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The treatment of magical ideation in two individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2010

Danielle A. Einstein ,
Ross G. Menzies ,
Tamsen St Clare ,
Juliette Drobny  and
Fjola Dogg Helgadottir
Danielle A. Einstein*
Affiliation:
Behavioural and Social Sciences in Health, The University of Sydney; and Department of Medical Psychology, Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia
Ross G. Menzies
Affiliation:
Behavioural and Social Sciences in Health, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Tamsen St Clare
Affiliation:
Anxiety Treatment and Research Unit, Department of Medical Psychology, Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia
Juliette Drobny
Affiliation:
Anxiety Treatment and Research Unit, Department of Medical Psychology, Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia
Fjola Dogg Helgadottir
Affiliation:
Behavioural and Social Sciences in Health, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr D. A. Einstein, Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia. (email: danielle.einstein@gmail.com)
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Abstract

Data collected from clinical populations indicate that magical ideation (MI) may play a causal or a mediating role in the expression of obsessive compulsive symptoms. If this is the case then when targeted in treatment, symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) should be altered. Two individuals diagnosed with OCD received a trial treatment targeting magical thinking. The intervention consisted of a series of procedures designed to undermine superstitious/MI without targeting obsessions or compulsions. The procedures involved critical analysis of the following material: (1) a free astrology offer; (2) a horoscope prediction exercise; (3) a description of four different cultural explanations of the origin of fire; (4) an instructive guide for Tarot card readers; (5) a report of a UFO sighting; (6) a video-clip describing a cult festival; (7) a description of a ‘hoax’ channeler and (8) a superstition exercise. Measures of obsessive compulsive symptoms, superstition, MI and thought–action fusion were administered pre-treatment, post-treatment and at 3 months’ follow-up. According to the twofold criterion of Jacobson et al. (Behaviour Therapy 1984, 15, 336–352), following treatment the patients were identified as being recovered on measures of magical and superstitious thinking and on the Padua Inventory.

Keywords

Cognitive behaviour therapymagical ideationobsessive compulsive disorder
Type
Original Research
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , March 2011 , pp. 16 - 29
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2010

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References

Recommended follow-up reading

Einstein, DA, Menzies, G (2007). The treatment of magical ideation. In: Innovations and Advances in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (ed. Einstein, D. A.), pp. 19–35. Brisbane: Australian Academic Press.Google Scholar
Einstein, DA, Menzies, RG (2008). Does magical thinking improve across treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder? Behaviour Change 25, 149–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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