Balisawsaw: Filipino Superstition as a 'Mirror' of Future Events

Balisawsaw (literally "mirror") is a Filipino folk belief where witnessing certain events is thought to foretell similar outcomes for the observer.

Examples

• Good balisawsaw: Seeing someone become wealthy → predicts financial luck for the witness.
• Bad balisawsaw: Hearing a pregnant woman cry → omen of misfortune; encountering a funeral procession → predicts illness or death.

Cultural Context

Rooted in pre-colonial animism, with Hindu-Buddhist and Islamic influences. Varies regionally across the Philippines. Some view it as superstition; others as folk wisdom guiding decisions and behavior.

Related concept: hiwaga (mystical worldview). While not scientifically validated, balisawsaw reflects cultural patterns of meaning-making and social cognition.