Travelling through history, we find that people from diverse cultures have passed on to us their blind beliefs or ‘superstitions’ which, though wrong, were their attempts to explain certain happenings in life.
Some people are gripped with irrational fear of bad luck which can be caused by superstitions, e.g., the fear of Friday the 13th or the bad luck of a broken mirror which superstitions say will bring bad luck; for some such deep fear can give neurotic attack.
Most superstitions are based on predicting the future in some way, which sometimes come true and many times false. This could be the reason why some say that good luck, wealth and happiness cannot be predicted by anyone; everybody can acquire the future one wants and that is not a fairy tale but plain matter of fact.
Superstitions are successful sometimes due to “placebo effect”, where the human brain can make a certain superstitious belief come true; for that is the way the human mind works it is said. This could be the reason why some people are more likely to meet with accidents on Friday 13th due to their deep-rooted belief with that ‘bad luck’ idea. But it is not so always, sometimes it happens by coincidence. Here is an example which is often quoted: “Sheena kept staring at the amulet that she’d purchased from a villager who promised her that the amulet brings good luck to those who wear it. Smiling she wore it around her neck and wondered what miracle the amulet would unleash. Seconds later she got a call from her husband who announced the great news of his promotion at work.”
“It works”, she thought, with a stronger smile and a twinkle in her eyes.
Superstitions appear to you as real because you believe them so and you blame your good or bad luck on superstitions rather than on truth.
Superstitions can rule your life if you believe too much in them, and become a slave to them; by making decisions based upon superstition, rather than on facts. You may fail to act due to belief in superstitious, misleading ideas where otherwise, you would have succeeded. There is no proof for superstitious ideas. One remembers only the times a superstition appears to come true and forgets many occasions where they have failed. Such a life is to live in a fool’s paradise.
Superstitions live on because they have been passed on from generation to generation and are solidified in culture.
The Roman Catholic Church considers superstitions to be sinful because it shows a lack of trust in God and is a violation of the Ten Commandments. So get rid of superstitions.
Spiritual practices are based on rationality. Fear and superstition have no part in them. A systematic and scientific method of spiritual practices in the path leaves no place for these superstitions. Therefore, one should release oneself from fear, and bring oneself back to God.
Grandparents, aunts, mothers-in-law should not misguide the younger generation with superstitions but should carry with them their wisdom as they walk on this earth and proceed to the land of Eternal Bliss.
