Superstition

WHAT?

Superstition is the belief in supernatural causality—that one event causes another without any natural process linking
the two events—such as astrology and certain aspects linked to religion, like omens, witchcraft, and prophecies, that
contradict natural science

WHY?

Uncertainty: People respond to uncertainty with superstitious beliefs or actions

HOW?

Superstitions and Superstition and Folklore Superstition and Magic:

Religion:
Superstition is a Since there are no generally agreed proper or
deviation of accepted religious standards among people of
religious feeling different cultural backgrounds, the very notion of
and of the practices what is a superstitious behavior is relative to
this feeling local culture.
imposes. Folk religion, alongside popular
Ex: Elimination of religion and vernacular religion, are terms
diseases through used within religious studies and folkloristics to
“faith healing” describe various forms and expressions
of religion that are deemed distinct from the
official doctrines and practices of organized
religion. The precise definition of folk religion
varies among scholars. Sometimes also termed
popular belief, it consists of ethnic or
regional religious customs under the umbrella of
a religion, but outside of official doctrine and
practices
Magical thinking: It is the attribution of causal
or synchronistic relationships between actions and
events which seemingly cannot be justified by
reason and observation. In religion, folk,
and superstitious beliefs, the posited correlation is
often between religious ritual, prayer, sacrifice, or
the observance of a taboo (A taboo is a vehement
prohibition of an action based on the belief that
such behavior is either too sacred or
too accursed for ordinary individuals to undertake,
under threat of supernatural punishment. ) It is a
type of causal reasoning or causal fallacy that looks
for meaningful relationships of grouped
phenomena (coincidence) between acts and
events.

WHO?

Women: Generally speaking, women are more superstitious than men: When was the last time you saw an astrology
column in a men's magazine? Women may also experience more anxiety, or at least, more women than men seek
help for anxiety problems. Women are also the agents of superstitions

EXAMPLES:

The Number Thirteen – Seems to mostly stem from The Last Supper where there were 13 dinner guests and one got
murdered. There is also a tale from Norse Mythology where Loki was the 13th guest and got killed in a brawl. Thus the
number 13 is considered bad luck.

Black Cats – were believed to be servants to witches, and if they served long enough, they would become a witch
themselves. To cross their path was to attract bad luck.
Opening an umbrella indoors – since an umbrella is meant to protect us from the elements (outdoors), opening
it inside is thought to “offend the spirit of the umbrella” (yes, my research actually said this), which will bring bad luck.

Friend or Foe?

Friend
A sense of security and confidence are perhaps the greatest
benefits we get emotionally from superstitious thinking or
behavior -- like carrying an object or wearing an item of
clothing that you deem to be lucky.
Foe
Phobic (fearful) superstitions can also interfere with our lives,
and cause a lot of anxiety. For example, people who are afraid
of Friday the 13th might change travel arrangements or skip an
appointment because of unnecessary anxiety. These types of
superstitions offer no benefit at all.