Myths & mysteries
Discover facts about myths & mysteries. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Myths & mysteries
Wearing exclusively bright orange clothing
Bright robes signal a renunciation of worldly goods while making the wearer easy to spot in a crowd.
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Refusing to utilize standard furniture entirely
Doing everything on the floor means relying less on furniture—and frees up room in the home.
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Hanging bright squares of fabric outdoors
The belief is that natural drafts carry the flags’ prayers across the land, letting the wind do the delivering.
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Insisting on extremely specific laundry rules
The rule turns laundry into a purity test: each garment must be washed separately from the others.
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Demanding flawlessly rigid posture during greetings
The rule turns a greeting into a posture drill, demanding perfect alignment to enforce uniformity.
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Holding hands silently in a massive group formation
Joining hands with strangers can create a sense of collective connection—if you can get past the awkward handshakes and wildly different grip strengths.
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Holding out a simple beggar's bowl
The bowl turns receiving donations into the practice itself, making dependence on others a visible part of the role.
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Swaying vigorously during chanting sessions
The rocking is thought to aid concentration while reading sacred texts, though it can look like an effort to stay awake.
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Strapping tiny square cases to yourself
The small cases hold parchment and are strapped to the body as a religious duty, though they can look like an unusually restrictive accessory.
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Wearing garments crafted entirely from rags
Stitching discarded scraps into clothes signaled extreme humility, even as the ragged look could pass for avant-garde fashion.
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Taking a vow to obey someone unquestioningly
The appeal is that handing over every choice can feel like freedom from responsibility, even as it means surrendering personal judgment.
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Bowing deeply to an entirely empty chair
A leader's former chair can inspire reverence even when it is empty, showing how powerful the association can be.
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Removing all footwear before stepping inside
In some customs, removing shoes marks the transition into a clean or sacred space. It also helps keep floors clean, though it can leave odors behind.
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Refusing to interact with modern electronics
Going offline keeps participants away from modern distractions—and means they won't have to explain how to fix a router.
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Refusing to wear tailored or stitched cloth
The idea is to wrap yourself in one unsewn sheet, giving up the convenience of tailored clothes and zippers.
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Carrying a large designated walking staff
A distinctive walking staff can signal authority and mark its bearer as a pilgrim or seasoned wanderer, rather than just someone out for a stroll.
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Refusing to ever touch coins or banknotes
Followers handled the group's money and purchases, allowing its leader to claim detachment from wealth while still benefiting from what others bought.
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Assuming a completely new identity and title
Taking a grand, exotic name when joining a group can signal a fresh start—and make your birth name seem suddenly ordinary.
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Carrying a specialized whisk for ceremonies
The stiff bundle is waved during rituals as a purification tool, functioning much like a ceremonial duster.
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Sitting on the floor listening to long lectures
Hard floors make long talks physically uncomfortable, turning patience into an endurance test.
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Throwing yourself completely flat on floors
The repeated full-body bow is both an act of submission and a physically demanding movement.
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Blowing forcefully into a large hollowed object
The blast marks the start of ceremonies, with a deep, foghorn-like sound.
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Philosopher Aristotle used palm reading to evaluate the psychological traits of military officers
Aristotle reportedly regarded palm lines as signs of a person’s soul and used palmistry to advise Alexander the Great about which officers to trust.
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Walter Kilner invented aura reading goggles using a highly toxic chemical dye called dicyanin
In 1911, Kilner claimed that looking through glass screens containing the coal-tar dye dicyanin let people see colored halos around the body.
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