Is there a law, **anywhere{/b], against putting a curse on someone? Can curses be broadcast? Can you get a copyright or design patent on one? Are they all one-shot. . .or are some recursive?
Ray@curse.com (If at first you don’t succeed, curse and recurse again. . .or give up and become discursive.)
I now see the thread, and I’m not tearing my hair out. I am beginning to suspect we have a leak in the Mailbag, 'cus I keep answering Mailbag questions and then, before they can be put on the website, somebody asks a question about 'em on the message board! This is not an exact duplicate of the question I’ve answered (which is waiting in line to be posted), but it’s close.
Without going into too much detail, yes, if somebody believes enough in the reality of a curse, they can die from it. It’s basically the opposite of the placebo effect – usually called the nocebo effect.
Other than that, can you guys wait 'til the Mailbag item gets posted?
Ignorance is Bliss.
Reality is Better.
Incidentally, I just found a reference to an article that is sort of related (but too late to get into the Mailbag item, which should be posted tomorrow).
The Jan. 15 Science News has an article about a report from the Jan. 13 New England Journal of Medicine describing a case of contagious fear. Basically, a teacher smelled a gasoline-like odor in her classroom, developed symptoms, and the symptoms soon spread. The first day had 99 people admitted to the local emergency room. When the school reopened in 5 days, another 71 people developed symptoms. But while the people “suffered from genuine physical ailments,” there was actually nothing in the air. “Instead, the … outbreak stemmed from anxiety and fear about possible poison exposure.” But the students “experienced authentic pain and suffering” even though it was caused by a psychological effect.
The curse in the OP was obviously fictional. Everyone who knows about curses is aware that they don’t cross water.
It’s posted. Check out http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mnocebo.html#update
Here’s the link to one of Cecil’s columns that mentioned a curse, the President elected ever 20 years one. Doesn’t really answer the “Can someone die from a curse” question, but is has something to do with curses and it’s a good column: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_082.html
“Don’t take life too seriously: you’ll never get out alive”