Is being superstitious good for your morale?

Now let’s be honest. When did you last carry out a superstitious action? For instance, ‘touching wood’, ‘not walking under a ladder’, ‘crossing fingers’ or ‘spreading some salt’. Even if you aren’t a typically superstitious person, think about it: don’t you consider green lights to be good omens? Don’t you have a ‘lucky charm’ in your possession? Don’t you have anything that looks like a talisman, hidden at the bottom of your handbag?

Admit it. According to a TNS Sofres poll, 49% of French women declare themselves to be superstitious (compared with 34% of men). Conducted by the Research Ministry, another survey also reveals that half of us believe in transmission of thoughts and a quarter believe in witchcraft. More surprisingly, these considerable numbers have been steadily increasing in the last few years – according to Éloïse Mozzani, author of a book on the subject.

A NEW STANDARD:

We have moved away from the age old traditional superstitions that were associated with certain religions (sign of the cross, breaking bread), or reserved for some occupations (breaking their thread three times is a sign of danger for dressmakers, to leave the port on a Friday brings bad luck to sailors, green is considered ominous for comedians). These day, everyone is involved. Everyone has their small personal rituals, spiritual thoughts and extravagant symbolic practices.

Even Thomas Langmann, producer of The Artist, was told that the coin offered by his daughter brought so much luck that he put it in Jean Dujardin‘s pocket on the evening of the Oscars. For a long time, being superstitious may have been frowned upon but today the belief in signs has become the standard. It explains the sheer number of weddings on the symbolic date of July 7th, 2007.

A FAVOURITE TOPIC:

Why did we become such ‘fanatics’? Where do these new, irrational thoughts come from? For Thomas Rabeyron, doctor in psychopathology and clinical psychology, the answer is found in the direction of a crisis. “The more worry there is about the environment or the more people are afraid of the looming days, the more they turn to superstition”, he says. It is true that, for the last ten years, occult experiments have become a real favourite subject among a lot of people.

For proof, there is the astounding evolution of the number of scientific or consumer publications on this topic. Published in 2004, the book COINCIDENCES: CLUES FROM THE UNIVERSE by Deepak Chopra, subtitled ‘Coincidences are not accidents, but signals from the universe which can guide us toward our true destiny’, became a best-seller. On TV, a French show called ‘The 30 Most Mysterious Stories‘, dedicated to curses, ghosts and other esoteric occurrences has reached a record number of audience with an average of 5 million viewers per evening since 2006.

In France, the Festival of Clairvoyance announced the number of visitors increased by 20% over the last two years. Everywhere, the same thing is being reported: the belief that some acts or signs cause good or bad consequences and we love it either way!

Or rather, we need to be superstitious. As psychoanalysis has repeatedly mentioned since Freud, superstition is a wonderful creation by individuals and societies to reduce the fear of the world.

A REMEDY AGAINST ANXIETY:

Marie-Hélène Exertier, clairvoyant and organizer of one of the Festival of Clairvoyance in France, willingly recognizes superstitions: “From the student to the retired man and from people who are living lives with a poor well-being, they desire to be reassured. And, paranormal activities are seen as an effective remedy against anxiety.” “The question behind the origin of spiritual thought, objects that supposedly carry bad luck or happiness and rituals meant to cause happy events become obscured with the question of human societies,” explains Emmanuèle Gardair, researcher and lecturer in psychology.

Human beings have always needed to create links to find sense and tangible causes to life’s coincidences. And, in distressing situations, it is usual to look for support in this kind of superstitious practice.

By targeting our own intimate laws (ex: “Thursday is not a favourable day, thus I avoid meetings”), we focus and concentrate our anxiety to a point rather than live it in a distributed manner. The result? In an illusory vein, we take back our advantage in the world.

A QUESTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES:

Without doubt, stressful situations, insecurity or a poor well-being (economic difficulties, separation, unemployment, disease…) are particularly favourable to the emergence of superstitious thoughts. A sociological study demonstrated that during examinations, 70% of students had rituals or superstitious objects as an aid to perform better (garments, pencils, food…).

More polemically, other observations showed that regarding health, when a completely unlikely but alarming danger is impending (for example the possibility of contracting HIV), people that are usually rational will also tend to adopt superstitious reflex actions (distrust and estrangement). “From a risk point of view, fear awakens the doubt and sweeps away any scientific rationality,” comments Emmanuèle Gardair.

But be careful: if risk-taking or the difficult circumstances are a key factor in the elaboration of personal faiths, then they are not the only parameter. The superstitious mechanics are also very often due to a cultural environment and/or a family education. “Faiths are then passed along from generation to generation and the individual’s real-life experiences strengthen them,” indicates the psychologist. That’s why superstitions can vary from one region to another, but also from one family to another.

RISKY PERSONALITIES:

To Emmanuèle Gardair, if superstition is a question of context, then the personality of the individual should also be considered. Some people are more predisposed to superstition than others. Who are the superstitious? Feeble-minded people, uncultivated people – as the Church, the Age of Enlightenment and the science asserted to no end – surely not? However superstitious people are very likely those who are anxious. “Surveys indicate that some psychological characteristics such as a bad emotional adjustment can cause the appeal of superstitious thought,” the psychologist adds. It is for this reason why superstition is often a distinctive expression with obsessive neuroses: for people convinced of the omnipotence of their thoughts, practising rituals serve as a means of protecting themselves from the emotional overflow, which they fear.

But then, should we worry or not, about liking our Brazilian bracelet, keeping the slightest scrap of paper written on by hand of our beloved or avoiding walking on the lines of pavements? In most cases, there is no reason to panic. Once again, when it doesn’t interfere with rational thought, we can say that spiritual thought is apart of the human consciousness. However, if health comes into the picture, in particular with obsessive compulsive disorders or phobias, it is better to consult a psychotherapist rather than a healer.