The human race is a very intellectual and intelligent species. We have well-developed brains and advanced technologies. Despite all of this, most of us remain fearful and superstitious. Superstition is defined as a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, or trust in magic and chance. “Superstition, it seems, is one thing that binds all of humanity throughout history and across cultural divides.” Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss once wrote that superstitions and belief in magic “are so frequent and so widespread that we should ask ourselves if we are not confronted with a permanent and universal form of thought.” It seems as though in today’s world almost everyone is superstitious. Stuart Vyse, professor of psychology at Connecticut College, says that several American surveys state that over half of the human population is slightly superstitious.

Personally I have my own superstitions. I always need to wear my Eagles jersey during game day and I make sure to have my lucky pair of grey socks on as well. According to the LA Times, Actress Jennifer Aniston always steps on to a plane with her right foot first. Coldplay band member Chris Martin always brushes his teeth before going on stage. But what makes us have this superstitions? According to Vyse, superstition is a lack of control. “Generally, [superstition] is aimed at achieving greater control, when something important is at stake yet the outcome is uncertain, then superstitions are likely to be used to fill the gap and make us feel more confident.” Superstitions act as a confidence booster but that doesn’t justify some of the wacky ones people have. In the article The Surprising Origins of 9 Common Superstitions, Vyse talks about an odd superstition his old friend had. His friend believed that his fingernail clippings might fall into the wrong hands and be used to commit malevolent magic against them, Vyse said. So he would collect them in a special bowl and late at night as he was reading he would eat them. Yes disgusting and gross I know, but even Pablo Picasso was known to save his nail clippings and locks of hair.

When stories like this arise, people want to link these bizarre habits to something more than just a superstition. A common debate in today’s world is whether or not superstitions can be linked to mental illnesses. The most common illness associated with superstitions is OCD. OCD is known as obsessive compulsive disorder. But according to Vyse, there is no direct connection between the two. “Scales measuring magical ideation [magical thinking] sometimes include items that are similar to superstition, and high scores on the scale are correlated with subsequent mental illness. However, magical ideation includes many other concepts (hearing voices) that are not related to superstition. So, at this point, no clear connection between the two has been established.” Superstitions affect everyone to a different degree. Women tend to be more superstitious as well as people who are more anxious or depressed.

Believe it or not, humans are not the only species prone to superstitious beliefs. Studies have been conducted on animals to prove that they too can be superstitious. “In a famous experiment from 1948, renowned psychologist B. F. Skinner was able to condition pigeons to behave a certain way with the belief they would then receive food from an automated food hopper — even though the food actually appeared at regular timed intervals.” It is astounding to think that animals can have these irrational beliefs as well.

Depending on the situation superstitious beliefs can be either good or bad. “Superstitions centered around luck in a skilled activity (putting a golf ball) have been shown to improve performance” Vyse said. However they can be harmful. When it comes to believing in this “luck” it can prolong a gamblers gambling problem. Beyond the good and bad I think it is appropriate to have your own superstitions. I believe they make you unique as a person. But if you are going to eat your fingernail clippings or collect lost hair, you might want to cut those habits as soon as possible!

SITES:

http://www.livescience.com/39566-friday-the-13th-superstitions.html

http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LEVrwvSPhVbMMAVM4nnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByOHZyb21tBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg–/RV=2/RE=1442363568/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fwww.webmd.com%2fmental-health%2ffeatures%2fpsychology-of-superstition/RK=0/RS=H4WTs2oiFlaigDJ.BXJ3eXeNS.o-