Lying with Statistics

Pseudo-Science

Search

Google
Search WWW
Search bklein.de

Latest news:

New articles:

included on June 11:

Bermuda Triangle

included on June 10:

Ten-Percent Myth

included on May 6:

Interpretation, Reliability and Credibility of Testimonies

Links:

Numerology


Definition

Numerology is the study of the supposed occult influence of numbers human affairs. A mystical or esoteric relationship between numbers and the character of human being is postulated.

History

Numerology has a very long tradition and it was already practised in ancient Mesopotamia. The called it They assigned numerical values to the characters of their alphabet, which enabled them to compute the numerical values of names. Every God had a number assigned to him or her. Under the term kabbala, numerology was also used in Jewish mystical tradition: the Creation is linked to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, while every letter has a numerical value, i.e. a number.

The Greek engaged in numerological theories (isopsephia) Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher from the sixth-century B.C., was a strong believer in numerology and numerological divination. Some even call Pythagoras "The Father of Western Numerology". The Pythagorean believed that all things were numbers and that the essence of everything were a number, and that every relationship can be expressed numerically. Numbers constitute the true nature of things in their believes. Everything can be reduced to numbers and hence Numbers are the essence of the world.

Ten was declared a sacred and perfect number by the Pythagoreans, because it's a combination of 1, 2, 3 and 4, i.e. 10 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 The first four numbers (1,2,3,4) have been special for Pythagoreans, because the matched them with point, line, surface and volume. As 10 was a perfect and sacred number it is clear, that they believed in ten heavens: They added to the traditional nine ones a tenth, which they called "antiterra."

Supposed Significance of Numbers

Nowadays, every number between 0 and ten is supposed to have a special meaning in numerology, which is not shared by serious scientists.
One e.g. is considered to possess considerable power because it is the first number used when counting. Numerologists also assign to it the meaning of "origin" and "perfection".  There are many more interpretations, vaguely enough to explain many different aspects of various persons and things. The number three for example is seen as the esoteric division of a human being into mind body and spirit. It is attributed to wisdom, understanding and knowledge, but on the other side it can represent  negative concepts like pessimism as well.