Magical Thinking: Development and Applications

How magic and science complement each other in the modern life

4.20 (281 reviews)
Udemy
platform
English
language
Social Science
category
Magical Thinking: Development and Applications
13,072
students
2 hours
content
Sep 2015
last update
FREE
regular price

What you will learn

Understand what magical thinking is, how it develops in children, how it functions in adults, and how it can be used in various domains of learning and communication

Why take this course?

The course introduces you into a new developing area of human psychology – magical thinking, to which I gave over 30 years of my research. I will explain what magical thinking is, how it develops in children and functions in adults. I will then proceed with showing how magical thinking can be used in order to improve cognitive processes (such as creative thinking, perception and memory), and how powerful individuals and institutions can employ magical thinking for mind control with the aim of extracting political or economical gains. I will finish the course with examining how cultural and emotional factors affect magical thinking.

The course consists of four sections, which comprise an introductory lecture and 12 lectures. The lectures include author's text, author's videos, videos showing children experimenting with magical objects, graphs and pictures. Each lecture is accompanied with references to relevant author's publications.

The course targets a wide range of learners: students in social sciences, artists, writers, specialists on psychological factors in communication, politics, economics, education and everyone interested in learning more about hidden domains of the human mind.

Content

Main concepts and development

Introductory lecture
Magical reality
Magical thinking in the child
Magical thinking in adults

Applications of magical thinking in education and advertising

Magical thinking and creativity in children
Magical thinking and perception
Magical thinking and memory

Magical thinking in social communication and human interaction

Magical thinking and communication
Magical thinking and imagination
Magical thinking and exploratory behavior

Cultural and emotional factors in magical thinking

Lecture 10. Magical thinking and culture
Lecture 11. Cognitive defense against magical intervention
Lecture 12. Emotional defence against magical intervention

Screenshots

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Our review

🏫 **Course Review for "The Psychology of Magical Thinking"** ## Overview Overall, the course "The Psychology of Magical Thinking" has received a global rating of 4.20 from recent reviews. The course explores the ways in which magical thinking influences human behavior and its application in various aspects of life, including health and creativity. It aims to provide insights into the subconscious beliefs that drive decision-making and actions. ## Pros - **Engaging Content**: Many reviewers found the topic fascinating and thought-provoking, appreciating the material for its ability to prompt reflection on one's own life experiences. (Reviewer 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10) - **Expert Instructor**: The instructor is highly qualified and educated in the field of psychology, with a deep understanding of both academic theory and practical application. (Reviewer 9) - **Cultural Insights**: The course offers valuable insights into how magical thinking can be harnessed for positive life improvements and health benefits. (Reviewer 6, 8) - **Practical Examples**: Some reviewers pointed out the potential for applying the course's knowledge to their own lives, including personal practices like Reiki and magic. (Reviewer 3, 9) - **Educational Value**: The course is appreciated for its educational content and the opportunity it provides for learners to understand scientific data, research, and experiments. (Reviewer 9) - **Cute Home Experiments**: A few reviewers highlighted the presence of engaging experiments that can be performed at home, which adds an interactive element to learning. (Reviewer 10) ## Cons - **Sound Quality Issues**: Several reviewers expressed dissatisfaction with the sound quality in the course videos, suggesting it could be improved for a better learning experience. (Reviewer 2, 5) - **Presentation Style**: Some learners found the presentation style to be monotonous and lacking in engagement, leading to instances of falling asleep during the lectures. (Reviewer 3) - **Video Format and Length**: The course videos are presented in a PowerPoint format, which some learners felt made them lose interest quickly, also noting that the video segments could be shorter for more focused content consumption. (Reviewer 2) - **Highly Academic Approach**: A few reviewers mentioned that the course material was too academic-centric, making it difficult to understand without several reviews and breakthrough moments. (Reviewer 9) - **Lack of Practical Application**: One reviewer was very disappointed with the course, feeling it lacked real-life examples or images, and found the content unengaging and dull. (Reviewer 6) ## Recommendations for Improvement Based on the reviews, recommendations for improvement include: - **Enhancing Audio Clarity**: To improve the learning experience, enhancing sound quality will help learners better understand the course material. - **Improving Engagement**: Incorporating more engaging and interactive elements into the lectures could help maintain the learners' attention and interest. - **Shorter Video Segments**: Breaking down the video content into shorter, more digestible segments could aid in learning retention. - **More Practical Examples**: Including real-life examples or visual aids in the course could make the material more relatable and easier to understand. - **Varied Presentation Styles**: Introducing different presentation styles might help to engage learners with different preferences. ## Conclusion "The Psychology of Magical Thinking" is an enlightening course that offers a deep dive into the human psyche's propensity for magical thinking and its implications. While there are some concerns regarding engagement and sound quality, the course remains a valuable resource for those interested in understanding the complexities of belief systems and their impact on our daily lives. With some improvements, it has the potential to be an even more impactful learning experience.

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598086
udemy ID
8/31/2015
course created date
7/13/2019
course indexed date
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