20 August 2015 - QA 2

Is there anything really called as ‘evil-eye’? Many times mothers protect their children from the evil-eye by tying a black thread on their hand or around their neck. Does the evil-eye cast by people really exist?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You know, if you believe something then it will manifest and be like that. That is the first thing you should know. The mind has enormous power. If you have such thoughts or belief system, then it will start happening that way.

The second thing is that there are vibrations – both positive and negative. Negative vibrations also come and there are remedies for them. Do you know what remedies are there? The use of salt and oil is one of them. In India and in China also, people use salt and oil to ward off the negative vibrations and it seems to work.
This is actually also a common practice around the world. In many places when people feel negative or low, they go to the beach and take a walk near the shore. The salty air can help bring a change in the way we feel.

In India, the custom is that people take a handful of salt and rotate it around the person's head and then throw it away in flowing water nearby. It is to take away the negative vibrations. Singing devotional hymns and chanting also will help to dispel the negative vibrations.