Key points

Behaviors following superstitions are used to “correct” a situation.

Some recommended behaviors by spiritual healers or occultists can be ingenious but harmful.

Unquestioningly following wild solutions can turn faith into exploitation.

Co-authored by Hansika Kapoor, Ph.D., and Apoorva Thakur

On August 2022, a distressing case came to light when a woman lodged a complaint against her husband and in-laws. They allegedly forced the 38-year-old to bathe naked under a waterfall in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, India. This act was part of a black magic ritual prescribed by a local occultist, who assured the family that it would result in her conceiving a male child.

Although the intent was not to cause suffering, the ritual led to a deeply damaging outcome. Black magic or d

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