HW10: Chapter 3: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

SUMMARY

         This paper attempted to determine the effects those superstition have on daily lives of Filipinos. 

         This research design used in this study is the descriptive research method wherein data from documents and interviews were used to answer the research question posed. The research findings are the following:

1.) Superstition is an irrational belief resulting from ignorance or fear of the unknown. It characterized omens, charms, etc.

2.) Superstition is based on belief in the power of magic and witch crafts in such forces as spirits and demons.

3.) Some superstition provides miracles, revelations, magic or what we called supernatural beliefs

4.) The effects of superstition can be based on foolish behavior, bad decision, or can be an anxiety of one person because they believe and rely on superstitious belief.

5.) Superstitious beliefs can be bad-luck superstition or good/luck superstition. Bad luck superstition like spilling salt, walking under the ladder, and Friday the 13th. While good luck superstition are like charms, and crossing the fingers. 

CONCLUSIONS

        Based on the finding of the study, the following conclusions are drawn:

1.) Many people especially Filipinos believe in bad luck superstition and they are very afraid of most of it. They are always rely and believe in superstitious beliefs.

2.) The anxiety, the bad decision are can be the effect of superstition in the daily lives of Filipinos. Charms and crossing the finger are people used to prevent the bad things that might their encounter.

RECOMMENDATIONS

       After drawing the conclusion of the study, the researchers hereby make the following suggestions/recommendations:

1.) In analyzing the effects of superstition, it is better to have a highlights in every types of superstition so that the people will determine and focus in every types of it.

2.) Experts, and other people must research more than the effects of superstition not only to the Filipino cultures but rather to other cultures, so that some possible future experts can help them to give more sources about superstitious beliefs. 

REFERENCES: 

A: Electronic Media

" Superstitious Beliefs" from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition

 Worobec, Mary. Experts of superstition from http://voices.yahoo.com/who-believes-superstition-108531.html?cat=7

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201205/our-superstitious-minds-the-7-laws-magical-thinking?page=2

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Superstitious+belief 

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Superstitious+belief 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miracle

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosophy 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychological

  

HW9: Superstition, Anxiety or Rituals? (article4)

             To understand more what is superstition let's define it. Superstition are not all rituals and beliefs. "The dividing line is whether you give some kind of magical significance to the rituals," Stuart Vyse, tells us. For example, if an athlete develops a ritual before a game, something says many coaches encourage, it may help to calm and focus him or her like repeating a mantra. . On the other hand, he says if you think tapping the ball a certain number of times makes you win the game, you've entered superstitious territory. Maybe, wondering a certain superstitious behaviors such as like counting the number of times you tap a ball are really a sign of obsessive compulsive disoreder (OCD). People with OCD often have compulsions to do rituals over and over again, often interfering with everyday life. A good example is Jack Nicholson, character in the movie As Good As It Gets, who skips cracks in the sidewalk and eats at the same table in the same restaurant every day, with an inability to cope with any change in routine. While some of the symptoms of OCD can mimic superstitious behavior. 

         

      Based on Vyse, "We don't think of anxiety disorders (such as OCD) as superstitious thinking. We think of it as irrational thinking, and most of our patients understand that,".  An anxiety expert from Burlington,  said that have patients that tell us that they believe that if they don't worry about something, then the likelihood of it happening will go up, and that is a superstitious thought," he says. 

       The key of this article is to pay attention to your own thinking, particularly if you experience any symptoms of anxiety like tension, excessive worry, trouble sleeping, obsessive thoughts and exhaustion. If someone experience these symptoms or find that you have repetitive ritualized behavior that's out of control and  superstitious or not  get professional help from a doctor or therapist.

HW8: The Psychology of Superstition (Article3)

      Is magical thinking hurting or helping you? This are one some questions that bothers us in our mind. We always think that magical or miracles are might be happen in to our lives, but it is only our imagination that can't be happen. If you're like most people, you occasionally participate in superstitious thinking or behavior often without even realizing you're doing it. Where is the last time you knock on the wood, walked within the lines, avoided a black cat on a street and lastly read your daily horoscope? People can't deny that they doing like this superstition especially when they are very superstitious. According to a recent Gallup Poll, more than half of Americans admitted to being at least a little superstitious. Addition to that, beliefs in witches, ghosts and haunted houses are all popular in Halloween symbols that  have increased over the past decade.

  But what about in the Philippines, how they cope in their own superstitious beliefs especially when it is a bad-luck superstition. We can not deny that even though it is bad-luck superstition many Filipinos still rely on it.  Do Filipinos think that superstition go far? As a writer of this research, I think that is going far because it is originated in our culture and it is usually there in our lives. In this believe, I don't think that all people who believes in superstition will be suffer, because it is their decision if they want to be affected to this kind of superstition.

