In a number of African countries, and in many other parts of the world, such practices as black magic, ju-ju, witchcraft and voodoo, together with the belief in the power of these forces and their exponents to adversely influence a person's life, frequently form part of traditional cultures. The Universal House of Justice sets out the Bahá’í perspective on this subject and provides guidance concerning how to protect oneself from the potentially negative influence of the power in evil and other such phenomena. The House of Justice affirms that the influence of these supernatural phenomena is dependent on the conviction, even on a subconscious level, that other people can influence a person's mind, and it attests that it is within the power of the individual to free himself from subjugation to these forces. By deepening themselves in the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’ís will come to recognize the lack of any true reality in such negative forces. Furthermore, Spiritual Assemblies are called upon gradually to wean the believers away from the illusions and practices that are potentially destructive to their spiritual and material well-being, by encouraging them to avoid involvement in such practices and by deepening their trust in the protective power of the Bahá’í Faith.
