Electroencephalographic Correlates of Magical Thinking in Affective Disorders

Abstract

Magical thinking is a common symptom in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), often taking a form of thought-action fusion – where individuals believe that thoughts can cause events or are morally equivalent to actions [1]. Building on previous phenomenological research on emotion regulation in affective disorders, this study focuses on individuals for whom emotionally evocative stimuli triggered prolonged rumination and psychosis-like experiences, which align with the concept of magical thinking. 

The primary aim of this study is to identify EEG features associated with magical thinking, specifically spectral power, signal complexity and connectivity patterns, combining clinical psychology, neurology and phenomenology. Grounded in the notion of a symbolically enriched "lifeworld" (Lebenswelt; Heidegger, 1996), we assume that individuals with a tendency toward magical thinking inhabit a more complex experiential reality. This may be mirrored in the brain’s intrinsic dynamics, particularly through increased neural signal complexity. Accordingly, we hypothesize that individuals with higher levels of magical thinking will show elevated Lempel-Ziv Complexity (LZC) in frontal regions. LZC quantifies the diversity of neural signals over time, providing insight into the complexity of spontaneous brain activity.

Data were obtained in a prior research on emotion regulation mentioned above. The current study analyzes a subset of 107 adults diagnosed with affective disorders (anxiety, depression, OCD). Magical thinking was assessed using the four-item magical thinking subscale of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) [2]. Resting-state EEG was recorded with a 64-channel system and preprocessed using a standardized pipeline.

We will use the above-mentioned data to compute power spectrum density across theta (4-7 Hz), alpha (8-12 Hz), beta (13-29) and low gamma (30-45 Hz) bands using Welch’s transform. LZC will be used to quantify spontaneous neural signal complexity, and phase-based functional connectivity will be assessed in both sensor and source space, with source activity projected onto seven canonical resting-state networks [3]. Statistical analyses will examine correlations and regression models linking EEG features to magical thinking scores, alongside group comparisons (e.g., high vs. low scorers).

Preliminary expectations include higher LZC in frontal regions and altered theta-band frontoparietal connectivity in individuals with elevated magical thinking. The findings could inform development of targeted therapeutic approaches for individuals whose magical thinking contributes to psychological distress. Future research will incorporate phenomenological interviews to contextualize EEG findings within participants’ lived experiences, providing a more comprehensive neurophenomenological understanding of magical thinking. 

References

[1] D. A. Einstein and R. G. Menzies, “The presence of magical thinking in obsessive compulsive disorder, ”Behaviour Research and Therapy, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 539–549, 2004. doi: 10.1016/S0005-7967(03)00160-8.

[2] A. Raine, “The SPQ: A scale for the assessment of schizotypal personality based on DSM-III-R criteria,” Schizophrenia Bulletin, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 555–564, 1991. doi: 10.1093/schbul/17.4.555.

[3] T. T. Yeo et al. “The organization of the human cerebral cortex estimated by intrinsic functional connectivity,” Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 106, no. 3, pp. 1125–1165, Sep. 2011. doi: 10.1152/jn.00338.2011.