific force preserving the spiritual core of the ethnic group. Thus, the work of M. T. Ushakova performs the function of a contemporary artistic Logos – a universe that verbalizes, preserves, and actualizes the unique cosmic and psychological self-awareness (identity) of the mari people, integrating it into the context of modern Russian literature.

In the 1920s and 1930s, radio was an arena of theoretical and political fight that interested Walter Benjamin. It is in this context that radio programs by Benjamin and aimed at the children of Berlin and Frankfurt emerges. Themes of Berliner Kindheit: um 1900, Denkbilder and Passagen-Werk, among other writings, are taken up as critical Bildung in radio conferences, which invite an active listening. Benjamin's narratives are less about the phenomena reported and much more about his own experience with them, either directly, bodily, or from read or heard stories that he reinterprets in a mimetic sense to his listeners. Taking the set of broadcasts as a reflecting seismograph of many themes of the Berliner, this paper identifies a set of important issues to Education. Among that, the interpretation of Naple and the relation between science and magical thinking.

The article examines the intermedial collaborative project by poet Inna Honchar and photographer Yurko Kostyshyn, continuing the author’s research on contemporary Ukrainian photopoetry. Using descriptive and close reading approaches, it demonstrates how the interpretation of memory and ties to the homeland in the poetic artbook “#4.5.0.” (2023) combines innovative techniques with an established creative strategy reminiscent of the ‘Prague school’ of Ukrainian diaspora poets of the early 20th century—specifi cally, the revival of mythological imagery, folk narratives, and certain elements of magical thinking—to convey a unique vision of Ukraine in a time of war.

ABSTRACT Conspiracy thinking is a multidimensional construct, studied both as a general disposition (conspiracy mindset) and as adherence to specific narratives (conspiracy beliefs). Despite research interest, distinguishing generic conspiracy thinking from related constructs (e.g., paranoid, magical thinking) remains a challenge. The present study aims to develop and validate the composite conspiracy belief (CCB) scale, a new measure of conspiracy thinking that distinguishes itself from similar thinking styles and captures different conspiracy tendencies. Two studies were conducted. Study 1 ( N = 380) examined the factorial structure of CCB, hypothesizing a third‐order hierarchical model based on semi‐specific conspiracy narratives: “source of threat” and “type of threat.” Study 2 ( N = 364) evaluated the differentiation of CCB from magical thinking, social persecution, and generalized suspiciousness. The analyses confirmed the construct, convergent, and incremental validity.

Joan Didion (1934–2021) was a prominent American author, journalist, and essayist, celebrated for her penetrating writing, keen cultural insights, and examination of both personal and societal loss. Her memoirs, which encompass The Year of Magical Thinking (2005) and Blue Nights (2011), address the delicacy of existence, the journey of grief, and the enduring nature of memory. Didion was honoured with various awards, including the National Book Award for Nonfiction for The Year of Magical Thinking, thereby affirming her position as one of the most prominent literary figures in modern America. This paper explores the theme of grief and its various transformations in Joan Didion’s memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking. Composed in the wake of her husband’s unexpected passing, Didion’s work delivers a deep examination of how loss alters one’s understanding of reality, memory, and survival. The paper investigates how Didion’s narrative encapsulates the delicacy of life and the enduring nature of love through her movement between rational acceptance and what she terms "magical thinking." By weaving together life and death, memory and mourning, Didion portrays grief not as a static condition but as a dynamic process that tests the limits of identity, time, and meaning. This study contends that Didion’s memoir not only chronicles personal grief but also provides wider perspectives on the human experience of loss, illustrating grief as both a destructive and a generative force—a phenomenon that dismantles established certainties while fostering new ways to coexist with absence.

ObjectiveAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) overlap in behavioral signs, particularly in social functioning; consequently, SSD patients are frequently misdiagnosed with ASD and vice versa. The neurodevelopmental and spectrum nature of both disorders, including milder variants, further complicates differential diagnosis, which calls for a better differentiation by looking at the subjective experience of patients. To our knowledge, no prior clinical studies have directly and comparatively examined the subjective experiences of individuals from these two spectra. The present study adopts a phenomenological approach traditionally applied to SSD; it reveals qualitative similarities and differences in these two spectra: in the experience of oneself, the world, and interpersonal relationships.MethodsThe study included 42 participants, aged 15 to 26, all with at least average intelligence and no acute psychiatric symptoms, as verified by the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R). We interviewed participants in depth on their experiences and applied the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience (EASE), and selected parts of the Examination of Anomalous World-Experience (EAWE).ResultsDifferences were observed across all five EASE domains, with higher levels in the SSD as compared to ASD in minimal self-disorder, demarcation phenomena, paranoid anxiety, short term memory disorder, and magical thinking. Meanwhile, obsessive thinking, attention problems, diminished presence in the world, social anxiety, and hyper-reflectivity overlapped in both groups. The most significant qualitative overlapping within EAWE were in abnormalities within social interactions, increased auditory perception intensity and synesthesia. Within overlaps important qualitative differences are noted and described.ConclusionsDespite considerable overlap in outer manifestations, we found important qualitative differences that point to the centrality of a disorder of ipseity in the SSD versus of primary intersubjectivity in ASD.

Barriers to adequate fruit and vegetable Consumption: Exploring biases towards canned & frozen food in a qualitative study.

ABSTRACTIntroductionAdolescence is a crucial period for the onset of both borderline personality disorder (BPD) and first‐episode psychosis. Although transient stress‐related paranoid ideation and dissociative symptoms are one of the diagnostic criteria for BPD, determining when these psychotic features progress to early‐stage schizophrenia remains unclear.MethodsTwo case studies aimed to explore the challenges in assessing and following up on psychotic features in BPD over time. Two adolescent girls aged 14 and 15 were initially diagnosed with BPD using semi‐structured clinical interviews for DSM‐IV personality disorder. Five years later, symptom development was explored using comprehensive diagnostic interviews.ResultsBoth cases exhibited lapses in reality testing at baseline, interpreted as transient and stress‐related symptoms. The first case illustrated the difficulties in distinguishing normative magical and imaginative thinking in youth from odd beliefs or bizarre fantasies and preoccupations, emphasizing the need for age‐adapted and elaborate, detailed phenomenological assessment of the content, duration and frequency of these experiences and their impact on functioning. The second case demonstrated the progression of psychotic features from adolescence into early adulthood and the challenge of judging whether these features crossed the threshold to psychosis.ConclusionBoth cases underscore the need for clinical training regarding differential diagnostics and management of psychotic features when present in early manifestations of BPD. This gap in care presents a missed opportunity for inclusion of patients in targeted early intervention programs for first‐episode psychosis. We propose the implementation of a continuous monitoring strategy in BPD with psychotic features.

Background:Delusions are common positive symptoms in schizophrenic patients. Individuals with delusional disorders have different experiences in memory and beliefs. Exploring patients’ delusional beliefs is crucial to ascertaining appropriate psychotherapy programs. A few studies have explored the meanings of delusions for delusional patients. This study explores how schizophrenic patients lived experiences about their delusional beliefs.Materials and Methods:The study was carried out at a psychiatric hospital in Indonesia in 2021. The participants included 30 adult schizophrenic patients who had delusional life experiences and were able to communicate. Open-ended questions and probes were applied during in-depth interviews. We interviewed family members as well to improve the rigor of the research. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used in this study.Results:The patients’ clinical history revealed the experiences of failure and loss. Two main themes shaping their delusional experiences included demonic forces and magical powers.Conclusions:Patients with delusions had similar themes, but each had a different specific experience. The findings suggest that each patient may require a unique cognitive therapy based on their experience.

In Chinese fantasy narratives spanning literature, animation, and games, characters will often practice martial arts and meditative techniques to become stronger and extend their lives. This process is called cultivation. This paper explores Chinese cultivation games, a unique genre of videogames deeply rooted in Chinese culture and cosmology. Through the theoretical lens of cosmotechnics, the analysis aims to elucidate the cultural complexity and imaginative possibilities within these games. Doing so, it is argued, opens up sinofuturist trajectories of technological thinking in which new possibilities can be imagined beyond Western contexts. The paper begins by explaining key terminology around “cultivation” in Chinese fantasy literature and games. It then traces the evolution from earlier wuxia -themed games to contemporary cultivation games. Next, the paper relates cultivation games to discourses on magical thinking and sinofuturism. It argues these games can exemplify an alternative sinofuturism aligned with traditional Chinese philosophies of cultivation rather than Western notions of endless progress. Through game analysis and theoretical discussion, the paper explores how Chinese cultivation games can diversify technological imaginaries. At stake in this paper is how cultivation games and the Chinese cultural understandings they impart can help to broaden the collective imaginary horizon in relation to culture, technology, and the future.