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31pumpkin · May 11, 2006, 11:43 AM

O.K. so going to the grocery store is usually mediocre. The other day,there I was, turning around to move my cart from an island where they keep cold sandwiches & stuff. So I turn around, ready to go forward, and there was this man(about 60) giving me this look. There was no reason for the look because there was 2 cart lengths between us. I smiled lightly to proceed. I caught a glimpse of the "wife". Now, she just looked unhappy at the time. But I hadn't seen anything like that look in a long time. A touch of anger(actually looking above his single visions) Maybe even vacuous, but certainly not pleasant. I thought to myself "what a f weido". But as I went a few aisles down, I thought - "did that s.o.b. just give me the evil eye?" I got to my car & started rebuking & praying for myself.

Is there such a thing? Do you believe any of it? Or is it just a very mean eye or even jealous eye? :cool:

RickJ · May 12, 2006, 02:47 AM

About the only "religious" group I can think of that believe anything of the sort might be Voodoo.

As for me, I don't believe in an "evil eye" or anything close. Who knows: The guy could have just been having a bad day - or maybe he just always looks that way...

Krs · May 12, 2006, 02:51 AM

Originally Posted by 31pumpkin

O.K. so going to the grocery store is usually mediocre. The other day,there I was, turning around to move my cart from an island where they keep cold sandwiches & stuff. So I turn around, ready to go forward, and there was this man(about 60) giving me this look. There was no reason for the look b/c there was 2 cart lengths between us. I smiled lightly to proceed. I caught a glimpse of the "wife". Now, she just looked unhappy at the time. But I hadn't seen anything like that look in a long time. A touch of anger(actually looking above his single visions) Maybe even vacuous, but certainly not pleasant. I thought to myself "what a f weido". But as I went a few aisles down, I thought - "did that s.o.b. just give me the evil eye?" I got to my car & started rebuking & praying for myself.

Is there such a thing? Do you believe any of it? Or is it just a very mean eye or even jealous eye? :cool:

I would say the old git was jealous... the jealous eye not an eveil eye :)

kp2171 · May 12, 2006, 07:01 AM

On a lighter side. Maybe something that only parents will really appreciate.

Our teen daughter used to give us the look of contempt and hatred that most teens learn somewhere along the way. Then one time, while she was walking the line between not saying anything disrespectful but glaring at us in disgusted silence, I said in a voice that sounded like the witch from sleeping beauty "oh loooook! its the eeeevvviiiiilllll eyyyyyye!" to which my wife immediately chimed in "oh nooooooo! not the eeevvviiilllll eeeyyyyye!"

Well she burst out laughing before feigning anger again... and quite often after that the eeeevvviiilllll eyyyyye comment usually snapped her out of The Glare. Took another half dozen years to lose the attitude, but it was nice to able to deflect that cursed gaze.

fredg · May 12, 2006, 08:33 AM

HI,
No, I also don't believe in anything close to something like an "evil eye".
Just because someone looks at me, I usually say "hi", smile, and if no response from him/her, then move on.
Nothing to be concerned about.
Best wishes.

DrJ · May 12, 2006, 11:26 AM

Hmmmmm... maybe someone can explain exactly what you mean by "evil eye."

nwsflash · May 12, 2006, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by DrJizzle

Hmmmmm.... maybe someone can explain exactly what you mean by "evil eye."

Yea I would be intrested to get a little more detail about the " Evil Eye "

Where I come from if you give someone the Evil Eye it means you don't like them much or people are wishing them bad...

31pumpkin · May 13, 2006, 04:57 PM

I'll post a link. Although there are some cultures that take " the evil eye" seriously (even have their different names for it) it is more a folklore. One writer says, " it has been suggested that the term COVET (to eye enviously) in the tenth commandment refers to casting the evil eye."
They even have jewelry, worn to throw off the curse which is the look of vilest affection and the most depraved.
It's not to be confused with anything sexual in nature. This, I think is a look of maxed out envy. It has been around apparently even with the Egyptians.
Evileye - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Apparently you have to go there, click on main page, then type in evil eye and then search.

Starman · May 14, 2006, 09:39 AM

Satan might make it appear as if there is such a thing as the evil eye in order to get people to place their faith in the occult.

speedball1 · May 14, 2006, 11:56 AM

Starman is mistaken. Satan didn't bestow the evil eye. I got it from my exwife every time I suggested sex. Ok! Satan might have invented it but my exwife perfected it.

The Evil Eye

By Hannah Holmes
A sharp glance. A cutting look. A piercing stare. If looks could kill.

