I have been mulling over some age old beliefs and patterns where people seek reason in chaos and try and adress life via the supernatural.
In india tona totkas are very popular amongst the masses, so much so that hunderds of claimed charms, mantras, yantras, tantras, magic potions are a multi crore industry in India. In the west too practice of witchcraft is a reality. In africa, south america people are influenced by black magic of many kinds.
The question that arises in any thinkig mind is, are these things effective, partially effective, nothing more than powerful placebo or absolute superstitious bullshit?
This question can be handled only with honest approach, without defending belief or ridiculing it, but by making an honest effort to understand reality of these phenomenal pan-continental belief systems clearly and intelligently with reason and logic, without losing respect for cultures and traditions, as we all know that ability to hold respect for every culture is important, but being driven by scientific approach and loyalty to truth is a mark of true wisdom.
Most people choose one and sacrifice the other, whereas, I have decided to answer this question via a balanced approach where rather than defending any ground, I tread carefully and explore this grey area of can't be, can be, could be, being observant rather than being judgemental, as this is a deep and old human question, and it deserves a clear, honest answer without mockery or blind belief.
Short answer (before nuance)
There is no credible scientific evidence that tona-totka, witchcraft, black magic, or similar practices can directly alter physical reality in the way people claim. They are not effective in the literal supernatural sense. However — and this is important — they can be psychologically, socially, and behaviorally effective, sometimes very powerfully.
Why these beliefs exist everywhere (India, Africa, Europe, Americas).
If this were “just stupidity,” it wouldn’t appear independently across every civilisation.
These practices arise from four universal human needs:
1. Control in uncertainty.
When people face:
• illness
• infertility
• financial ruin
• betrayal
• unexplained misfortune
the mind desperately wants a cause.
Magic provides:
“Someone did this to me”
“Something can undo this”
This belief system is emotionally stabilising.
2. Pattern-seeking brains. Humans evolved to see patterns — even false ones. So if:
• a ritual is done.
• and later something improves
the brain connects them, ignoring the hundreds of times nothing happened.
This is called confirmation bias, not stupidity.
3. The theory of social reinforcement confirms that belief is amplified by community. If everyone around you believes:
• your headache is “nazar”
• your marriage delay is “bandhan”
• your business loss is “black magic”
Then disbelief feels dangerous — even immoral.
4. Power dynamics is another reason for getting beliefs established.Historically:
• shamans
• tantriks
• witches
• priests
often held social power, not supernatural power because magic systems create:
• fear
• obedience
• dependency
and this is very real power — just not mystical power.
Are these magic, tona totka like things ever effective? To make the question precise, are these things supernaturally effective?
My straight answer is a big NO. No verified case has ever stood up to controlled testing. Not even one.
Are these things Psychologically effective?
My answer is Yes. Extremely Effective. This includes:
Placebo effect, as belief can:
• reduce pain
• reduce anxiety
• improve sleep
• change hormone levels
This is well-documented science. Placebo effect and it's dark twin Nocebo effect is a scientific reality.
Belief can also:
• cause illness
• worsen symptoms
• create paralysis of action
• even lead to death in extreme cases
This is why curses feel real.
Today science establishes that beliefs have behavioral effect ? If someone believes, “I am cursed” → they withdraw, make poor decisions, and lose confidence. In the other hand if someone believes, “The curse is lifted” → they act boldly, take chances, repair relationships. Thus any change in behaviour creates real outcomes.
This has been observed that witchcraft feels more “real” in cultures and societies with, weak institutions, poverty, poor healthcare, unstable justice systems. In such spaces people rely more on symbolic explanations. When science, law, and medicine are unreliable, magic fills the gap. This is why, Africa, rural India, parts of South America
have stronger belief systems around magic, not because people are less intelligent, but because their environment rewards belief more than scepticism.
So is it “absolute superstitious bullshit”?
Here’s the honest framing:
• As a supernatural force, absolute bullshit.
• As a psychological technique, very real.
• As social control mechanism, extremely real.
• As a coping strategy, understandable but limited.
The real danger with all this and for that matter even religion is that when symbols become literal and belief become the norm, medical treatment is delayed, women are blamed for misfortune, children are abused as “possessed”, money is extorted by fear-based rituals, accountability is avoided (“It was magic, not my choices”). That’s where wisdom must intervene.
The wisdom potion that I, Guru Gurunay give to humanity as a prescription is this mantra:
“The mind is powerful, symbols move the mind, but symbols do not bend reality without action.”
You can respect culture without surrendering reason. Final truth, spoken gently is, magic does not move the universe, but yes belief moves the humans, and humans move the world. If you understand this, you are already free, and you can still be compassionate toward those who aren’t.
©️ @✒️Guru Gurunay.🗡️
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