HW7: Superstition Related to food (Article2)

Many people believes that there are a lot of superstition in any kinds of food. Like what we called the egg shells.It says that it brings real luck or good luck to people. The story of this goes that as per superstition if you do not crush the egg shells after having the egg they will be gathered by a witch who will then use the shells to make a boat for herself. Thus if you crushed the shells, they would be of no use to her. Another superstitious food is the salt. Spilling salt is considered unlucky. The only way out to turn back the bad luck is to throw some salt with your right hand over your left shoulder. It is also considered to be bad luck if you pass salt to another person. Folks believe that if you throw some salt on the windows and threshold of a new house, you can protect it from the evil eye. the garlic is also consider as superstition because it used in food and medicine since ancient times also has a strong superstition attached to it. The legend has it that the way to repel an evil eye is by carrying a piece of garlic with you. Garlic was supposed to be a powerful   deterrent against werewolves and vampires.  Hallow and crossed bread, According to the legend, if you came across a hole in a loaf of bread that you cut, it stands for a coffin and means that someone will die soon. Now, that's a strange one considering most loaves of baked bread have holes in them. The other superstition says that all loaves of bread must be marked with a sign of the cross before baking. The intention was to thwart the devil from sitting on the loaf and spoiling the bread.

     To summarize it, all I can say that even food have their own superstitious belief. It will defend on us on how we will believe it. It your decision if people continuing believe on it. As a writer of this research paper, I can say that food is one of the important aspect of our live, if we don't have any food it is so hard to live.  

HW6: Survey Report

     Superstitious beliefs is based from miracles, witch crafts, magic and supernaturals. It defines as ignorance and fear. On the background of the survey, I stated that this research is all the effects of superstition in the daily lives of Filipinos. But the information that I'm already gathered is not yet detailed, so I conduct survey, asking some questions that might help me to get some opinions to other people.

          I conduct survey to my friends and to my classmates. And as result of my survey, I get some opinions and answers that help me to solve my statement of the problem. As my survey goes by, I see that many Filipinos believes in superstition. But 5% of my survey was not. To those people who believe in superstition they believe most in Friday the 13th and some give their own superstition like, miracles, about dead person, or someone can't help you to assemble a mosquito net or what we called kulambo. Other said that, person can't sweep the floor at night because the good luck or the real luck was bring outside. For them, the benefits of superstition is they can prevent the bad things that they might encounter. 

            As my survey goes by, I see that not only fortune tellers but also all of the Filipinos are benefited this superstitious belief. People afraid most in breaking a mirror, across a black cat on a street and as well as the Friday the 13th. Also, one person, said that he or she afraid to the end of the world. And lastly, All of the people who answer my survey thinks that Filipinos always rely both on Bad luck and Good or real luck superstition.

This is the answer on my survey

1. Do you believe in superstition?

2. If yes, What superstition do you believe most?

3. What are the befits of superstition?

4. Who is person benefited in superstitious beliefs?

5. Among the superstitious belief, what superstitions do you afraid most?

6. Here in our country, which type of superstition do you think Filipinos always rely on?

     To summarize, I am very happy to the result of my survey because it helps a lot to solve my thesis problem. Because of the survey, I get some new information and opinions to other people. I am also happy because my expectation is there . Which is to benefit my research through survey.

HW5:Actual Survey

Name: _______________________________

Year level/Course:  __________________________

Survey Questionnaire

1.)    Do you believe in Superstition?

(   ) Yes

(   ) No

2.)    If yes, what superstition do you believe most?

         (   ) Friday the 13^th

         (   ) Spilling salt

         (   ) Walking under the ladder

         (   ) others, please specify:

     ______________________

3.)    What are the benefits of superstition to you?

(   ) It can help you to predict the future

(   ) You can know the good luck or real luck for you

(   ) You can prevent the bad things that you might encounter

4.)    Who is the person benefited in superstitious belief?

(   ) Parents

(   ) Students

(   ) Fortune tellers

(   ) All the people

5.)    Among the superstitious belief, what superstitions do you afraid most?

(   ) Breaking a mirror

(   ) Across a black cat on a street

(   ) Friday the 13^th

(   ) Others, please specify:

       ______________________

6.)    Here in our country, which type of superstition do you think Filipinos always rely on?

(   ) Bad-luck superstition

(   ) Good or real-luck superstition

HW4:Survey Cover letter

November 28, 2012

Dear Respondent:

I am a student of Asia Pacific College taking up Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. I am conducting a research study entitled Effects of Superstitious belief. The purpose of this study is to the effects of superstition in the daily life of Filipinos.

Your participation will involve by taking a look on it and give suggestions if you want, and it should be only take for ten to fifteen minutes. Your involvement in the study is voluntary, and you ,may choose not to participate or to stop at any time. The result of the research study may be responses in any published format.

The findings from this project will provide information on how I solve m6y statement of the problem with no cost to you other than the time it takes for the survey.

If you have any questions about this research project, please free to call me in my phone number at (0905)625-4993 or send an email, sbargana@apc.edu.ph.

By returning this questionnaire in the envelope provided, you will be agreeing to participate in the above described project.

