Why People Believe in Superstitions - Essay Example

Well, for many years, the supernatural has always been an intriguing topic of discussion. Many at times, it has a compelling force on someone, especially from a young age. Primarily, the notion of the existence of apparitional beings is one of the major driving forces of beliefs. Many at times, children at a young age wouldn't find themselves watching bad scary movies or listening to ghostly stories. While there are many books and novels about mysteries and haunted houses among other inexplicable anomalies, many kids wouldn't stand reading such 'bad' content.

Contrary to that, other persons are interestingly intrigued by such books and movies. In essence, they crave for something that would stir up adrenaline in a way when they listen to scary stories or watch horror movies. Primarily, not all families are religious. However, ask anyone, and they would tell you that they believe in death after many years of living. Some would also go ahead and tell you of the existence of a higher power and their belief in certain superstitions. That aside, do you have an idea of what superstition is?

Well, it has multiple definitions. Generally, a superstition means a belief in forces of the supernatural. An excellent example of a delusion that many human beings believe in is fate. People believe in the desire to resolve certain uncertainties or influence particular factors that are predictable in life. As such, they become irrational over issues and at times, defy the wisdom of science with their beliefs. So, what role do delusions play to have human beings believe strongly for many years?

Well, find out now: Promotion of a Sense of Control and Reduced Anxiety Researchers, particularly psychologists, have looked into the significance of superstitions in the society and the world at large. They derive their assumptions about the fact that events that occur at the same time connect with other non-related activities. For a good number of persons, taking part in superstitious activities reduces anxiety and also promotes a powerful sense of luck and control. In essence, cases such as social uncertainties or economic crises tend to increase among those who are undergoing stress or anxiety.

Promotion of Positive Mental Behaviour, Belief and Attitude According to researchers, delusions have been found to good mental behavior. For instance, individuals carry charms, visit certain places, or wear certain clothes that are believed to be associated with good luck or fortune in away. Similarly, some people prefer wearing specific colors of socks or using absolute numbers that are considered to generate good luck. While some of these actions and attitudes may have a trivial sense of the aspect of luck, they affect some people’s way of thinking and choices in the actual world.

More to it, delusions may also present the idea of something being blessed or cursed. For instance, numbers such as ‘666’ often feature in situations of misfortune and mysterious calamities. Significance of Superstition in Highly Competitive Situations The practice of delusion is also defined across various sports. These include gymnastics, football, and athletics, to mention a few. Research studies record the fact that at least one athlete out of a group of four engages in a superstitious activity, i.e., wearing specific socks.

Moreover, the athletes practice it with the belief that it reduces tension. Additionally, engaging in superstitious activities gives one authoritative control over unpredictable factors in a game. Examples of these activities across various sports include a prayer to achieve success, putting on good socks before the game as a sign of excellent preparation, and wearing luck charms or socks. For most gamers or athletes, they have a belief that such activities enable them to be focused, and have an excellent flow of performance in their sports.

A Way of Reassurance For many years, superstitions are known to give reassurance or reduce levels of bad anxiety in some people. In the same manner, people find themselves in self-reinforcement positions when a particular superstitious behavior develops into a habit. Ideally, when one goes without engaging in a specific ritual, it can result in the form of anxiety. Well, while some outcomes of certain situations or events may depend on certain factors, a notion of forces in the supernatural realm still exist.

People also go-ahead to have a strong belief that the harder they practice a particular superstitious activity, the luckier they become.