Superstitions had their origin in the element of fear in man. Whatever could not be explained by reason was looked upon as an object of terror and was worshipped. However, even now, when civilization has progressed and education has spread, superstitions are current all over the world. Superstitions reduce a man's efficiency and therefore, should be done away with. Superstitions cut across caste, communal, and even national boundaries. People all over the world have superstitions, though they may differ from country to country and region to region. Not even the educated are free from superstitions. In some cases, superstitious beliefs are very deep-rooted. in spite of all evidence to the contrary, people continue to hold fast to them and allow their lives to be regulated by them.

A strange phenomenon about superstitions is that even when in actual life many of the superstitions do not come true, people continue to cling to them. Their hold on the minds of people is so complete that even if nothing happens to a man after a black cat runs across his path, he will not stop believing in it. Even if one meets with success in one‘s mission having heard someone's sneezing, one will not give up that superstition. ln fact, superstitions are stuck in that part of the mind which is beyond reason and logic. Superstitions are irrational and, therefore, no amount of reasoning can refute them. This is the case even today. When man has landed on the moon, superstitions are still current.