Thanks for your consideration!

Sincerely,

Shaira B. Argana

BSA, Asia Pacific College

HW3: Chapter 2: Discussion

              What effects those superstition have on the daily lives of the Filipino?

I-Definition and How Superstition Manifested In Filipino cultures

           Definition of superstition includes transfer from one person to another. Superstition defined as “belief in the direct agency of superior powers in certain extraordinary or singular events, or in magic, omens, prognostics, or the like”. Another is, it is the worship of a false god and goddesses or even false of religion. There’s a quotation says that “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” by Helen Keller. 

One of this expert is Mary Worobec, better known as a woman of many superstitions. She is around the age of 80 years old. When I read the text of Warobec, I wonder that she used a well know superstition in her life. One of that is when she is preparing for her wedding, she fallowed the superstition that not allowing the groom to see her before the marriage and not setting the date of marriage on Saturday.  She grew up when superstition where plenty. Even though that superstition are very plenty that time, Warobec those not always rely on this superstition but rather she always believe in his creator Jesus Christ.

Another expert is Kelly Wall  has many superstitions since she is an athlete who grew up in a small town. She is 20 years of age. She studied at Elizabethtown College in eastern Pennsylvania. She has a dog and she loves it so much. She said that seeing a dog eating grass, that means it is going to rain or if a dog is howling for no reason then there are spirits in the area as well as if he howls three times then there was a death. Because of this superstition, I wonder that dog's bark, can be something else.
 Common manifestations of superstitions are the beliefs in luck, people wants to believe in any curses and some are in spirits . But why many people especially Filipinos wants to believe in this kind of manifestations. Believe in curses is a way of saying "karma". In any case you still have  choices and there are ways to reduce bad "karma" by doing good things. In superstition we never accept the fact that in superstitious belief, spirits are also exist. There are good and bad spirits, Other people says that they are always in our side, in everywhere but it is our decision if you want to believe in curse and spirits.

  
II-What Reinforces Superstitious Beliefs 

 A. Religion
      Every religion has their own superstitious belief and many of them are continuing to believe on it. Superstition affects the religion of every people. Religion and Superstition are against with each other. We all know that any religion do not want to have any superstitions because it says that it is an ignorance and fear. And if you have superstition, it is like that you do not believe to your own God. Based on my article not everyone who is religious is also superstitious and not everyone who is superstitious is also religious. A person can faithfully attend church services all their life without giving a second thought to a black cat walking in front of them. On the other hand, a person who completely rejects any religion whatsoever may consciously or unconsciously avoid walking under a ladder — even if there is no one on the ladder who might drop something. 

B. Culture
      Superstitions is also reflected in cultures. We say that superstitions exists because of our own culture, because of the traditions that always there and exist in our country. Superstitions primarily represent the underlying inherent fear of mankind, caused by the uncertainties of this world. In a way, it is a sign of acceptance of our ignorance and limitations of our power. In another way, it is a sign of accepting the grandness of this universe and its scheme of operation, which is still largely beyond our comprehension and understanding.
 
C. Media
    The reinforces of superstitions is also affect because of the media. Technology now a days is considered as one of the most powerful sources in our country. And as a writer of this research, I considered that media can affect the superstitious beliefs of many people. Like, Horror movies, it considered as of the powerful source why superstition exist here in our country. Like the ghost, spirits, white ladies and many kinds of supernaturals that always affect to our daily lives.  

  
III-Effects of Superstitious Beliefs
   
   A. Foolish Behavior
         In superstition we can't deny that many people believe in superstitious beliefs. They want to rely on every beliefs that they have and it is always their decision if they want to continue to believe and to rely on this different superstition. Foolish behavior can be one of the effects of superstition. Because of many people wants to rely and believe superstition, they become fool on it. Maybe it can lead them to be embarrassed, and to be stubborn of anyone. they become misinformation or become an unwise person. As writer of this blog, I don't want to happen this kind of situation to any body. I want everyone to know that it is not bad to believe in superstitions as long as you know the limitations in every superstitions that we have.

 B. Bad Decision
          Superstitions can bring us to bad decision. Why? Because in every time we believe in superstitions may it can bring us to bad decision. Sometimes, we want to continue our beliefs that we do not know what is the effect on it to our lives. Every people do  not want to have bad decision in their lives, they want to continue a better life. Bad decision can cause harm, can cause stubborn,and can cause unwise in every person. We want to have good decision and not bad desicion in our daily lives. 

 C. Anxiety 
          Based on my article, anxiety, like tension, excessive worry, trouble sleeping, obsessive thoughts and exhaustion are cause of superstition when we always rely and believe on it. Every person doesn't want to have anxiety because it can harm their body and their mind. Anxiety can affects the daily lives of Filipinos. Anxiety can cause because of bad decision that can also affect the daily lives of Filipinos. We want have a better life , so to prevent this anxiety do not always rely on superstitious beliefs.