SUPERSTITION AND SCIENCE

Superstition and Science are mutually conflicting words. Can we think about a barren woman with her children!

But it is a ticklish job to sort out the age-old beliefs into superstitions and scientific beliefs.

The world today is governed by science. Science has made life easy and man has advanced a lot. Superstitions have no applications in today's life. So we should not follow the superstitions that were passed on to us by our ancestors. We should follow only the ones which have scientific and logical basis.

A person believing in superstitions is always haunted by unknown fears and anxieties. He lose self-confidence. Education is one factor that can wipe out superstitions to some extent. A scientific outlook and temper should be cultivated to do away with superstitions.

Superstitions are time tested assumptions. In basic science there are three aspects-- assumptions, theory and principle. When an assumption is empirically found to be correct even though without any supporting theory it is accepted. Once an assumption can be explained with some theory or principle but cannot be formulated properly it becomes another theory. Once a theory can be formulated after due experimentation it becomes a principle. Certain superstitions have over a period of time become principle. Never forget that when Aryabhatta gave the assumption that earth is round and it revolves around the sun it was not a principle at that time. What i want to say is we are always guided by the source of information available till date. The level of knowledge and information restricts our thinking. The medicinal value of NEEM was superstition till a few years back. Now it is one of the most sought after herbal plant once its medicinal values have been experimented in laboratories and found to be correct scientifically. There are many superstitions which have not yet been proved scientifically but practically they are as claimed. That cannot be the reason to call it unscientific as we may not have that much level of techniques as on date to prove them scientific. Science evolves and accepts what can be proved experimentally based on certain theories and principles. Hence so far the superstitions prove to their claim, they should be taken as true.

Superstition is a credulous belief or notion, not based on reason, knowledge, or experience.

As such, it has a lot of overlap with religion and mythology. They're all intertwined because people need to think there is an explanation for things or events. Sometimes something much larger than themselves , like a major deity from one of the major religions, or sometimes smaller scale, like a specific spirit that inhabits things around them. If people don't know why something happens, they either try to find out or make up something. Or they try and wind up making something up anyway. This is a universal part of human nature, which is why you see it all over the world and in so many forms.

In modern times, we use science to explain the unknown, which is why superstitions tend to play less of a part in a more science-based culture, such as "developed"/Western cultures.

Although superstitions are passed down from generation to generation, No matter which part of the world you tour, you will find the natives nurturing certain beliefs and superstitions and India is no exception in this case. Though the Indian society is fast progressing, there are many people who are still superstitious and have a strong faith in the local beliefs. While some of them are quite hilarious, few others are really interesting, as many aspects of life are linked to them. Few beliefs even find their way into the Indian religious texts and scriptures.

The standard viewpoint is that most of the Indian beliefs and values have sprung with an objective to protect from evil spirits, but some were based on scientific reasoning. With the passage of time, the reasoning part behind the origin of these cultural beliefs and superstitions got eroded. That is exactly why most of these beliefs appear unsubstantiated and false. However, in reality, there are many such beliefs in the Indians culture which are absolutely absurd and have no logic behind them.

THESE ARE GOOD :

1. Eating curds with jaggery

2. Sighting a married lady with flowers on the head & kumkum on fore head.

3. Sighting an elephant or braying of a donkey. Sound made by lizards

THESE ARE NOT GOOD :

1. Milk over-flowing except on sankranthi day

2. Spilling of oil, turmeric, kumkum

3. Hair-cutting on Tuesdays or in evenings

4. Lizard falling on head

5. Keeping money inside the bag meant for carrying your purchase.

6. Doing things during Rahu-kala or traveling during in-auspicious time

7. Getting married on New moon day, or during certain months

8. Not lending or borrowing after sun set ( lighting the lamp in the evening )

9. Exchanging things across the threshold.

10. Giving or taking with the left hand.

11. Not crossing the broken pumpkins or coconuts on the road.

12. Cries of dogs & hooting of owls.

OTHERS :

1. Cawing of crow- itching of right palm-arrival of guests, Itching of left palm-money gain

2. Right eye twitching --good for men, Left eye twitching good for women

Some people say superstitions are just old wives' tales, and silly stories For others, this is some serious stuff. Not one is a right or wrong way of thinking.

Jayati Goel

goel.je@gmail.com