"A belief which leaves no place for doubt is not a belief, it's a superstition."
– José Bergamín
Superstitions, signs and omens are beliefs in a connection between a present phenomenon and future event, even when no causal link exists. These connections are associative rather than causal: the first phenomenon is a symbol of or evokes an image in the mind that is associated with the second. In other words, superstitions, signs and omens do not necessarily claim to trigger an event more than they predict it – they forewarn or signal its future occurrence.
Many of these associative connections originated in historical contexts now forgotten or derive from well-known symbols or archetypes. Certain allegedly superstitious beliefs have in fact been given scientific explanations, such as the folk belief that a halo around the moon predicts bad weather – this is grounded in a genuine meteorological observation, not superstition.
Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious offers another perspective. According to Jung, shared human experiences are stored unconsciously in the form of symbols and archetypes. People can access this collective reservoir even without personal experience. For instance, someone who has never encountered a snake might still dream of one as a symbol of hidden danger. This has led to the idea that the more intense and widely held beliefs of a society can deeply though imperceptibly influence individuals.
Many superstitions have practical roots. Consider the ancient superstition surrounding the number 13. Being a prime number, one reason it might be perceived as unlucky is its practical inconvenience compared to, say, the number 12, which divides evenly into halves, thirds, quarters and sixths. In earlier times, when calculations vital to trading, construction and daily life were all performed manually, the use of number 13 would have often caused errors and inconveniences. If a calendar year consisted of 13 months, dividing it neatly into seasons would be problematic. Such practical challenges likely contributed to the negative perception of 13, cementing it in the collective consciousness as prone to causing errors and therefore an inauspicious number.
The validity of some superstitions has even been studied scientifically. A 1993 study published in the British Medical Journal examined whether Friday the 13th affects health. ¹ Researchers compared traffic accident rates on Fridays that fell on the 13th versus Fridays that fell on the 6th. Interestingly, they found there to be less traffic on Fridays the 13th, yet hospital admissions due to accidents significantly increased by as much as 52%. The researchers concluded that for some individuals, Friday the 13th may indeed be a risk factor. Whether the explanation lies in psychology or in something as yet unexamined by science is another question, but it remains that superstition can correlate to real phenomena in the lives of some.
Symbols and superstitions naturally evolve with the continual fluctuations in human perception and social history, remaining rooted in practical, contemporary realities. When encountering a superstition or folk belief, it is most important to think about why it emerged – the surrounding historical facts and the prevailing mindset of the era. Consequently, it can be worth considering why such a seemingly irrational idea has persisted to this day. Why do many of us still feel cheered up by finding a penny, or (Americans at least) shudder when a black cat crosses in front of us? Equally important is recognising that the meaning of symbols often evolves or is lost as societies shift and, while external circumstances can profoundly influence us, it is ultimately the individual who shapes their own destiny.
We can appreciate the origins and meanings of long-standing beliefs while maintaining a critical perspective on their influence. Arguably, the real division is not between "superstitious" and "enlightened" individuals, but between those with open minds and those who operate on bias. Outright dismissal of an idea can be just as much of a prejudice as blind acceptance. Short of being confronted with definitive proof, both belief and rejection of belief become intellectual constraints when they block understanding and exploration.
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