The evil eye bead

The common sense about the evil eye bead is almost the same in societies or cultures where there are lots of people believing in and using the evil eye. It is thought that it has a power preventing the negative effects of the evil eye. Due to the fact that the evil eye is the product developed because of the evil eye belief, it is required to understand first what the evil eye is. It is believed to be the name for a sickness or misfortune transmitted, usually without intention, by someone who is envious, jealous, or covetous. It can harm you, your children, your house, your health and so on by looking at you with envy and/or praising you. It is a common folklore that the evil eye has a dehydrating effect on its victim.  Dundes (1992) suggests that the evil eye belief is based on the idea that ‘water equates to life and dryness equates death’. Thus, it causes living beings to ‘dry up’ .Vomiting, diarrhea, the drying up of the milk of nursing mothers and livestock, problems with the blood, eyesight lack of rain, the drying up of wells, the withering of fruit and impotence in men are related to  the evil eye. In addition, clumsiness, stomachaches, dry coughs, diarrhea, itching, hair loss, and dry skin are all thought to be physical symptoms of an evil eye attack. Today, there are some medical studies relating the evil eye to psychology and psychiatry. In the study of Al-Sughayir (1996), it said that the evil eye is recognized in Islam as a cause of ill health, narrated Aisha (the wife of Prophet Mohammad): “The Prophet, peace be upon him ordered me to do Ruqya (if there was danger) from an evil eye” (Sahih Albukhari). Certain disorders are more likely to be attributed to the evil eye than others, especially those with no medical explanation or curative treatment and those of psychological origin. Most of the psychological disturbances attributed to the evil eye are those of depression, anxiety and phobic symptoms. This could be explained by poor knowledge of psychological or emotional manifestations of psychiatric disorders. Another explanation is projection, as a defense mechanism, exercised by the patients and their relatives as a method of avoiding psychological stresses that would result from acknowledging a psychiatric illness (Al-Sughayir,1996). Morever,  In the study of Barr at.al.(2000), it has been observed that the families of the patients have used Taliaman and Amulet in the pediactric intensive care unit and they suggest that these kinds of objects are seen as the source of emotional support.

According to the study of Hangama (2006), most researchers believe that ‘the eye’ was chosen as a symbol because of its intuitive nature. It is thought that the eye is the window to the soul so not only is the act of seeing an intrusion by itself but also the eye itself becomes a way to look into a person. In Turkey, it is believed that the evil eye bead attracts the attention of the people supposed to be potential suspicious for the Evil Eye. Owing to the fact that this object made of attractive glass, it is thought that people stare at it unintentionally and the evil eye bead gathers the bad looking of the people. In addition, it is accepted as an object bringing luck. The evil eye beads are attached on both people and possessions they have. It is a known fact that children have always priority to be protected from the evil eye. Therefore, especially, almost all newborn babies in Turkey have the evil eye beads on their clothes. As soon as the baby is born, one of the elder members of the family, grandmother or grandfather attaches an evil eye to the clothing of the baby that is also a tradition of Turkish culture. However, there are many adults carrying it on their clothes or keeping it somewhere they are. If a person has set a business such as a market or a company, the first present he receives is the evil eye bead given in the aim of helping him to protect his success from the evil eyes. Furthermore, in a wedding ceremony, everyone knows that the groom or the bride has an evil eye bead to protect their happiness from the evil eye. Animals and also objects are suggested to be under the effects of the evil eye. Especially, animals such as cows and sheep, valuable financially because of their products and meat, have the evil eye beads on their necks generally. Besides, possessions cars and houses representing the wealth of their owners have the evil eyes. They are hung in the cars and on the walls of the houses, including their entries. In general, it is clear that carrying or attaching the evil eye bead to prevent the bad effects of the people’ jealousy is the common sense about the evil eye. In fact, people using the evil eye show their borders the evil eye unintentionally. They send messages to the outside implying that their borders consist of their bodies, their children, work and possessions they have.

THE EVIL EYE BEAD IN TERM OF THE AXIS OF THE AXIS OF SYMETRY

The evil eye bead is a symbol of the evil eye belief is a fact. However, this shiny object hides different messages in it. Usalan has a questionnaire based study administered to 50 people to find out the general characteristic features of the people using the evil eye. Although the population of the study is not enough to show the general perspective of the people living in Turkey, the findings of it may be helpful to discuss the evil eye bead in terms of the axis of symmetry. The results of the study show that 22 of 50 participants believe and use the evil eye bead. 18 of them are religious. In general, these people feel successful and valuable in the society. Thus, they are self –confident but they do not trust the other people in their environment. In addition, perfection and precaution are required for them. They do not want to take risks.

