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Belief in the supernatural is common across cultures to help us understand things that are beyond our physical or natural reality. Any force, being, or realm that transcends the laws of nature, that we cannot explain with a scientific understanding, is considered supernatural.
These beliefs include God, the devil, spirits, the afterlife, heaven, hell, karma, fate, and luck. Whether we believe in these mystical forces with certainty, or as a general acceptance, most of us practice our beliefs daily. They help us cope with stress, calm worrisome fears, and can serve as a moral compass to make decisions.
We depend on our own set of beliefs to help us understand another person’s experience. We might lean toward the supernatural to explain a health diagnosis, to interpret a dream, or simply to navigate the uncertainty of the world around us.
Mysteries beyond our reach
In a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, 73% of US adults claimed to believe in heaven, 62% in hell, and 33% in reincarnation. Only 17% claimed they do not believe in the afterlife. Supernatural leanings, spiritual and religious, are an integral part of our society at large.
However, most people are reluctant to talk about their unusual experiences, like near-death or communication with a loved one from beyond, for fear of condemnation, disdain, or even a mental illness diagnosis. This can help explain why supernatural experiences remain a mystery, beyond our perception and our reach.
Organized religion often relies on the supernatural to rationalize things that are not grounded. One example is/was the common belief in witches by Quakers, Catholics, and others. A shared belief can create a sense of group unity working against demonic spirits for the good of humanity.
Explaining the unpredictable
The Nature Human Behavior study published in 2023 compared how different cultures use the supernatural to explain the world around them. Ninety-two percent of cultures related the cause of diseases to supernatural phenomena.
This points to a deep-seated human desire to understand our existence and our world. In the United States, many Christians believe that the COVID pandemic was an apocalyptic divine punishment—attributing God to the spread of disease.
People will often use the supernatural to explain the unpredictable. Cultures in regions around the globe where there are more devastating weather events are more prone to supernatural explanations than others.
God of the gaps
Philosophers like Friedrick Nietzsche believed in the “God of the gaps.” In other words, divine intervention (God) was used to explain any gap in understanding. In the Bible, for instance, stories are used to explain murder (Cain and Able) and war (Jericho).
A belief in the evil eye has been around since ancient times and is still popular today in Indian, African, and Asian cultures. When the evil eye is casted, according to superstition, it can cause injury or even death.
Most often, old women, childless women and strangers are accused of casting the evil eye because of malice or envy toward another person. Most Muslim Tunisians believe that the evil eye symbol can cause physical harm.
Universal forces
Ancient societies used the intervention of God to justify the reign of kingdoms and to explain the cycles of the moon. Stories of miracles in history, usually involving some kind of healing, are abundant. Many people have claimed to hear God’s voice through their own thoughts, by reading the Bible, or through another person.
Most of us believe that forces like God, karma, and fate permeate or underlie our experience here on planet earth, influencing our everyday lives. Whatever our own personal beliefs, the supernatural can help us psychologically navigate the turbulence of life.
Sources:
The Psychological Origin of Supernatural Thinking | Psychology Today
Spiritualism | Religion, Beliefs, Practices & History | Britannica
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