Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

"How many people actually believe in astrology?

April 28, 2017 by Nicholas Campion,

Astrology and horoscope columns are a familiar feature of tabloid newspapers, women's magazines and the web. They claim, controversially for some, that there is a meaningful relationship between celestial and terrestrial events, especially human affairs.

Astrology as we know it now, linking planets to the 12 zodiac signs in order to manage life on Earth, was devised in the Middle East and classical Greece between the fifth and first centuries BCE. It was largely transmitted to the 21st century via the Islamic world.

These days, astrology arouses vilification from two corners. On one side are evangelical Christians who regard it as seriously misleading at best, and Satanic at worst. On the other, sceptics denounce the idea that our destiny may lie in the stars as fraudulentand even harmful.

If such claims are true, it's important to work out how many people believe in astrology, and why. The time is ripe for some serious investigation. "....

Please, goto the link for more details.....

https://phys.org/news/2017-04-people-astrology.html

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

"Majority of young adults think astrology is a science

Study finds Americans are more and more willing to accept astrology as real science.

By Brooks Hays  

According to a new survey by the National Science Foundation, nearly half of all Americans say astrology, the study of celestial bodies' purported influence on human behavior and worldly events, is either "very scientific" or "sort of scientific."

By contrast, 92 percent of the Chinese public think horoscopes are a bunch of baloney.

What's more alarming, researchers show in the 2014 Science and Engineering Indicators study, is that American attitudes about science are moving in the wrong direction. Skepticism of astrology hit an all-time high in 2004, when 66 percent of Americans said astrology was total nonsense. But each year, fewer and fewer respondents have dismissed the connections between star alignment and personality as bunk.

Not surprisingly, those with less science education and less "factual knowledge" have become increasingly willing to accept astrology as legitimate science, with 65 percent of such individuals considering the pseudo-science credible in 2012, up from 48 percent in 2010.".....

Please, press on  the attached link to read the rest of the interesting article.....

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2014/02/11/Majority-of-young-adults-think-astrology-is-a-science/5201392135954/

)I don't believe in astrology. The "Astrology and science" page of Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology_and_science) gives the following description:

"Astrology has not demonstrated its effectiveness in controlled studies and has no known scientific validity, and as such, is regarded as pseudoscience. There is no proposed mechanism of action by which the positions and motions of stars and planets could affect people and events on Earth in the way astrologers say they do that does not contradict well-understood, basic aspects of biology and physics."

Hazim Hashim Tahi, and Tatsuo Tabata,

Thank you very much for your answer.

Well, it depends.. Sometimes I believe it just to change my mood. 

Liqaa 

A good answer

I am not a believer in Astrology. This is as a result od the influence of my faith in such beliefs.

everything which happens to us, even the smallest or seemingly most insignificant event, happens for some particular reason. Astrology then claims to provide at least some of the answers as to why they happen, and perhaps even a way to predict them in advance. In this way, astrology purports to help people understand their lives and the world around them - and who doesn't want that?

In a sense, astrology does work. As practiced today, it can work quite well. After all, most of those who visit an astrologer end up feeling satisfied and feeling that they have benefited. What this really means is not that astrology has accurately predicted the person's future, but rather it means that visiting an astrologer or having a horoscope cast can be a fulfilling and personally satisfying experience.

Dear Ismail Noori Mseer,

It is a nice analysis.

Astrology is a very useful science provided astrologers offer the holistic touch & he should be a pious person with the inner faith offer you the power of intuition & so to say visualization for offering the predication general in right  manner .

As we know that The science of astrology is nothing but a gift of our saint & seer who have with their meditation & visualization pass on us the influence of planets for individuals in the line with his birth chart .

The science also search the basic influence on our nature & cosmic environment of predicting the naturally events for usefulness of the society . The science is base on destiny which are also the resulting fruits of our previous lives & as it relates to destiny & our action only the person who known the science of astrology with his grace within can predict an offer the guideline for the needy members .

This is my personal opinion.

Most people seem to think there is something in astrology although they would not consciously let it influence their decisions. It is nonsense to say, “I believe in it,” because belief is something you do when you have no direct experience. Astrology is something that requires experience and hands-on work to see whether it conveys any meaning or relevance.

http://horoscopicastrologyblog.com/2008/12/11/31-percent-of-americans-believe-in-astrology/

Positions and functions of human launched satellites in the close space are important indeed. If it were alien civilizations in space, their positions and communications could influence us a lot.

