Acharya Prashant responds to a question about a recent incident in Hathras where a school owner sacrificed a child, believing it would bring prosperity. The speaker explains that the passage of time, such as being in the 21st century, does not automatically lead to inner evolution or the eradication of superstition. He clarifies that while physical objects and species evolve, the inner ego does not necessarily improve on its own. The human being today is internally the same as the primitive man who lived in caves and jungles. The tendencies of that primitive man are the same as ours today. Superstition, he defines, is believing in something without knowing its truth, without having tested it. This tendency was useful for survival in the jungle, where quick decisions based on incomplete information were necessary. For instance, upon hearing a strange sound at night, it was better to believe it was a danger and flee, rather than investigating and risking being killed. This reliance on belief and superstition had evolutionary benefits. However, today, this is no longer necessary as we have the means to know and verify things. Yet, the mind's tendency to believe without questioning persists. He asserts that any unexamined belief is a superstition. Acharya Prashant further elaborates that superstition is not an isolated belief but a way of life, a wrong center from which a person operates. A person who is superstitious in one area is likely to be so in all aspects of life. Such a person is also fearful, greedy, and violent. He points out that modern superstitions have merely adopted a new language, using terms like "energy fields," "vibes," and "aura," but the fundamental issue of believing without questioning remains. He provides examples of modern superstitions, such as the societal pressure to own a car by 30, a house by 35, and retire by 45, or the ritual of eating popcorn at the movies. These are all unexamined beliefs that people follow without asking why. He concludes by stating that the root of all mental afflictions is superstition, which is essentially an unexamined belief. The antidote is to cultivate a love for questioning and knowing, rather than blindly believing. He warns against people who get irritated by questions, as they are likely to be superstitious and dangerous. The person who lives by belief, without questioning, is living a life centered on superstition, which is a destructive way of life. The ego itself is the first superstition—believing something exists when it does not.