When it comes to the human head, no feature has quite the reputation for villainy as the old hairy eyeball.
.
We don't refer to the murderous mouth, the nasty nostril or the baleful ear. Oh, the tongue may lash, but its bark is worse than its bite. True terror resides in the eye.
It has always been this way, or at least as close to always as we can tell. The theme of the Evil Eye runs deep and wide in human history. Universally it describes a look inspired by maliciousness or jealousy. Also universally it is blamed for causing everything from garden-variety bad luck to toothaches, headaches, disease and death. An envious Evil Eye falling on your pigs may presage an impending sausage shortage. And to this day in Turkey, many parents keep new babies under wraps for 40 days, for fear that their defenseless beauty will inspire a jealous glance.

Many Turks still use blue-glass "eye" brooches to ward off the gruesome gaze. "Silly them," you say, but you may be wearing an Evil Eye charm, too. Here's a partial list of items whose roots may be anti-ophthalmological:

Lockets

One old European Evil Eye defense was to write spells or prayers on a piece of paper, and stuff it in a little container to wear on your body. Colonial Americans were partial to heart-shaped containers.

Battle decorations

Warriors believed that distracting and flashy décor on helmets and shields would derail the enemy's perilous peepers.

Eye make-up

Indian women drew black lines around their eyes not only to shield themselves from the Evil Eye, but also to ensure that they didn't accidentally inflict the Evil Eye on their friends.

Harness gew-gaws

Livestock, which incited envy in days of yore just as surely as do Mercedes and Porsches today, were equally vulnerable to the Evil Eye. Baubles and red yarn distracted the green-eyed gaze. (Jealousy is said to be green-eyed; likewise, blue and green eyes are often suspected of being the evil ones.)

Animal brooches and charms

Animals with unusual eyes -- foxes, grasshoppers, snakes, fish, snails, toads -- were often accused of wielding the Evil Eye. But, perversely, their images, worn on the body, evolved into protections against it.

Why the eye?
.
"Staring is a way of asserting one's dominance and of expressing interest in another person," says Ohio State University psychologist Gerald Winer. "It can be viewed as an intrusion. And it's a short step from casting a glance to casting a spell."
Winer's research has shown that many children -- and even college students -- believe some type of emanation from the eye facilitates the process of seeing, a belief that mirrors ancient theory. Furthermore he speculates that the act of looking, which is more obviously focused than the act of, say, listening, makes it seem more invasive. These aspects of looking, plus all that emotional "window of the soul" stuff, make the eyes a formidable force indeed, and ripe for supernatural speculation.

Raise your hand if you can tell when someone's staring at you, or if you think you can get someone's attention by staring at the back of her head.
.
The vast majority of college students subscribe to this theory, Winer says, and unlike superstitions about Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, this one gets stronger with age, not weaker.
Yeah, I said superstition. Numerous experiments have demonstrated that people can't tell when they're being watched, and Winer is openly skeptical of the few experiments that found people can tell.

Don't you feel dumb? You're walking around wearing an anti-Evil Eye amulet, plus you believe you can bounce vision-beams off your friend's head to make her turn around. Heh.

Hey, stop giving me the Evil Eye. I can feel that.

31pumpkin · May 14, 2006, 01:16 PM

I don't know how you can get the evil eye via computer, but I hadn't gotten the evil eye that many times in my life. But it's nice to know that "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world". (1 JOHN 4:4)
Or; "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." (LUKE 10:18-19) (Jesus' Words)

If the one on the receiving end of the look senses the evil look to be a projection of an evil heart or black heart, then it is wise to be safe than sorry.

Demons, maybe not so much in this case, but they sometimes have to be dealt with violently. Eg- Spiritual Warefare! :D :D

In this case, maybe just rebuked.

Morganite · May 14, 2006, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by 31pumpkin

O.K. so going to the grocery store is usually mediocre. The other day,there I was, turning around to move my cart from an island where they keep cold sandwiches & stuff. So I turn around, ready to go forward, and there was this man(about 60) giving me this look. There was no reason for the look b/c there was 2 cart lengths between us. I smiled lightly to proceed. I caught a glimpse of the "wife". Now, she just looked unhappy at the time. But I hadn't seen anything like that look in a long time. A touch of anger(actually looking above his single visions) Maybe even vacuous, but certainly not pleasant. I thought to myself "what a f weido". But as I went a few aisles down, I thought - "did that s.o.b. just give me the evil eye?" I got to my car & started rebuking & praying for myself.

Is there such a thing? Do you believe any of it? Or is it just a very mean eye or even jealous eye? :cool:

You sound more than a little paranoid. How can you tell what the man was thinking unless you talk to hiom? Just because someon 'looks' at you in a way you are at a loss to interpret is a darned poor excuse to ascribe evil to him. You should rebuke yourself for being so silly and judgemental.

