In this era of cutting edge surgeries and Artificial Intelligence (AI), our patients are still not accessible to rational treatment (Medical & surgical).
-Dr B L Bairwa, MS, FACS
”Superstition refers to any belief or practice that is caused by supernatural causality, and which contradicts modern science”
few examples for superstitious treatment in India
- Jaadu Tona (Black magic)
- witch hunts
- Tatooing
- Godmen and faith healers
- Burn on diseased part
The features and preconditions of superstition
- The lack of knowledge about events
- The lack of control over the environment
- Fatalist thinking.
Consequences of superstition
is adherence to delusions that have no intellectual or scientific explanation and lead to superstitious behaviors that are caused by a false notion of the causes and effects of events. It is rooted in human ignorance and has significant effects on people’s culture and health and prevents them from beginning restoration and has negative effects on the individual and society. Given the definitions in the three fields of nursing, psychology, and sociology, the concept of superstition should be removed from its mundane state and be scientifically enriched. Given the discussed issues, having an everyday definition in all three fields can affect people’s physical, psychological, and mental health. How can a concept enchant people and have negative effects on them but not have a clear definition or defined boundaries? The concept of superstition and luck is recognized as a concept arising out of the contexts of cultures, and this context-derived concept affects the people of that culture in various dimensions. It, therefore, requires evidence-based research, in which negative effects can be known through the demarcation.
According to Bandura’s theory, a behavior can be formed following the reinforcements of that behavior and can even have positive effects. The belief in fatalism is regarded as a negative consequence. In other words, the consequences of fatalism can be positive or negative. If a person bases all the affairs of life and living on superstitious beliefs and subsequently fatalism, his satisfaction with life increases while neglecting the fact that this kind of thinking can also have negative consequences. For instance, a chronically ill person blames his illness on fate and destiny, and his stress is thus reduced and he can even be satisfied with living with a chronic disease. Nonetheless, this thinking makes him not pursue his treatment and care and he will thus witness adverse effects on his body and soul in the long term, which is regarded as a negative consequence.
References
- Taher M, Pashaeypoor S, Cheraghi MA, Karimy M, Hoseini AS. Superstition in health beliefs: Concept exploration and development. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. 2020 Mar;9(3):1325.
- Bukhari S, Pardhan A, Khan A, Ahmed A, Choudry F, Pardhan K, et al. Superstitions regarding health problems in different ethnic groups in Karachi. J Pak Med Assoc. 2002;52:383–7.
- Huque M, Huq Chowdhurry A. A scale to measure superstition. J Soc Sci. 2007;3:18–23.
