Many things, including bad dreams, illnesses, and depression, can keep you from getting a good night’s sleep.
Bad dreams are part of everyone’s life, and when they lead to sleep problems, many people resort to superstitions to get a blissful sleep.
One of the bizarre superstitions upheld by many people is placing a knife under the pillow when they sleep.
In this regard, Is It Safe To Sleep With A Knife Under Your Pillow?
No, IT’S NOT. With a knife under your pillow, you might stab yourself, especially if you like sliding your hand under the pillow for comfort.
Three Reasons Why One Would Sleep With A Knife Under The Pillow
You probably grew up hearing all sorts of superstitions.
Regarding sleeping with a knife under a pillow, people put a knife (weapon) under their pillows for a variety of reasons. And while there is a scientific belief, this popular belief remains a fallacy.
1. Superstition
Despite the origin of this superstition being unclear, many people uphold it, with many embracing the traditional belief that it helps deliver good quality sleep.
Bad dreams are subconscious fear lurking inside the deep confines of the dreamer. Proponents of this superstition believe that sleeping with a knife under their pillow will keep them from having bad dreams.
The knife reassures them of their ability to handle any challenge.
Since nightmares are associated with negative feelings and some evil spirits, according to this superstition, the knife can stop the negative thoughts from coming to your mind, ultimately giving you peaceful nights.
People also believe that the iron knife scares ghosts and evil spirits, so having a knife under the pillow will scare them away and prevent them from haunting you while asleep.
Regarding nightmares, it may be worth noting that bad dreams also result from increased metabolism, which keeps your brain active. Various medications can help you ease the disorder.
2. Scientific Belief
The second reason anyone may want to put a knife under their pillow is scientific belief.
Scientists claim that a knife placed under a pillow acts as a flinders bar, which helps correct the errors in the surrounding magnetic field.
This is vitally important considering that an uneven magnetic field can disturb brain activity and cause hallucinations for which the blame is often put on evil spirits.
Probably the most logical reason for sleeping with a knife under your pillow is for security.
The idea is to have a tool to defend yourself should intruders enter your bedroom at night.
However, considering the risk of hurting yourself, there is almost no good reason to have a knife or other sharp pointy objects under your pillow.
3. Security
If security is your major concern, you can find a secluded spot within arm’s reach to keep your knife. The best spot for your knife should not be so obvious, like under your pillow or on a bedside table.
Here’s More About The Knife Under The Pillow Superstition
Sleeping with a knife under the pillow is an old superstition that says doing so will protect you from harm and distractions.
While its origin is unknown, it most likely dates back to when humans started using knives as weapons. There are several theories that have tried explaining it, with a few gaining a lot of support.
For instance, one of the theories claims that superstition came about in the era when witches could use knives to harm people.
The theory claims that putting a knife under the pillow would protect against harm.
Having an iron knife, in particular, under your pillow is believed to scare away evil spirits and ghosts, ultimately keeping them from haunting you.
On the other hand, there is a camp that believes having a knife under your bed is bad luck.
In this case, you will want to think twice before putting a knife or any weapon under your pillow.
No matter the origins of this superstition, it is still around today with a lot of supporters and is seemingly going nowhere.
Whether or not it works, it remains a great story of hope and resilience.
Most importantly, understand all risks associated with the act to avoid hurting yourself.
Three Additional Things You Shouldn’t Keep Under Your Pillow
Pillows ensure comfort while sleeping.
While it can be tempting to keep some tiny objects like keys and books under your pillows, they may prove to be hazardous.
Whatever beliefs you have, here are some of the things you shouldn’t and don’t want to put under your pillow:
1. Keys
One of the worst experiences is waking up in the middle of the night with your heart throbbing because of a bad dream.
At this moment, you wonder whether you’re safe or not. While having your keys under the pillow might give you a feeling of safety in such scary moments, it might not always turn favorable.
Keeping your keys under your pillow poses a security risk and can result in a financial crisis. For this reason, if you have this habit, you should stop it immediately.
2. Money
There are many superstitions associated with keeping money under pillows.
Well, while keeping money or purses under your pillow gives you a feeling that your money is safe, we can all bet that money deserves a decent place.
In Hindu mythology, keeping money under your pillow might impede the grace of goddess Lakshmi.
Even if you don’t hold to this belief, naturally, pressing your money under the pillow can cause you to worry about money all the time and thus affect your sleep.
3. Medicines
Many people tend to keep medicines under their pillows, especially those they take at night before sleeping.
Unfortunately, this can take a toll on your health and life.
This can be the worst scenario expected when taking medication. After all, medicines are meant to be life savers, not a threat.
Overall, when it comes to what to put under your pillow, the idea is to avoid sleeping on anything that can hamper your sleep or threaten your life.
Conclusion
Good sleep is key to the quality of your life.
While there is a lot that you may want to do due to superstitions, you want to critically examine each superstition and the dangers it may pose before upholding it.
Regarding sleeping with a knife under your pillow, it is unsafe to do so.
The last thing you want is to stab yourself when following a superstition.
Sources
https://dharamvigyaan.blogspot.com/2016/01/why-people-keep-knife-while-sleeping.html
