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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/23/health/psychology/23magic.html?

Here is a snippet:

"The appetite for such beliefs appears to be rooted in the circuitry of the brain, and for good 
reason. The sense of having special powers buoys people in threatening situations, and 
helps soothe everyday fears and ward off mental distress. In excess, it can lead to 
compulsive or delusional behavior. This emerging portrait of magical thinking helps explain 
why people who fashion themselves skeptics cling to odd rituals that seem to make no 
sense, and how apparently harmless superstition may become disabling."

-Colin Purrington
http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/

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