Dr. Jacqueline Woolley on Believing in Magic

Jacqueline Woolley, PhD

Professor, mentor, musician, mom

What’s a book or song that changed your life?

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

What would you say to your older self?

Worrying about things doesn’t make them better!

What makes you feel like a real grown-up?

Owning a couch.

What’s the weirdest thing in your tote bag?

This little piece of metal the size of a credit card that has a letter opener, six screwdrivers, a cell phone stand, a bottle opener, and a ruler. I’ve never used it.

Something you refused to give a f about?

Wearing high heels. Never done it.

Yes, Virginia: You should hang out those stockings this season.

Dr. Jacqueline Woolley, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, pursues research focused on children’s understanding of reality and the fantasy-reality distinction—just the intersection to help us explore what belief in Santa can teach us as grown-ups.

I was studying what children know about the fact that people have thoughts and beliefs that motivate their behavior, and I realized that nobody was studying what children understand about the more fanciful mental states, like imagination and dreams. Then, while studying children’s understanding of whether they could create things with their imagination I noticed that some of the kids were actively wishing for things. That got me interested in whether children think wishing really works, which led me to research whether children think magic really works. That led to lots of other questions about what children think is real.

Reasons to believe: Why keep up the “ruse” of Santa Claus?

For children, the reason we keep it going is mainly for fun. I think that engaging with the spaces between real and not-real, or with the border between possible and impossible, is pleasurable. I see it as sort of stretching our brain, as exercising our imagination. For adults, many enjoy participating in the Santa Claus myth with their children because it conjures up a time in which everything is possible, where belief is easy and doubts are few and far between. I don’t know if children really feel this way about life, but adults like to think they do. Many feel that believing in Santa represents a time of innocence and magic. I think it’s important to also point out that participating in the Santa Claus myth potentially is good for families too, as it’s something everyone can share in; rituals have been shown to be important for group unity.

The truths we hold: When do we lose our grip on the unimaginable? 

I like to think that most of us hold onto the ability to imagine the impossible. Certainly creative people like artists and musicians are taking us into other realms all the time. But even “fact-oriented” people like scientists are consistently going beyond facts and conducting research aimed at figuring out what might be true, or asking questions that no one’s asked before—great scientists are really good at thinking outside the box. At some point almost everyone thought airplanes, even telephones, were impossible. 

Beyond scientists and inventors, who play with this border between reality and impossibility to move their field along, the rest of us enjoy spending time entertaining the impossible when we read fiction, go to movies and plays, play video games, and even when we just sit around daydreaming. We need to ask ourselves, “What if?”  We need down-time where we can allow our minds to let go of the day-to-day constraints under which we typically operate (while running, swimming or taking a shower, for example).

Wonder while we wander: How can we indulge in possibility, holidays and beyond?

One thing to consider is how much time children have for play, for contemplation. Play in children is highly valued, yet throughout most of our adult years we prioritize structure in the form of work, organized sports, membership on boards, etc. I think we need to make more time for considering our realities (jobs, relationships, habits, goals) and what the alternatives might be. We can make time for this through meditation, walking in nature, writing, playing music or simply having tea on the side porch.

It’s funny—we tend to think of our beliefs and desires as motivating our actions. So if we believe in Santa then we’ll hang our stockings on Christmas Eve. But I think things can also operate the opposite way—sometimes doing something that is typically associated with a belief, even if one doesn’t share the belief, can bring those same joys. So hang your stockings, even if you and your partner (rather than Santa) fill them. Get dressed up for Halloween tonight, even if you’re just handing out the candy.