By G V Joshi
What is a superstition? A superstition is a belief not based on logic or reason. Superstitions often promise to protect someone from harm or affect either his/her bad or good luck.
For example, opening an umbrella in a house leads to bad luck and wearing a special gemstone or crystal will ward off evil. To avoid a baby being born with a facial birthmark, pregnant women in India don’t go outside during an eclipse.
Across India, tens of thousands of lottery tickets are sold every day based on nothing more or less than people’s “lucky” numbers.
These superstitions have no logical basis, yet millions in India as well as around the globe are still following them.
There are many superstitions that have arisen in every culture. Some superstitions even have opposite meanings in different countries. In India as well as United States, black cats and the number 13 are unlucky. Yet black cats are lucky in the UK and the number 13 is lucky in Italy.
How did superstitions begin? Superstitions began centuries ago when our ancestors tried to explain mysterious circumstances or events as best as they could with the knowledge they had then. For instance, before science explained such things as (now considered simple but then strange) why mirrors show our reflections or why shadows appear when it is sunny, ancient people reasoned that a shadow or reflection was part of their soul. If someone broke something onto which the shadow or reflection appeared, people believed that their soul was harmed.
Therefore, when a person broke a mirror it was considered unlucky or harmful. Today we know that reflections and shadows are not part of our souls but if someone still believes that breaking a mirror brings he is said to be superstitious. So a superstition is a belief or practice that people cling to even after new knowledge or facts prove that these silly beliefs are untrue.
Why do people believe in superstitions? People have many reasons for being superstitious. For some, superstition is something that was passed down from their parents and their grandparents to them.
The most likely explanation is that it gives a sense of control over the uncontrollable things in life. When you don’t understand what is happening around you and feel as though you are helpless against circumstances, a feeling or belief that you can have some control by avoiding certain things or doing specific actions is comforting.
Superstitions arose in a straightforward manner. Primitive man, seeking answers for phenomena such as lightning, thunder, eclipses, birth, and death, and lacking knowledge of the laws of nature, developed a belief in unseen spirits.
He observed that animals possessed a sixth sense to danger and imagined that spirits whispered secret warnings to them. And the miracle of a tree sprouting from a seed, pointed to other worldly intervention.
In a sense, we do the same thing today. A student writes examination in which he stands first with a certain pen and that pen becomes “lucky.” We tend to make the ordinary objects extraordinary.
Superstitious beliefs, given their irrational nature, should have receded with the arrival of education and the advent of science. Yet even today, when objective evidence is valued highly, few people, if pressed, would not only admit to secretly believing, but also cherish one, or two, or many superstitions.
Perhaps this is how it should be for superstitions are an ancient part of our human heritage.
Even if everyone were completely indoctrinated with modern science we would still have harmless superstitions, because superstitious behaviour is human behaviour, and even scientists are human and many of them believe in superstitions.
Francis Bacon invented the scientific method, Robert Boyle redefined the elements that led to modern chemistry, and Isaac Newton discovered the laws of gravity and invented the Differential Calculus in mathematics. But few people know that these three men spent most of their time studying the occultism.
Occultism is a term that refers to a wide range of beliefs and practices involving magic or forces outside the natural world. Occultism includes astrology, fortune telling, magic, and spiritualism-the belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living. People who believe in occultism consider it to be based on hidden knowledge that ordinary people do not have.
Many highly placed scientists in India are superstitious. A number of them would break a coconut or visit Tirupati or Sabrimela or Guruyaur before launch of a satellite or space probe.
However, whatever the extent of belief in superstitions, they certainly have certain adverse effects on our lives. Most importantly, they make us prone to irrational thinking and induce unnecessary submissiveness.
The person who believes that the black cat that crossed his path is responsible for a particular failure will not analyze his mistakes objectively.
Superstitious beliefs can also induce defeatist mindset. One who believes in superstitions may accept defeat just because he believes that something wrong is going to happen even before something wrong has actually taken place.
Does belief in superstition impede the country’s development? Science develops the country economically and educationally, whereas superstitions and irrational beliefs check and stop the development of the country. A country is judged on its scientific and technological development and achievements.
The belief in prayer is just like any other superstition. Prayer is rank superstition, nothing more. People who believe in the power of prayer are no different from people who believe in the power of crystal balls, horoscopes or lucky charms and threads worn on their wrists.
Prayer is scientifically proven to be meaningless. But it is harmless. If it did not do any good, it did no any harm either. The belief in God is also pure superstition, because no one has seen God or likely to see one.
One thing is certain; superstitions are here to stay. As long as people need comfort and safety, superstitions will remain their loyal companions. (PTI Feature)
