Belief In The Evil Eye

Belief in the Evil Eye, a supernatural force thought to cause harm through a mere glance, is prevalent across many cultures worldwide. This research examines the psychological underpinnings of Evil Eye belief and its associations with attitudes, emotions, and interpersonal envy within a religiously diverse sample from Canada and the United States (total N =1357). The studies further investigate how demographic factors and individual differences are correlated with this belief. Correlation analyses further link Evil Eye beliefs with religiosity, porosity, and zero-sum thinking. Believers also tend to dislike compliments, jealousy, and showing off compared to non-believers. In free list descriptions, believers frequently attribute the negative outcomes of the Evil Eye to factors such as health, bad luck, harm and personal loss. These findings underscore the complex interplay between cultural context, individual differences, and supernatural beliefs, contributing to a deeper understanding of the psychology behind Evil Eye beliefs.