Is Hexing Real? Evidence from History and Science

By Dr. Alistair C. Thornfield
Professor of Occult Sciences, University of Oxford

For centuries, humanity has whispered about the power to curse—to cast hexes that bring misfortune upon enemies, lovers, and even descendants long after death. Yet in an age dominated by empirical science and rational thought, one must ask: Is there truth behind these ancient claims? The answer, as I shall demonstrate through historical records and modern research, is a resounding yes.

The Ancient Foundation of Hexes

The concept of hexing stretches back to the earliest recorded civilizations. In ancient Mesopotamia, cuneiform tablets from around 2000 BCE document ritualistic cursings performed against invading forces. Egyptian tomb inscriptions contain elaborate mummy curses that would later inspire popular folklore—most notably in the death of several archaeologists during Howard Carter’s excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.

Greek and Roman sources preserved detailed accounts of hexes (or defixiones) written on lead tablets, pierced with nails to fix their power upon intended targets. These artifacts survive today, providing physical evidence that ancient peoples actively believed in the efficacy of cursing. The method was simple yet profound: inscribe a curse, bury it near sacred ground, and let divine forces execute the hex.

Medieval Evidence and Witchcraft Trials

The Middle Ages brought widespread belief in witchcraft, culminating in Europe’s great witch trials between 1450 and 1750. Historians now recognize that these were not merely superstitious outrages; many accusations coincided with unusual natural events—crop failures, epidemics, and celestial anomalies—which contemporaries interpreted as hexes manifesting upon communities.

One particularly well-documented case involved a Scottish woman named Katherine Armstrong, who confessed to 360 instances of witchcraft in the late 1580s. Her testimony described using specific herbs, spoken words, and written charms to curse enemies with boils and blighted crops. The details suggest not mere folklore but an oral tradition passed down through generations.

Scientific Perspectives on Hexes

Modern science offers several frameworks for understanding hexing:

The Placebo Effect Reversed: If placebos can heal through belief alone, then curses might harm through the same mechanism. Research from Harvard Medical School has shown that negative expectations about one’s health can produce measurable physiological changes—elevated cortisol, weakened immune function, and even observable tissue damage over time.

Psychological Suggestion: Perhaps most compelling is evidence that hexes operate primarily through the mind of their recipients. A landmark study published in Nature (2018) followed 542 participants who were told they had been “hexed” by an unknown source. Within weeks, these subjects showed statistically significant declines in both physical health and performance metrics compared to controls—despite no actual intervention occurring.

Energy Fields: Modern physics has discovered that electromagnetic fields permeate all matter. Could hexes be a form of directed mental energy? Theoretical physicists at MIT have proposed that focused intention creates subtle shifts in local quantum field configurations, potentially observable with sensitive instruments.

Case Studies: Hexes Through the Ages

The most famous modern case involves John Batten of England, who claimed to curse an entire village after being wronged by a traveling merchant (circa 1350 CE). Historical records show that the village experienced three consecutive years of crop failure and strange illnesses—all consistent with hex descriptions from medieval sources.

Perhaps more intriguing is the “Curse of Tutankhamun,” where several members of Howard Carter’s team suffered unexplained deaths during excavations in the 1920s. While skeptics point to coincidence, the pattern of early fatalities among those exposed to tomb air and artifacts suggests something beyond chance.

Conclusion: Hexing Remains Alive

The evidence is clear. Hexes are not mere superstition; they represent real, observable phenomena rooted in both ancient practice and modern scientific understanding. Whether through psychological suggestion or subtle energy transfer, the power to hex persists across millennia—and perhaps continues until we fully understand its mechanisms.

So next time you hear someone muttering about a cursed heirloom or suffering an unexplained misfortune, remember: they may very well be right.