Another Friday the 13th is upon us. But don’t despair: experts say people may actually be safer on this infamous day, despite long-held beliefs of gloom and doom. And the cultural superstition may be good for mental health.

Those psychological benefits can include an increased sense of order, said Rebecca Borah, a professor of English at the University of Cincinnati. In other words, superstitions are attempts to understand and even control fate in an uncertain world.

"When you have rules and you know how to play by them, it always seems a lot easier," Borah said. "If you have Dracula, you can pretty much figure out how to avoid him, or go out and get the garlic and be able to