Ghosts, Black Cats, and the Brain: The Psychology Behind Superstition
As Halloween approaches, we’re surrounded by black cats, broken mirrors, and the number thirteen. Even if we know it’s all in good fun, superstitions have a strange way of lingering in the back of the mind—little whispers that something bad might happen if we tempt fate.
But beneath the costumes and cobwebs lies something deeply human: our brain’s longing for control when life feels unpredictable.
Why We Create Superstitions
Superstitions often arise in moments of uncertainty—when the outcome is out of our hands. Athletes wear “lucky socks,” students use the same pen for every exam, and people knock on wood before sharing good news.
From a psychological perspective, these rituals soothe anxiety by offering an illusion of control. The brain, wired to seek patterns, links unrelated events in an effort to predict or prevent discomfort. It’s a coping mechanism—a way to make the unknown a little less terrifying.
Superstition is, also, universal. Every culture has its own stories, rituals, and symbols meant to protect against bad luck or invite good fortune. These beliefs offer belonging—a shared way to make sense of the unknown.
For example, in Jewish tradition, when a person is pregnant, you do not buy any baby items, decorate a nursery, or celebrate the pregnancy for fear that the baby will not arrive safely. While this temporarily calms the fear, it may actually feed into a loop of persistent fear, loneliness, anxiety, and guilt. Does ignoring the pregnancy actually protect the baby? Maybe. Does it rob the pregnant person of the opportunity of joy and connection? Definitely.
The Cost of Magical Thinking
When we rely too heavily on rituals or avoidance, we reinforce the idea that we cannot tolerate the discomfort of uncertainty without them. Over time, this can deepen anxiety and limit growth.
For example:
Avoiding new experiences because “something bad might happen.”
Delaying important decisions until a “sign” appears.
Feeling paralyzed by what-ifs and worst-case scenarios.
The truth is, discomfort is not danger—it’s a signal that we’re encountering the edge of what feels safe or familiar.
How to Work With (Not Against) the Urge for Control
If you notice a superstitious thought creeping in this week (“Maybe I shouldn’t… just in case”), pause before you act on it.
Here are a few gentle practices to try instead:
Name the fear.
Say it out loud or write it down: “I’m afraid that if I do X, something bad will happen.”
Seeing it clearly helps separate thought from truth.Question the pattern.
Ask: “Is there evidence for this belief?” or “What would I tell a friend who felt this way?”
This invites your rational mind back into the conversation.Sit in the discomfort.
Try the experiment of not performing the ritual. Notice what happens—not what you fear will happen, but what actually happens.
Often, the world stays still, and your nervous system learns that uncertainty is survivable.Ground in the present.
Superstitions live in the “what if.” Come back to the “what is.”
Feel your feet on the floor, take a slow breath, look around the room. You’re safe right now.
A Halloween Invitation
This Halloween, let’s celebrate the unknown differently—not by warding it off with lucky charms, but by learning to tolerate the mystery. Fear, after all, is just another emotion asking to be felt.
And if this fear feels bigger than a passing thought—if your mind and body are holding on to past experiences that make uncertainty feel unsafe—know that healing is possible.
At Juniper Therapeutic Services, we work with clients across Maine, Massachusetts, and New York to help them meet discomfort with compassion and discover what’s possible when fear no longer leads.Through treatments like EMDR and Ketamine Assisted Therapy we can help the nervous system release old patterns of protection and reclaim a sense of safety, curiosity, and calm.
