Superstitions
29 January 2025
Deep Dive
Superstitions: they’re something many of us perform little rituals in the name of without giving it too much thought. Touching or knocking on wood for luck, avoiding the number 13 and certainly never opening an umbrella indoors. But where did the idea of superstitions originate, and why are they observed all around the world? Chyaz explores these questions (and takes a look at some of the strangest examples) in today’s episode…
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Themes
- Origins and history
- Psychological explanations
- Cultural and regional rituals
- Personal impact and risks
Questions Explored
What are superstitions and where did they originate? + −
Superstitions are ritualised actions or beliefs intended to influence luck or ward off harm; Chyaz traces some of the oldest recorded examples to ancient religions, for example the Greek term deisidaimonia which linked fear of the divine to protective practices such as amulets and rituals. Chyaz Samuel lays out this history in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 66: Superstitions.
What psychological theories explain why people hold superstitions? + −
The episode summarises developmental and cognitive accounts that suggest adults can preserve childhood ways of explaining the world, confusing physics, biology and psychology; researchers Lindeman and Aarnio are cited along with Stuart Vyse, who highlights illusions of control and the grouping of positive and negative superstitions. Chyaz Samuel discusses the psychology in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 66: Superstitions.
What are the origins of common superstitions like knocking on wood, throwing salt and saying ‘white rabbit’? + −
Chyaz explains that touching or knocking on wood may come from pagan beliefs in spirits in trees, throwing salt over the shoulder has links to Ancient Rome and religious symbolism such as Judas spilling salt, and saying ‘white rabbit’ on the first of the month ties to rabbits as symbols of new beginnings and luck. Chyaz Samuel explains these origins in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 66: Superstitions.
Which unusual national or occupational superstitions are described in the episode? + −
The episode gives several cultural examples: in parts of Portugal walking backwards is said to teach the devil a route, spilling wine at a table can be seen as good luck, in Japan people tuck their thumbs away when passing graves to protect parents, and many fishermen avoid bananas on boats for various folkloric reasons. Chyaz Samuel highlights these cultural examples in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 66: Superstitions.
Did superstition ever influence political decisions in the episode’s examples? + −
Chyaz recounts an anecdote from Donald Regan’s memoir claiming that Nancy Reagan regularly consulted an astrologer and that timing of presidential appearances and actions were sometimes checked against horoscopes before proceeding, though Nancy Reagan denied political impact. Chyaz Samuel covers the Reagan example in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 66: Superstitions.
How does laboratory research illustrate superstitious behaviour? + −
The episode describes B.F. Skinner’s 1948 pigeon experiment where birds repeated arbitrary actions that had accidentally coincided with food delivery, an effect Skinner read as a superstitious response and which Chyaz parallels with human ritualised habits such as sports mantras. Chyaz Samuel outlines the experiment in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 66: Superstitions.
How does the host personally relate to superstitions and what warnings does she offer? + −
Chyaz shares that she performs many small superstitious rituals and that her own experience with obsessive compulsive disorder gives her perspective on how rituals can feel comforting yet illogical; she also warns that dependence can carry psychological and financial harms and recommends professional help if superstition causes serious hardship. Chyaz Samuel shares her personal perspective in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 66: Superstitions.