What superstitions do people create today to explain modern events?

Answer 1

Contrary to the famous Biblical quote: "There is nothing new under the sun," many people in the modern world interpret current events to be unique in the history of the world.

Many of the superstitions which people have today are ancient (interpreting astrological signs or concrete predictions of an immanent apocalypse for example).

I think some of the most popular superstitions of our current culture tend to manifest as pop culture phenomenons.

What do I mean by this? Well, here in America, TV shows about ghost hunters have become immensely popular.

While ghost stories are not new, the new lengths to which people are willing to go in order to prove their existence is a recent phenomenon. It says a great deal about our scientific world view: people are infinitely more likely to believe something that has some semblance of scientific evidence to support it.

In actual fact, the predominant Christian religions in America despise the idea that God would allow souls to wander the earth without immediately giving them a permanent destination.

Also, just about every single ghastly experience can probably be disregarded provided that one has a healthy respect for the power that one's emotions and imagination each have over one's ability to objectively interpret an event.

People experience something creepy--their TV turns on due to a power surge--and the superstition exists to explain that event.

What makes this particular superstition 'modern' is the extent to which people are willing to attempt to prove it.

These attempts are, to the trained scientific or philosophical intellect, pretty ridiculous.

This sort of contrived 'pseudoscience,' tries to gives people the illusion of actual proof.

Next time you turn on a 'Ghost Show' listen for the characteristic and imitative 'jargon.' Supposed experts on these shows will usually say something along the lines of: "We have high readings in Area x."

Other modern superstitions? I think "Ancient Aliens" or "UFO Encounter" type shows are other good answers to that question.