WHAT IS THE ACTUAL SCIENCE BEHIND VARIOUS SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS IN INDIA?

             Superstitions had spread throughout our country India. So many people still believe in it in this 21st century. Here, in this article, I will not speak against them or go against them, but I would like to share some scientific facts behind such beliefs using simple logic.

     Here are some of the superstitions and their scientific side:-

1. BROKEN MIRRORS

                 It is believed to be a bad omen if a mirror falls and broken. People believed that these breaking of mirrors would bring 7 years of bad luck. Actually, this rumor was spread by the people of ancient Rome. According to Roman belief, the logic behind number 7 is that it takes a lifetime to renew itself in 7 years. So, a person whose health is not good, if they break a mirror, after 7 years their life will renew itself and be in a better health condition. The actual truth is this is a smart way of saving mirrors without getting them broken.

2. TWITCHING OF EYES

   Twitching of left eyes is considered good luck that brings happiness, whereas that of right eyes is considered a bad omen, as it brings sadness or we will cry for some reason. But the scientific reason behind this twitching of eyes is any allergies, stress, strain, or dry eyes.

3. NO CUTTING OF NAILS AFTER SUNSET

Several weird explanations are based on this superstition that people still believe in it. They thought that cutting nails after sunset would bring debt to the house and thus destroy the whole family. But the actual reason is the nail cutter, or blades have got sharp edges, and after sunset, there is no enough light to cut nails, thus hurting our fingers. This superstition was born in the olden days where there is no electricity in India those days. Still, now, also people believe in this without even thinking about its logical side.

4. NEVER CHEW TULSI LEAVES; SWALLOW IT

Most of us believed that Tulsi is Goddess Lakshmi's avatar. So no one should chew the leaves but swallow them directly. But the science behind this superstitious belief is that Tulsi leaf contains a small amount of Arsenic. So chewing it directly can cause teeth a yellow color and thus results in the degradation of enamel.

5. BLACK CAT WALKING ACROSS OUR PATH

It is considered to be a bad omen when a black cat walks across our path. The actual origin of this superstition comes from Egyptians who believed that black cats bring bad luck and are considered to be evil creatures. In India, the color black is associated with Lord Shani. As per the myth, the first person will have bad luck when a black cat passes by, so when a black cat passes by your path, you should allow somebody else to pass before you do.

6. BATHING AFTER ATTENDING A FUNERAL FUNCTION

It is believed that the soul of a dead person can harm us if we didn’t bathe before entering our house and is considered a sin. But the actual science behind this is that in the olden days, vaccination for many deadly diseases such as smallpox, hepatitis, etc., was not there. So it is best to bathe as soon as we reach home after attending a funeral ceremony. The logic behind this and nit per the belief as the departed soul has nothing to do with.

    Several superstitions were there since ancient times. So it is our duty to understand the logic behind such logic-less beliefs before we start believing in them.