Re: superstition

["danerebor" <hornedfox@...>]

Hi RM,

Thanks and very good examples. It does seem that Will and Emotion can 
adjust our 'delusion' of reality.

Dan :)

> 
> Dear Dan:
> 
> As always, a good question! In my view, a superstition is 
essentially 
> a false opinion about cause and effect. If you go to a bowling 
alley 
> it is common to see bowlers make all kinds of strange body gestures 
> (usually combined with a chant such as "Come on; come on!") in 
order 
> to Will the ball to move a little to the right or left. Although 
such 
> bowling rituals are common, they aren't quite superstitions. A 
person 
> holding a superstition will usually be willing to expend effort 
> defending the belief. This is because the belief has psychological 
> value to the one who holds it. So a superstition is an inaccurate 
> opinion about cause and effect combined with an emotional 
investment 
> in sustaining the belief.
> 
> Some of the most important contributions of science have been the 
> idea of objective proof as well as the idea that it is possible to 
> achieve a consensus about the nature of reality. Magical thinking, 
on 
> the other hand, maintains that at least some aspects of reality are 
> inherently subjective and moreover Will and Emotion can and do 
change 
> the nature of physical reality. 
> 
> So if my cousin Eric believes that wearing his "lucky socks" will 
> make it more likely that his favorite sports team will win then his 
> belief may indeed exert a very minor influence on reality. The 
> fallacy that makes Eric's belief a superstition is that he vastly 
> overrates the effect of his personal magical rite. A trained 
magician 
> on the other hand is able to create much more significant effects 
> (i.e., non-negligible) as a consequence of his or her rites. 
> 
> In some cases I think superstitions may even represent a naive 
early 
> attempt at harnessing the principles of magic.
> 
> Sincerely, /RM/