Folk customs and practices not accepted by a religion’s elite, who determine the religion’s official content. In Judaism, as in other religions, superstitions are often related to extra-religious powers or to spiritual experience and...

A term used to describe the inadvertent acquisition of a response, such as lever pressing, that is not productive or meaningful. Animals trained on random SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT will often show superstitious behaviours, and certain brain lesions...

Credulity about supernatural beliefs. Although the *Bible forbids all forms of magic and many later theologians have condemned such beliefs as nonsense, many superstitions have persisted in folk...

SUPERSTITION. Superstition is a judgmental term traditionally used by dominant religions to categorize and denigrate earlier, less sophisticated or disapproved religious attitudes and behavior. A belief is perceived as superstitious by adherents of a...

Superstition is a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like. Dictionary Definition: Religion, Opinion or practice based on belief in...

Superstitions, routines work double-team on UW By MARK STEWART mstewart@journalsentinel.com, Journal Sentinel Friday, February 13, 2004 Madison -- The routine rarely changes. Every afternoon before a game, Bo Ryan goes home, turns on his favorite oldies R&B station and gets...

A fortune awaits whoever finds the Lost Dutchman Mine. But does it exist? Many have died trying to answer that question. Don Miguel Peralta knew he had to move fast. Mexico was about to lose title to the territory in the United...

Mark Buehrle was mixing pitches and speeds, no-hitting the Texas Rangers and steering away from one of baseball's oldest superstitions. He was talking it up, ignoring the pressure and having a good old time. There was no hiding in the corner of the dugout or...

Two years ago, Annika Sorenstam erased a four-stroke deficit with three holes to play and took the Safeway International from Lorena Ochoa in a playoff. Sorenstam is chasing Ochoa again at the picturesque Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. Ochoa made two eagles and had...

Essay gives a definition of superstitions, and attempts to answer why people believe in them.

Despite their widespread acceptance in society, superstitions are illogical in nature and generally lack credibility. Even the very origins of superstitions are rarely known by those who practice them.

Essay consists of a discussion regarding Chinese superstition.