In the period commonly referred to as the Middle Ages, the discipline of psychology was frequently linked to the spheres of magic and mysticism. There were various contributing factors to this occurrence, encompassing religious impact, inadequate comprehension of the human psyche, and the absence of scientific methodologies for investigating mental occurrences. 

During the Middle Ages, psychology was often viewed through a lens of mysticism, a perception that can be attributed largely to the pervasive influence of religion. During the aforementioned period, Christianity held a position of preeminence, and it maintained that the cognitive faculties of human beings constituted a metaphysical entity that was intrinsically linked to the human soul. Consequently, numerous queries and uncertainties that are presently correlated with psychology were formerly viewed as theological quandaries instead of scientific ones. 

The Middle Ages witnessed an ascribed magical credibility to psychology, which can be attributed to the restricted comprehension of the human psyche. Prior to the emergence of contemporary scientific methodologies employed in the investigation of mental phenomena, individuals resorted to superstition and mythology to elucidate matters pertaining to mental maladies and unusual conduct. For instance, the prevailing view was that mental illness was attributed to supernatural factors such as demonic possession or witchcraft, rather than being rooted in natural phenomena. 

The absence of proper scientific methodologies in the assessment of mental phenomena was a significant factor that contributed to the mystical perception of psychology prevalent during the Middle Ages. The contemporary tools and methodologies employed in studying the brain and behaviour, such as experimental psychology and brain imaging, were beyond the accessibility of individuals in former times. Consequently, numerous queries and anxieties that contemporary psychology presently recognizes were deemed unexploitable by scientific investigation. 

In brief, attributing an almost magical nature to psychology during the Middle Ages may be ascribed to a complex interplay of varying factors such as the impact of religious beliefs, the constrained comprehension of the human mind and its workings, and the inadequate scientific methodologies for exploring mental phenomena. 

Why was psychology in Middle Age seen as magic?

Scientific publications:

  1. Karras, R. M. (2008). Magic and the art of the mind: Ancient and medieval theories of mental action. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 44(1), 1-14.
  2. Gilman, S. L. (1982). The face of madness: Hugh of Saint Victor's didascalicon and medieval theories of mental illness. Journal of the History of Ideas, 43(1), 55-72.
  3. Zambelli, P. (2009). The speculum astronomiae and its enigma: Astrology, theology, and science in Albertus Magnus and his contemporaries. Dordrecht: Springer.

Keywords: 

  • psychology, 
  • Middle Ages, 
  • magic, 
  • religion, 
  • mental illness.