There is more in your post that I find disturbing about you than I can find to be concerned about from a man who, according to you, 'looks' like a 'wierdo.'

Have you ever considered that although he might have been looking in your direction but not actually focusing on you? Perhaps he suffers from Parkinson's Disease, or some other disorder. Did you consider that?

The evil eye is all in your mind! You certainly do need your own prayers, but you should really pray to be forgiven for thinking evil about another, who you do not know, on such slight grounds as your own fear of a fanciful and fictional evil perceived in the face of a poor man who said and did nothing to you. When you take the focus off yourself, and focus on the needs of others, then you are becoming a Christian.

The evil eye is a kind of curse put on a child, livestock, crops, etc. by someone who has the "evil eye." There does not seem to be any particular reason why some people are born with and others without the evil eye. The curse is usually unintentional and caused by praising and looking enviously at the victim. In Sicily and southern Italy, however, it is believed that some people--jettatore-- are malevolent and deliberately cast the evil eye on their victims. Belief in the evil eye is not necessarily associated with witchcraft or sorcery, though Evil Eye was something Church inquisitors were instructed to look for. Pope Pius IX was reputed to be a jettatore, not because it was thought he was malevolent but rather because it seemed that disasters fell upon persons and places he had blessed.

The superstitious belief in the evil eye is ancient and widespread, though certainly not universal. It is thought to have originated in Sumeria. Its origins are obscure but the belief may have its roots in fear of strangers or other social concerns and simple post hoc reasoning, e.g. praise is given or a stranger passes and later a child is sick or the crops fail. Various rituals have developed to counteract the effects of the evil eye, such as defusing the praise, putting spit or dirt on a child who is praised, averting the gaze of strangers, reciting some verses from the Bible or the Koran, etc. The belief is especially prevalent today in the Mediterranean and Aegean, where apotropaic amulets and talismans are commonly sold as protection against the evil eye. Some folklorists believe that the evil eye belief is rooted in primate biology (dominance and submission are shown by gazing and averting the gaze) and relates to our dislike of staring.

The evil eye is known as ayin horeh in Hebrew; ayin harsha in Arabic, droch shuil in Scotland, mauvais oeil in France, bösen Blick in Germany, mal occhio in Italy and was known as oculus malus among the classical Romans.

When you are fully grown you will leave such things behind in your childhood.

M:eek:RGANITE

NeedKarma · May 14, 2006, 02:56 PM

Morganite,

You chastize him and say that "The evil eye is all in your mind!" then you go on to explain what the evil eye is. That just a little bit contradictory.

As much as we are all so perfect, or trying to be, there will always be people who look 'weird' to us and, if you've read this thread at all, we all seem to agree that there is a certain look that one can give that, over the years, is known as the evil eye. Nothing to do with Satan or being immature, it's just a disapproving look.

Dude, get off your high horse and stop labelling someone as a child for asking a question. That's what this board is for.

All my love,

NK.

nwsflash · May 15, 2006, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by NeedKarma

Dude, get off your high horse and stop labelling someone as a child for asking a question. That's what this board is for.

I agree with NK the point of www.askmehelpdesk.com is so that people can ask question on all subjects and get advice and answers without the fear of being put down... After all no questions is a silly question in my eyes people never learn or gain anything without asking!!

orange · May 15, 2006, 06:00 PM

Well I'm a little late getting into this, as I've not been online much lately. Babies do that to a person! :p However, just thought I'd add my experience of "The Evil Eye". I never really thought of the Evil Eye as a look, the look you described Pumpkin is what my friends and I call "The Stink Eye" haha. Or I guess it's also called a dirty look or a glare. I've experienced a look like that from a stranger a couple of times in my life. Usually I just stare back, but I know what you mean, it can be kind of creepy. And if you believe in hexes or curses, I suppose someone could curse you (or at least attempt to) by looking at you. It kind of reminds me of that scene in The Color Purple where Whoopi Goldberg is finally getting away from her abusive husband, and she stares at him and makes a hex symbol with her hand, points it at him and says, "Until you do right by me, everything you do will fail."

Being Jewish, as a kid I was told about the Evil Eye by older Jewish people, including my biological mother. It seems to be quite a common susperstition among Jews from eastern Europe. It's interesting to note too that the Old Order Mennonites (similar to the Amish) who come from the same area of Europe have a similar superstition. My friend's grandparents are Old Order Mennonites, and they have these large, strange symbols painted on their barn and farm buildings, which are supposed to ward off hexes.

