A superstition is "a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation" or "an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition."[1][2] Often, it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding of science or causality, a belief in fate or magic, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy, and certain spiritual beings, particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific (apparently) unrelated prior events.[3][4] The word superstition is often used to refer to a religion not practiced by the majority of a given society regardless of whether the prevailing religion contains alleged superstitions.[3]
Global
editNumber related
editAfrica
editAmericas
editAsia
editIndia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
editChina
editJapan
editKorea
editPhilippines
editThailand
editOther
editEurope
editSee also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ cf. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superstition
- ^ Drinkwater, Ken; Dagnall, Neil. "The science of superstition – and why people believe in the unbelievable". The Conversation. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
- ^ a b Vyse, Stuart A. (2000). Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. pp. 19–22. ISBN 978-0-1951-3634-0.
- ^ Chardonnens, L. S. (1 January 2007). Chapter Four. Superstition and prognostication. Brill. ISBN 978-90-474-2042-2.
Further reading
edit- Radford, Mona A. (2018). Encyclopedia of Superstitions. Edwin Radford. Newburyport: Philosophical Library/Open Road. ISBN 978-1-5040-5508-6. OCLC 1041062919.