Religion is a prominent factor directing the people’s behaviors. In Quran, there are lots of verses pointing the evil eye and the ways for protection from it. For example, Felak and Nas verses are read to eliminate the negative effects of the evil eye.  It can be suggested that most of the religious people accept whatever Quran says without question it and they tend to obey the rules in it because the idea of the death and the life after the death direct their lives. Due to the fact that the evil eye belief and the ways of protection from it are emphasized in Quran, to believe in the evil eye can be accepted as a rule and the evil eye bead is one of the ways these people chose for protection. In this point, the anxiety about death can be one of the dark brothers of the evil eye.         

To believe in the evil eye bead can be thought as a paranormal belief because it represents an object which has a power to eliminate the effects of the evil eye. There are some researches which have done to point out the relations between the paranormal beliefs, religiosity and cognitive ability. In the study of Wai-Cheong et.al. (2004), it is suggested that cognitive complexity might be an important predicator of paranormal belief. According to the results of their study, intelligence or general cognitive ability corrolates with education.  Furthermore, it is seen that the more religiously faithful a person was, the less his/her cognitive complexity would be and vice versa. In addition, according to Huntley (2005) suggests that people who believe in an afterlife tend to believe in and report the experience of paranormal phenomena. Furthermore, agreeableness and conscientiousness are significantly associated with religiosity in the paranormal beliefs (Huntley, 2005). Moreover, openness to experiences is negatively related to the religiosity. Thus, it can also be suggested that Religious people who believe in the effects of the evil eye may be closed the experiences.

In the study of Usalan, it is shown that people who believe in the evil eye do not trust to the people around them. Thus, mistrust to people can be another dark brother of the evil eye. In this point, it is necessary to think about the human nature. It is a fact that human being is not based on goodness but also badness. Almost all people have negative features causing bad events. Today, it is not easy to watch news report because it generally is full with unbearable and unbelievable events such as murder, massacre burglary and fakery. According to Freud, human is bad and moral systems have been developed to defense against dangers of this badness. It can be suggested that people who are lack of confidence to the others agree with the idea of Freud about the human being and they prefer to be ready for all possible dangers from the others. Besides, it is shown that some of the people believing in the evil eye bead and using are jealous of other people. This shows that they are conscious of their bad sides because they are also human beings. Thus, they are aware that other people can be jealous of them.  Furthermore, according to Usalan’s study, those people do not want to take risks and also they are prone to be cautious. They are also results of the anxiety about the others and dangers which they can cause

Superiority complex can be thought as the other dark brother of the evil eye bead because the results of the study show that people believing in the evil eye bead feel that they are successful, they do not have financial problems and they feel that they are important and valuable for other people around them. It can be concluded that they think they have so good conditions that they can attract the attention of the others. According to Jung, this refers to superiority complex. These people want to feel superior to others in the society using some features they have, such as money and success and these make them feel self-confident. It could be suggested that these people feel that they are the top of the pyramid of Maslow, self actualization. Owing to the fact that they are happy with their lives generally, they feel that they can be affected negatively by the evil eyes of the people who are unhappy with their lives. In addition, perfection is also noteworthy for the people believing the evil eye bead. Thus, it also shows that most of them think that their lives are almost perfect and to keep this perfection forever, it is required to take precautions against any kinds of dangers including the evil eye. In this point, it can be suggested that they have tried to avoid from the negative changes in their lives. In the study of Wiseman (2004), it is suggested that paranormal, superstitious and magical beliefs have been found in a diverse range of cultures for thousands of years, and polls show that these beliefs continue to thrive in modern times. Furthermore, many authors have suggested that paranormal and superstitious beliefs may develop in anxious individuals with a strong need for control, in an attempt to overcome perceived uncertainty in their surroundings, or as a coping mechanism following traumatic childhood experiences.(Huntley,2005) This suggestion is supported by recent theoretical developments within cognitive and emotion research, suggesting that anxiety plays a central role in negative emotions, and that childhood experiences of diminished control may lead to the development of anxiety (Wiseman, 2004).

THE EVIL EYE BEAD IN TERM OF MULTICULTURALISM

The evil eye belief is common not only in Turkey but also in various countries and cultures around the world .According to Dundes(2006), the origin of this belief is thought to be Summer but it has become widespread in the world. Afghanistan, Italy, Mexico, Jews, Turkey, Greece, Kalbeliya Roma of India (the tribe from whom the European or "Bohemian" Gypsies are descended), America and England, Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan   are some of these countries. It shows that there have been interactions among the cultures from the early history. In addition, it is understood that many cultures have been to open changes. Therefore, today this belief does not belong to only one culture anymore, suggesting that it becomes a multicultural belief. However, the protection ways from it show differences among the societies that is a natural result of transmission process.

In Dundes’ study (1992), it is suggested that in the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean region, especially throughout Greece and up into Turkey, there is a strong tendency to view blue- eyed people as bearers of the evil eye In Turkey and Greece many still use blue-glass "eye" brooches to ward off the gruesome gaze. In Italy, Typical protective aversions of this problem include making the gestures called the mano fico (fig hand) and mano cornuto (horned hand). In Sicily a lemon (a liquid-filled, eye-shaped fruit) may be pierced with nine nails and placed above doorway to prevent a jettatore (evil eye) from entering. In Mexico a large brown legume seed that resembles an eye, is hung from a red cord and outfitted with a fluffy red tassel and a holy print of a saint. Jews may spit three times or say "peh-peh-peh", or throw salt, when they feel threatened by the evil eye. They may also make a particular hand gesture, placing the right thumb in the left palm and the left thumb in the right palm and closing their fingers over the thumbs. In the Middle East, turquoise blue faience beads (donkey beads) are used to protect livestock from the evil eye. These beads can be seen dangling from a modern Egyptian luck bringing and apotropaic blue glazed wall plaque in the form of a horseshoe, made in Egypt. In America and England, jewelry-quality charms have been made from cat's eye shells. The eye-like shells are also carried in the pocket for personal magical protection. The use of a horseshoe to represent the lunar crescent is also ancient. Throughout Europe horseshoes are nailed to doors to prevent the evil eye from entering houses and barns. In Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, people combine an apotropaic approach with a cure. When a child returns home after being among strangers, the parents will light a charcoal disk and burn the seeds of a plant called espand, while reciting a poem, actually an ancient Zoroastrian prayer, against the evil eye and directing the smoke around the child. This is done as a prophylactic measure, whether or not it is suspected that the child has been given the eye.

It can be suggested that even though people live in different places, they can share the same belief. If it is thought that these methods or objects have been used to protect themselves from the evil eyes, human beings need to feel secure, which is one of the basic needs according to Maslow. Even the countries, most of the people in the world have developed different kinds of methods or objects to provide against an invisible enemy, the evil eye.

SUMMARY

The evil eye bead is one of the results of the evil eye belief. It can be thought that it is a shiny innocent gun to provide protection against the evil eye. Even if the evil eye bead has been seen as an object belonging and reminding Turkish culture, there are lots of people living in different parts of the world believe in the evil eye and use the evil eye bead. Today, it is a fact that these objects are so popular that they become as products in the fashion. Even, it is possible to buy them in different forms such as necklaces, bracelets or rings on the internet. In general, it is believed that the evil eye cause troubles such as health problems, psychological problems and curse. Thus, the concept of the evil eye has been researched in some medical studies. Furthermore, the evil eye bead is not just fancy object. It shows people’s characteristic features and dark brothers of their personalities. In order to find out a general idea about the people using the evil eye bead, Usalan has had a questionnaire-based study and according to the results, it is used generally by the people who are  religious, do not trust the people in their environment and have the superiority complex. It is a fact that the evil eye belief has become widespread in the world and cultures have developed different methods for protection from the evil eye. The evil eye belief is a multicultural issue and also the evil eye bead is a multicultural object used by different nations in the world. In conclusion, it is a complicated subject to be researched deeply and unfortunately, the study of Usalan is not a scientific study. It has done to collect some general information about the people using the evil eye bead which is thought to be helpful in this study. Further studies are needed to analyze the evil eye bead in a detailed way.

Dundes, Allen. The Evil Eye: A Casebook (University of Wisconsin Press, 1992).

Wai-Cheong Carl Tam et. al. PARANORMAL BELIEF, RELIGIOSITY AND COGNITIVE

COMPLEXIty The Parapsychological Association Convention 2004   

MEASURING SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEF:  

WHY LUCKY CHARMS MATTER  

Richard Wiseman1, & Caroline Watt2 The Parapsychological Association Convention 2004

Talismans and Amulets in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit:

Legendary Powers in Contemporary Medicine

Joseph Barr MD1, Matitiahu Berkovitch MD1, Hagit Matras MA2, Eran Kocer MD1, Revital Greenberg1

and Gideon Eshel MD1  IMAJ • Vol 2 • April 2000