Anyway, my biological mother was a strong believer in the Evil Eye. However, to her it wasn't a look, but rather an actual entity, almost like a demon or an imp, who could do bad things to you. For example, if you said something negative, such as, "I'm never going to finish school", my mother would say, "Don't tempt the Evil Eye!". Meaning, that when I said something negative, the Evil Eye would hear me and decide to make it come true. Similarly, my mother and other older Jewish people told me that bragging too much could also tempt the Evil Eye to take something good away from you. In a way I guess it's kind of similar to the term, "tempting fate". According to my mother, you could cancel out the effects of the Evil Eye if you said "G-d Forbid" either before or after your negative statement. Like "G-d Forbid I should have a miscarriage", etc... I think that's partially why Jewish people, at least the older ones, use that term "G-d Forbid" a lot. It's sort of superstitious and related to the Evil Eye. In any event, I remember imagining the Evil Eye as being this giant menacing all-seeing Eye, kind of like the eye in the pyramid on American money. I was really afraid of it and used to have nightmares.

When I was a teenager, a friend and I were driving on the highway late at night, and my friend suddenly said, "wouldn't it be scary if we got in an accident tonight?" Then about 30 minutes later, we WERE in a bad accident. It was likely just a coincidence, but my mother would have said that we had tempted the Evil Eye into making us have an accident, if that makes any sense.

Anyway interesting topic, thanks for asking the question. I learned a lot from reading other people's answers, and that article from wikipedia was really good too. I didn't realize the concept of the Evil Eye was so widespread in the world.

31pumpkin · May 15, 2006, 07:46 PM

Orange:

That really does sound mean. But you weren't old enough to even know that an evil eye" can't hear " as you mentioned" the eye hearing and deciding to make it come true!"

I can"t see taking anything that serious. If one was truly against the evil eye they would avoid it. Not putting all reminders, and mentioning in such an unloving way so often to you, is probably a form of abuse.

Well, I'll tell you about the other experience I had with getting the evil eye when I was younger!
My first husband, an Arab, and I were in South America & we were walking down one street and this guy was approaching & I saw him. OK so I remembered we saw each other simultaneously. However, as he passed by me he whispered,"what's your secret?" It was totally creepy. Now, a few minutes later we were having coffee & my husband said - " That man gave you the evil eye' So, I rembered him & thought about the look. In my picture this guy had an evil eye. And it was his right eye.

I don't know if my ex prayed over me. Nothing ever happened to me .

But if one exaggerates on about something they didn't even see in the present then I think they are cursing themselves & using a lot of energy on the negative. That's just superstition then. Right?

magprob · May 15, 2006, 08:08 PM

Yea, there is such a thing as the "Evil Eye." When I was a kid, there was this really groady dude that would walk through town and he would give people the evil eye. The thing is, when this dude gave you the evil eye, you would poop your pants. Really! One time, while we were sitting in church, he walked in, sat down in the front row and began concentrating the evil eye on the preacher. After about 5 minutes, the preacher began to make funny faces. After about 7 minutes, the preacher started walking funny, tucking his booty in and walking on his tippie toes. Then, all of a sudden, the poor preacher let out a blood curdling scream and tried to rapidly exit stage left... he did not make it! He ripped the biggest stream of poo I have seen to this day! The force from the evil gastric explosion picked the poor preacher up and hurtled him 6 to 7 feet right into the baptismal. Yep... it's true... watch out for that "Evil Eye!"

magprob · May 16, 2006, 02:14 PM

31pumpkin, I am not joking. This really did happen. Gosh, stop being so judgemental. You really hurt my feelings... not.

nikki_22 · Sep 15, 2007, 02:52 PM

The "Evil Eye" originated in Italy. My friend ron is from Italy and I asked him. I noticed some people answered and said it was egyptian. It's not that was the eye of Horus-similar but not the same. The Evil Eye in Italy is a way to curse people. The "devil horns" sign in rock music was originally a charm to ward off the evil eye. If you stick your first finger and pinkie up and keep the rest of the fingers down with the back of your hand facing someone, you are cursing them with the evil eye. If you do it with the back of your hand towards you, you are warding off the evil eye.
As for the guy in the store, he was probably just pissed off. No one can curse you from looking at you. Maybe you felt weird because he was an evil person.
Hope this helps:D

Choux · Sep 15, 2007, 06:05 PM

There is a very basic lesson in life that each person must learn in order to be sane and able to pursue happiness! That is: NEVER TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY! What other people do or say has nothing to do with you... it is all about THEM. If you go around trying to read something into people's actions *without asking them what they mean* you're essentially living in a fantasy world of suppositions.