Superstition is a belief or practice that is considered irrational or supernatural by non-practitioners, and is often attributed to fate, magic, or fear of the unknown. It can also refer to a religion that is not practiced by the majority of a given society, regardless of whether the prevailing religion contains alleged superstitions, or to all religions by the antireligious. Superstitions can result from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation. They can be maintained despite evidence to the contrary and presuppose an erroneous understanding about cause and effect that has been rejected by modern science. Superstitions can be a deviation of religious feeling and of the practices this feeling imposes, and can even affect the worship offered to the true God.

The psychology of superstition suggests that wanting more control or certainty is the driving force behind most superstitions. People tend to look for some kind of rule or explanation for why things happen, and superstitions provide people with the sense that theyve done one more thing to try to ensure the outcome they are looking for. Intelligence seems to have little to do with whether or not people subscribe to superstitions.

In summary, superstition is a belief or practice that is considered irrational or supernatural, and can result from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation. Superstitions can be a deviation of religious feeling and of the practices this feeling imposes, and can even affect the worship offered to the true God. The psychology of superstition suggests that wanting more control or certainty is the driving force behind most superstitions, and intelligence seems to have little to do with whether or not people subscribe to superstitions.