The psychologist explained the reasons for people's faith in brownies and goblins

Belief in fairy-tale characters is characteristic of the so-called magical thinking that was characteristic of people in ancient times, when people explained their fears by the actions of spirits. This explanation was given by clinical psychologist Sergey Volkov in a conversation with Izvestia, commenting on the results of a VTsIOM survey, which suggests that modern Russians accept the existence of brownies, goblins and mermaids.

"Nowadays, magical thinking is considered a mandatory stage of personality development. It is especially pronounced at the age of 3 to 6 years, when a child begins to explore a world full of unfamiliar phenomena and objects," the expert explained.

During this period, according to him, the brain tries to create complex connections by combining all the images of the world into a single picture with the help of fantasy. The development of magical thinking serves as the foundation for critical thinking, which is formed as a person grows up.

According to the clinical psychologist, it is precisely with the degradation of critical thinking that adults believe in the supernatural.

Read more about why Russians still believe in brownies in the Izvestia article.

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