magical thinking

noun

1. a conviction that thinking is equivalent to doing, occurring in dreams, the thought patterns of children, and some types of mental disorders, especially obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Example Sentences

It’s sort of magical thinking—pay no attention to the pattern behind the curtain.

From Slate

Putnam mastered the moment; to this day, corporations demand photogenic authors, high-stakes publicity, spreadsheet tweaks and magical thinking.

From Los Angeles Times

Culture, under the grip of gangster capitalism, has become a vehicle for magical thinking, a tool for distracting the masses from the cruel realities of economic stagnation and social inequality.

From Salon

Didion’s final two books, 2005’s “The Year of Magical Thinking” and 2011’s “Blue Nights,” are her most personal, and “Notes to John” gives further context to both.

From Salon

As mouse-eared pilgrims plied the sidewalks outside, the party faithful — meeting several long blocks from Disneyland — engaged in their own bit of escapism and magical thinking.

From Los Angeles Times