Magic and "evil eye": 40% of Greeks believe in them

There are a lot of superstitious among the Greeks – four out of ten believe that they can be jinxed or spoiled.

At the same time, belief in magical practices, as scientific studies show, is widespread throughout the world, although the degree of superstition varies depending on the place of residence. According to believers in the evil eye, “some people are able to send curses or perform magic, as a result of which bad things happen to someone.”

According to a study published in the journal PLoS One by Boris Gershman of the American University in Washington, at least a billion people on our planet believe in magic to one degree or another. The data was collected in person or by phone from more than 140,000 people in 95 countries and analyzed by the authors.

There is a common idea that some people have supernatural powers and are capable of harming others. The new study is the most comprehensive of its kind and shows that religious people and women are more prone to witchcraft.

At the same time, in all socio-demographic groups there is a belief in magic. Higher economic and educational levels somewhat reduce the number of believers in witchcraft, but only slightly – by only 7%. Living in a particular country is much more influenced. Only 9% of Swedes, for example, believe in witchcraft, compared to 90% among Tunisians. Belief in magic and witchcraft is greatly influenced by cultural, socio-economic, institutional and psychological factors. The trend of faith is the greater, the weaker the modern institutions in the country, social trust among citizens, the lower the level of innovation and the more conformist the culture is.

The authors of the study emphasize that we live in the 21st century, but “magical beliefs are still widespread throughout the world.” A 2021 Pew Research Center survey found that the belief that people can, moreover, successfully curse someone is accepted by adherents of most major religions – Christians, Islamists, Jews, Hindus, and others. writes CNN Greece.

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