However, we do not have any indication yet, that we are not alone in the world. Thus, it is no basis yet of having astrology as a serious science. May be new discoveries will shed some more light into that. So far, astrology is a matter of belief.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

Here is a very interesting article that entitled: "Why we believe in astrology?". Please, goto the link for more details.....

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/Why-we-believe-in-astrology/articleshow/5022494.cms

I believe in astrology.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

Here is another very interesting article that entitled: "Why Do We Still Believe in Astrology?". 

Please, goto the link for more details.....

http://bigthink.com/21st-century-spirituality/why-do-we-still-believe-in-astrology

I used to know a newspaper journalist. They used to get a big pack of "astrological readings" sent to the paper every month - but with no indication as to which "star sign" each belonged to. Of course it didn't matter because these "readings" are deliberately made generalisable - so they just used to copy and paste them in at random! That tells you all you need to know about astrology I think.

Some commentators have said that astrology serves a purpose by making people "feel better". This is not a reason to believe that it is a real science - just another example of the placebo effect.

Other responders have said that "everything that happens to us happens for a reason" I would be interested in reading the references to back up that statement.

Just think about the logic here, people affected by the planet Mars can be aggressive (because Mars was the god of war) - but it was only called Mars fairly recently (by the Romans) because it was red in colour!  So for the thousands of years before it was called Mars, did it make people aggressive? It doesn't quite stack up really does it.

It’s difficult for as to know how many people actually believe in astrology, we need to first develop more fluid categories of belief and disbelief. We cannot simply say that followers of astrology wholly believe in it, or that others completely disbelieve

Hi Anup, 

I think that would depend on how 'us' is defined.  It would also depend on the % of people who may 'believe' superficially, and those who actually do believe. It is taken far more seriously in poor countries with low levels of education, with all this implies. In Western countries it's very much a case of superficial 'belief'', with a hard core element  who may have taken drugs, or have mental health issues.

What is the aim of your enquiry?

Mark

Dear Mark,

By us I mean the people connected to scientific research. As a subset we may consider the RG members.

Anup

I recomend to read the Paul Feyerabend's book Por qué no Platón. I don't know what is the name of the book in english.

Dear Rohit,

I quote from your answer “Astrology is a very useful science provided astrologers offer the holistic touch & he should be a pious person with the inner faith offer you the power of intuition & so to say visualization for offering the predication general in right  manner .” As I understand science is the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment and therefore its application should not (repeat not) be dependent on inner faith and piousness of the applicator.

Regards,

Anup

Yes, believe........

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

"Why smart people believe in astrology

The astrologer

Brian Clark, professional astrologer, media liaison officer for the Association of Professional Astrologers and writer for AstroSynthesis

 Astrology gives us a sense of meaning that people can’t find it anywhere else. It isn't as literal as saying "You're going to meet someone tomorrow". It's a macroscopic view. It gives us a sense of where we're placed. I encourage individuals to reflect and consider, and in that reflection they often find themselves.

My clients include engineers and nuns and figure skaters, not just artists. We don't need to prove it or make it factual. We couldn't prove it. What astrology offers can't be measured. 

Of course there's no scientific basis for astrology! Astrology is an art, not a science. The idea of belief is part of the scientific community. Not everything that can be proven. Science is not exact. It can't tell me why my dog has a tumour. By nature astrology is irrational, but that doesn't make it invaluable or wrong.".....

Please, goto the link to read  the rest of the article......

http://pickle.nine.com.au/2015/03/25/13/26/why-smart-people-believe-in-astrology

Nonostante molti abbiano predetto il contrario (ad es. E. De Martino, "Sud e Magia", Milano, Feltrinelli, 1959), nella nostra civiltà, anche dopo la rivoluzione scientifica galileiana, permane costante la compresenza di pensiero magico, religioso e scientifico, così come lo intendiamo dopo Galileo; se analizziamo i nostri processi mentali, ci accorgiamo che noi stessi adottiamo, a seconda delle circostanze, tutte e tre queste forme di pensiero; sapere che l'astrologia è una sciocchezza non ci trattiene dal consultare gli oroscopi. Allo stesso modo, sono diffusissime le cosiddette medicine alternative. Suggerisco di leggere S. J. Tambiah, "Magic, science, religion and the scope of rationality", London, Cambridge University press, 1990.

Thank you for your answer but unless I get an english translation I will not be able to read it

i believe

I think Giovanni is saying that "Knowing that astrology is  nonsense does not keep us from consulting the horoscopes. Likewise, so-called alternative medicines are popular."

However it sure stops me consulting the horoscopes and I would never under any circumstances use alternative medicine - because something is either medicine or it is not. There is therefore no such thing as alternative medicine. It should be correctly labelled "Warning this is not medicine". Anyhow this is getting off-topic.

Thanks, John Talbot, for your translation. In my opinion, magic, religion and science are present in every man, in our culture. I don't know why: if you believe in science, you can't believe in stars. Maybe the book of Tambiah (Magic, science, religion and the scope of rationality) is useful, and I suggest you to read it.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

I know nothing of the science of astrology and I consider it to be a science, if it is a science, of doubtful value, to be severely left alone by those who have any faith in Providence.

                                                                              ----  Mahatma Gandhi

Thinking away from generalist theories - I believe that environmental conditions play a vital role in building up a life form on earth. Taking this into consideration, i assume that "Astrology" precisely can understand the planetary positions such that the current place, time and environmental factors will determine the behavioral aspect of life. Along with this probability comes into picture where in past predictions of other individuals who born on a same specific time, location and date will be utilized to evaluate others.

I think Astrology is not Earth-born science. Because it has to deal with lot's of years and efforts to materialize as such, where no telescope been invented.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

Most people today still believe, perhaps unconsciously, in the heliocentric universe every newspaper in the land has a section on astrology, yet few have anything at all on astronomy.

                                                                              ----  Hannes Alfven 

I think astrology, in the words of Kellyanne Conway, should be considered as alternative facts.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

If one were to bring ten of the wisest men in the world together and ask them what was the most stupid thing in existence, they would not be able to discover anything so stupid as astrology.

                                                                          ----  David Hilbert 

I believe in astrology. Yet I would like to distinguish professional astrology from horoscope columns in popular media. While the first is a potent body of knowledge and wisdom, the latter is too general and superficial to be accurate, and does much damage to astrology's image.

Astrology, as a holistic and symbolic doctrine, is hard to be measured and approved by modern quantitative science.

I hope you will change opinion

Neutral: Science and "alternative medicine, astrology etc." need to be very clearly distinguished in a world with "alternative facts" (my opinion). However, we live in times when organized religion is losing appeal due to its historical political affiliations etc.. People are relying more on spirituality, astrology, and tarot card readings to find a direction, identity, and sense of community especially through online platforms.

These can be used as tools for self-exploration, add a mini "fun factor" to build relationships and helping professionals to create a less sterile experience. Alternative methods like massage, yoga, sound healing, do have some evidence to support their effectiveness (especially to address trauma stored in the body that talk therapy and medication alone may not address) and are being used to buffer existing gaps, when demand for mental health services is so great (and so poorly funded---to ensure the poor/vulnerable remain so).

However, vulnerable clients may be harmed (my opinion) if they constantly need to know "the future" as it feeds anxiety (to escape from the present moment/have a feeling of control). They can also be exploited by individuals who often charge hundreds of dollars for services, such as to get "messages" from loved ones who have passed away or become convinced a toxic partner is "the one"---and in a way, gaslight themselves.

i feel its worth a while to research on the efficacy of astrological predictions. empirical research in this direction would be the right approach to address qns such as- do you,/ dont you believe in astrology

I donot believe. In fact I spent 10 years in doing empirical testing of astrology using a computer based solution. Here is the paper

https://doi.org/10.22271/allresearch.2021.v7.i5b.8548

If you want a detailed answer in simple words to the question whether Vedic astrology is true or false visit

www.astrologyYesOrNo.com

See also this new discussion: https://www.researchgate.net/post/Can_we_see_astrology_as_a_science

As an astronomer and scientist, I am deeply concerned about the attempts in recent decades to give astrology a scientific veneer once again. It seemed that with the Enlightenment of the 18th century, astrology had finally lost its scientific standing and existed only as a pseudoscience. I consider its resurrection as an apparent science, even if only as a kind of psychotherapy, dangerous. It relativises real science and leads to support for "alternative truths". We see in the pandemic the dangerous effects of putting science and esotericism on an equal footing.

I don't believe. Next, I am borrowing from the AAS website:

Astronomy is a science that studies everything outside of the earth's atmosphere, such as planets, stars, asteroids, galaxies; and the properties and relationships of those celestial bodies. Astronomers base their studies on research and observation. Astrology, on the other hand, is the belief that the positioning of the stars and planets affect the way events occur on earth.

If you're interested in the solar system and the planets, other celestial objects like asteroids and comets, other galaxies and the rest of the universe, what makes up space, and the possibility of alien life or space travel, astronomy is the field you're considering.